This is Getting Old

I mentioned, a couple of posts back, about being sick for the last three weeks. While it's mostly over, now there are other symptoms.

Joint pain, muscle pain, and morning nausea. Yay.

At least the title of this post serves a deliberate double entendre.

Building Woes, Part 2

This morning started like a better day. The sun is shining, skies are clear, and all's right with the world.

At least, that's the way it seemed as I poured the first cup of coffee.

The morning news included a warning about a water main break which caused me to alter my route to work. No big deal. And it turns out the modified route is a few minutes faster than the way I went before, so it's all good, right?

Right?

When I shut the engine off, got out of my truck at work and heard the noise, my first thought was that the emergency generator was running. But no, it wasn't loud enough for that. But clearly some small engine or fan was running, audible from 50 feet away.

Nope.

When I got to the entrance, I realized there was air being sucked around a storeroom door, causing the weather stripping to flutter like a playing card in bicycle spokes. Leaning on the door made it stop. Curious.

Then I tried to open the entrance door. It resisted. I glanced at my watch to confirm that the electromagnets were in daytime mode, and not holding the door shut. Green light was on, and the magnets were off. No problems there.

It took both hands to pull the door open, wind whistling loudly the whole time.

This is a medical facility, and we run high-speed air handlers to maintain a slightly-positive pressure. Today, we have negative pressure. The discrete system in the surgery center is working properly, so they have the opposite problem: their outer doors have to be pulled shut.

So I got the on-call HVAC tech on the horn at 0600 hrs, and moving this way.

It's always something.

Is it bad that I want another vacation, only six weeks after returning from the last one?

Words Fail Me

I cannot adequately express how desperately I want to leave for vacation NOW. But the flight is still over a month away.

Grumblegrumblegrumble ...

Rough Start

Almost slept through the alarm this morning. Knocked over my second cup of coffee, then tried to knock the hand-towel holder off of the bathroom counter while shaving. It was supposed to be sunny today, but we're completely socked in with low, dark grey clouds.

I should go back to bed.

'Tain't Friday Yet

This week is turning out to be a humdinger, what with near-record highs on Monday and Tuesday, lots of sunshine, dozens of new wildfires which have burned over 400,000 acres, and yesterday's 5.8-magnitude 'quake.

I'm quite ready to wrap this one up, and get on with the weekend.

* * * * *

I've been asked via e-mail why I don't blog about politics very often, lately.  Frankly, I'm sick of the whole mess. It feels like a waste of time to keep beating my head against a wall ... and just like doing that, it feels better when you stop.

I'm spending far less time trying to write, and more time staring out the windows, these days. Thinking about travel, about just getting away for awhile.

We'll be hitting the road in August, with one long driving trip/four-day weekend already planned. We'd like to visit Fairbanks again, and maybe take the Coastal Classic train to Seward, too. Just because.

Work plays an ever-decreasing role in my life as time off assumes a more important part. I'm okay with that. It probably doesn't help that many of my friends at work have either just retired, or are about to. Barring a sudden windfall (hey, it can happen) I won't be retiring any time soon.

But longer vacations are definitely in the mix.

* * * * *

And oh, yes: we saw Jurassic World last night. Not bad at all!

The production admittedly trod some familiar territory, but it's well done.  We enjoyed it, and isn't that what "entertainment" is all about?

You'll probably like it, too.

Charming. Just Charming.

First task of each workday is to open the mail, and process bills/payments. That involves scanning & e-mailing the invoices to the bookkeeper.

When that task expands to include "get out the toolbox, disassemble the sheet-feeder and remove documents", you know it's going to be one of those days.

Sigh ...

I Wouldn't Mind Mondays

if they came later in the week.

1. Monday shouldn't start off with the news that your 115,000 sq.ft. facility has no heat.
2. Monday shouldn't involve malfunctioning elevators that stop with a bang & a vertical hop that scares people.
3. Mondays shouldn't involve dealing with out-of-state regional managers who want to know how soon we could install a wheel-chair accessible curb cut ... in a sidewalk with no handicap spaces, and no area set aside for wheelchairs to progress between parking spaces ... in Alaska. In January. When it's -12 outside. (Nobody is pouring concrete this week. Just sayin'.)

We also got a new alarm clock yesterday. Found out this morning just how loud it is ... and so did the neighbors. Heh.

All things considered, I should have slept in.

I Shoulda Stood in Bed

Overslept by three and a half hours.

It was -11 or colder overnight, and the third floor of my building was very chilly this morning. Lots of complaints.

Had a leak in an above-ceiling drain line, causing a flood in the lobby.

Minor leak in a boiler drain line (unrelated to the above).



Can I get a do-over?

Why

isn't it Friday yet?




That is all.

The Week That Was

is over. Thank Heaven.

Earthquake. 46-mph winds that blew down trees & signs. Fog. Dust storms. Falling temps. Falling leaves. Freezing temps. Power outage. Bleah.

I'm so glad it's the weekend, I can't express it; go thou, and enjoy!

Post-Dentist, Round Two

1. Saw new dentist. Liked new dentist. Had teeth cleaned and examined; so far, so good.

2. Results of digital imaging: have to see oral surgeon on Thurday for extractions. Not so good.