Nothing

I have been in a nice steady state of doing nothing for a few weeks. It feels good. And at the same time, awful.

I have been working 4 and 5 day weeks for the last few months. I also drive 4 hours one way to work once a week. Then back home when I am done.

Work is not that hard. I just have to do it away from home. I don't get to eat in my house. See my kids, or wife. Sleep in my own bed.

I have been off of work since before Christmas(Xboxmas). A much needed rest, I must say.

I can also say that I have never gone this long without doing "something" remotely worthwile.

Well to "ease" myself back amongst the working, yesterday I fixed the leaky kitchen sink, sure it has been leaking for a few months, but it was not time to fix it yet. You may not think that is a big deal, but it is. You see, not only do you have to figure out the original problem that caused the leak, you need to rectify it. You have to fix the pipes and think about how you will avoid the same problem in the future.

Problem; leaky sink. Cause; recycle and waste buckets pushed the pipes and caused them to miss align, causing a leak.

Solution; remove all the leaky components, loosen up the left over components, go to store and get new pipes, cut and fit new pipes, align and tighten. Leak test, and if all is right with Karma, there will be no leaks. So the sink is now fixed. Cost $7.19 for materials, 3 hours of time, $5 for Mocha during the shopping trip to jump start my brain and make sure that I was getting the correct parts, about 3 miles of wear and tear on my truck.

How to make sure this does not happen again; the only thing that I can think of is to move. Barring that, we moved where we put the recycle and waste baskets. Of course if I was the only one to put stuff under the sink that would help, but we aren't going there.

So much for my weeks of nothing.

Moving and resolutions

I helped a friend move some furniture today. Not much, just a few couches. That was enough.

I was told once that a "true" friend would never ask you to help them move.

I have a pickup. Therefore I am qualified to help people move "stuff".

I have always had a pickup. I have a bunch of stuff that occasionally has to be moved. It has to be moved from point A, to point B, back to point A, then to point C, and if there is time, make a point D and move it there. Do you get what I am saying? I like to make work for myself. That is why I have a pickup.

I don't mind helping out someone occasionally.

I have known about this move that I helped with today for a few weeks. I remembered it off and on. Today it was on. CRAP. Stairs, doorways, dirt, bushes, the bed of my truck that has hauled many a greasy engine and parts, dirt, night. You name it, we had to overcome it today. We only had a reprieve from the rain. It rained earlier and luckily it was just frigid not rainy.

It was surprisingly easy. Just the fact that I am "kind of" out of shape. And by kind of, I mean that I am horribly, terribly, remorsefully, beyond any condition that would be considered "in shape". The last time I was in a gym, Clinton was in the White House and the U.S. had a budget surplus! Made this anything other than a piece of cake.

Maybe I should make a new years resolution.

Which one should I make though? Go to the gym? Don't help move anyone? Go on a diet? Go on a diet AND go to the gym? Try not to do anything that will remind me that I need to exercise? Well, that last one really won't go over well. Every now and then I just get this little reminder that I am not as young, or fit, as I used to be.

If only I could go back to 1986 at the peak of my fitness when I was a firefighter for the state. The epitome of "me".

Well maybe after I made it through Navy dive school. Which was 2 weeks in HELL with Navy Seals pushing 24 hours a day to make sure that I would not crack under pressure was the epitome of physical me, but mentally that was another story.

I wish I could have done all my moving then. I wouldn't be where I am now, would I?