Wichi Dude

HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY

NEW

YEAR

I'M DOWN FOR THE NIGHT

Well, that was short lived. Temp started coming back up. Taking more Tylenol, turning on the bed heater, passing out.

Party for me would ya. Thanks.

A LITTLE BETTER

Finally broke the fever I've had for the last three days. Now if it will just stay gone. I went from bouncing back and forth from 99.6 to 100.5. After noon today, it dropped to 98.2.

WooHoo! Blow on noise maker...throws confetti...passes out from overexertion...*thump...hits floor*

I'm back. Still feel like hammered yak spit. Took temp again and found out I must be dead. Got a reading of 97.8. Took it twice to make sure. Yup. 97.8. The body is cooling, rigor should be setting in soon. Better get this done before I stiffen up, or pass out again.

billy has a picture of the shirts and glasses I sent to him from one of the winefests. I was amazed as the people at the shipping place said it would take WEEKS to get there. I figured if he got them before summer, it would be a good thing. Made it in less than a week. Funny cause I sent Bogie a package at the same time and hers was supposed to get there first. As far as I know, she still hasn't gotten hers yet.

billy also has a link to this post about the difference between "real" friends and "blog" (unreal?) friends. I would have to say that in the few months I've been blogging, I've made several new friends on the net. These are people I never knew before and wouldn't know if it hadn't been for blogging.

True, I may never meet any of them in person. Then again, I might. But how many of the people that think blog friends aren't real know someone in Britian, or California, or in the South, or in New Zealand, or Australia, or the Neatherland's and write to them on a regular basis. I've worked with people for over 20 years that I don't talk to on a regular basis. Are they any MORE real?

Just a thought.

NOT WELL

I mentioned earlier last week that I was feeling a little under the weather. Just your common cold stuff which might actually have been my allergies acting up because of the Christmas tree. Anyway, I felt better but not up to speed for the next couple days. Big surprise. I felt almost human all day yesterday, this could be a good thing.

Well, last night I was hit hard by whatever is bugging me. I woke up with chills (bad), after getting warmed up, I was too HOT. This went back and forth for quiet a while last night. Today, all I feel is that achey (sp), sensitive, head spinning, tired kind of way when you get a bad cold or flu.

I HAD a dentist appointment set up for this afternoon. Called them up to cancel. They were understanding, saying they have had a lot of people canceling for the same reason.

Just hanging out at the house, whining and gripeing about the air molecules hitting my body too hard. And since when did 74 degrees feel cold. I've been wearing an insulated flannel jacket all day and still shivering.

Life happens...but this sucks.

DINNER AT THE IL'S

We had dinner at the IL's place yesterday. CK, Chew, Dudette and myself hit the house of Cop Car and HH after 3. Dudette and I arrived about an hour before CK and Chew hit the door, but that's OK. It gave us time to warm up everybody.

Chew got into the rhythm of things quickly and blended right in. There was a lot joviality all night long, turning phrases and leading each other into bad jokes, puns and zingers. We even got a chance to work on the bet CK and Dudette had going.

In the last post I mentioned it would take some set up for the bit behind the bet, so here it is.

A GOOD CHRISTMAS

It was a good Christmas in DudeLand. I got up first and got myself some coffee then set up Dudette's coffee. She got up and started baking the Carmel Sugar Rolls she prepared the night before (they had to sit and rise overnight). CK joined the living shortly afterwards, something about baking rolls wakes her up.

We gathered round the tree and attacked the presents while the rolls baked. Everyone made out good.

CK got scrubs, good nursing shoes, and a stethoscope, as well as a bunch of other stuff she would need for her career in nursing. Her Aunt Bogie , didn't forget her either. I won't tell you what she got until after she sends a "Thank You" note out. I won't let her brag until she does. The same goes for the gift she got from Cop Car and HH.

Dudette wanted some oversized sweatshirts. She wears them like sweaters so she likes them big. She received several including one with Betty Boop on it. She also got the DVD "Miss Congeniality". We're always quoting lines from the movie so it made sense to own it. Bogie and WS sent her a present as well but I won't let her brag yet either. She also got gift certificates for books and other shopping. CK made a gift certificate to take her out for a manicure, pedicure and facial. Cool.

Bogie and WS gave me a beautiful dragon (I collect them). As soon as the pictures get developed I'll post a picture, (as well as one of me with the "Holy Grail" Beer for billy ). I also got a Boris Vellejo & Julie Bell calendar for next year from CK. The coolest gift was a gift certificate from Dudette letting me build a new computer for myself. (Most of the games I like require a 1.5 Ghz processor and I'm still running on a 350 Mhz box. Worked for the first edition of the games 4 years ago, but won't touch the newer stuff. Even the "cheap" games want at least 700 Mhz. And that is a minimum requirement). Anyway, way cool.

Cop Car and HH sent their presents over as well. But I won't brag because they haven't been thanked yet.

We tore into the rolls after the presents. Once the kitchen was cleaned up, CK took a nap and Dudette started working on the goodies for later on. CK and Chew were going to come back from his family gathering and have dinner with us. Me, I wasn't feeling all that great. I have been working on a cold, (or a bad case of allergies from the Christmas tree since we put it up) since last Saturday. Anyway, I was wiped out, so I took a nap as well. (Everybody will tell you, I don't do naps. So when I take one, they know I've had it).

It was a great time by all. Finished the night watching "Michael"(John Travolta) with Dudette. It's a great movie, I'll have to buy it someday.

Tomorrow, it's off to the IL's house for another dinner. CK and Chew will be joining us. I can't say what's up, but good fun will be had at CK's expense (there is a bet riding on it). I'll have to tell you tomorrow after we get home. It will take some explaining.

Merry Christmas to all that make it this far.

TO ONE AND ALL

MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

I had drafted this to be posted yesterday, but for reasons I won't bore you with, it didn't happen. So I am going to label this as post from Tuesday, Dec. 23 for the sake of continuity.

AN INTERESTING DAY

We are having a window replaced on the house. The woodwork on the window itself has rotted out. 12 years old and rotted. We have already replaced two other windows for the same reason and it looks like the rest will eventually have to be done. Oh well, you do what you have to.

Anyway, the workers showed up today to change out the window. Not much to say about the work off hand but the weather was dicey. We were supposed to get rain and/or snow today and they still planned to change it out. Before the weather got going, they had the old one out and the new one in. It is only roughed, but it is weather tight. They will be back tomorrow to finish it, then start on the chimney.

Yeah, the chimney needs work also. The wood is going on the trim work and needs replaced. We feel a little fortunate though, some of our neighbors have had to do this more than once already. Our contractor pointed to one of the houses that just got done having work done and said they would need the work done again in a couple years. He then explained why they would need it done again. They cured the symptoms, but not the cause. He plans on curing the cause on our place.

We'll see. But I do have a good feeling about his work.

Also, I had a dermatologist appointment. I have had spots of basal cell skin cancer removed before and I am wary of any spot that lasts more than a few weeks. I had a couple that I wanted the Doctor to look at to make sure everything was Okay. He checked things out and said there was nothing to worry about on all but one of them. The one I had on my wrist he didn't like, but said it was minor. He left the room and returned with what looked like a thermos with an atomizer tip on it. He had me hold out my hand and warned me that this was going to BURN.

I asked if it was liquid nitrogen or oxygen. He looked at me funny, and said, "Nitrogen".

"OK. Go for it." And he did.

Nice, little, white, mountain of frost grew where the spot was. He asked it was bothering me, and I told him that it was a little uncomfortable, but not too bad. He gave me another look. So I explained I was involved, and trained, in heating and air conditioning. I've had freezer burns from refrigerant before so, though it didn't feel good, I have been through similar situations with the business.

For those who don't know, R22, the most common refrigerant in household A/C units, boils at -40 F. at atmospheric pressure. Simply put, liquid R22 will cool an object it is leaking on down to -40 F. in no time. Just sucks the heat right out of it. Get a handful of that a time or two and you know what COLD is.

Anyway, the Doc said the spot would fall off by itself in a couple days.

I am so relieved it was that simple. Last time, they had to cut twice before getting clean edges. Minor cut, but had to do it twice. NO FUN.

ALL FIXED

Almost had a snafu with the water heater today. The people we contacted to do the work called back and informed us they couldn't get in touch with their installers. They said it might be Monday before they could get someone out, but they would keep trying.

That, would not be an answer.

We tried calling several plumbers on our own to see if we could get it done by someone else. Earliest opening was Monday afternoon. Not a good way to start the day.

We called back the first place to find out the status of the situation. We talked to a very nice lady named Rita. She checked on the problem for us and found out it wasn't the installer that was the problem. By the book, they are supposed to contact a company "coordinator" to set things up. It was the "coordinator" that was not returning calls.

Rita said she would see what she could do. Less than a half hour later, she called back and said the appointment was made, and the contractor should be calling us back to verify. She will probably get yelled at for her troubles though, what she did was bypass the "coordinator" all together.

Hey, it got the job done and made the customer happy. We certainly won't complain. She's our hero.

The contractor showed up at 2:00pm, and we had the whole job done by 4:00pm. By 5, CK was able to take a shower, with hot water.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled life.