An open book journey of Christopher William Klein
Greetings:I must admit that the month of November was a little slice of hell. Work has increased exponentially, and it is taking a little time to adjust. Some ghosts of the past have jumped forward and proven that objects in the mirror may appear closer than they are. But we are facing the end of the year, and there is a new one right around the corner.
...and easy...
Since it is Sunday, I ran my Sunday Lyft. I consistently had to sit between rides, but only for 3 or 4 minutes at a time, and then I would get a decent run. Today was the best Sunday I have had in recent memory, and this may be the new trend. I've been watching the news about ride-sharing programs, and there seems to be a significant shift working to benefit the drivers. Since I am one of those drivers, I will take it.
I only worked half a day, which is funny since it was over 8 hours, and I consider that half a day. It was freezing when I got home. But I did some artwork, cleaned up the garage, and worked on my list. This is my second day pushing forward, and I think it will be a wonderful month. At least, I hope that it will be.
...and it begins...
The first run of the day took me all the way to Jonesboro, Arkansas. Instead of having to go right back to Memphis, I worked in the area until a little after noon, and it went quite well. I surpassed my goal easily, and it was a decent day. The only drawback is that I used a little more gas than I normally do, but I'm hoping the extra money will make up for that.
Even though it was an excellent day at work, by the time I hit the house in the evening, I was feeling exhausted. I've had a little trouble sleeping, and even though I overslept this morning, I did not feel completely rested. I returned to the house early, relaxed, and tried to get into bed early. I have a feeling that will be the theme for the week.
...and here we go...
The week has barely started, and I feel like I am drudging along. Don't get me wrong. I am still enjoying the job, but the days are taking too long to pass right now. I did very well on the route, but I am starting to feel tired.
Near the end of last month, I had a blast from the past as some of my extended family attempted to contact me. I did an outstanding job of avoiding them for quite a while, but Marianne finally caught up with me, and we held a conversation. This is not information that I am going to put public at this time. Still, apparently, there is an illness in the extended family leading to some revelations that directly involve me. The problem is, that part of my family are many conniving users that will take any advantage available to them. They are rarely above board with information. I hate to say it, but I tend to see traps, schemes, and ulterior motives whenever I deal with them on any level. I have agreed to talk with them, and I am listening to what they have to say, but I do not believe any of it.
...The saga continues...
It was a relatively calm day and I was able to keep up with my quota for the week, so I'm feeling pretty good about things. It was an uneventful day except that I had a breakup run where I had to transport 1/2 avid couple that was dissolving their relationship around the holidays. It was not that big of a deal, but it is noteworthy.
Even though the workday was relatively calm, I still felt the week's pressure. The days are rolling well, and I am making good money, but I am exhausted. I am not sleeping well, and I'm hoping that is just the coming Christmas season. When I got home, I watched my show, which I am almost done with, and headed to bed. I wanted to do some writing, but I was just too tired. Maybe tomorrow.
...roll on...
The days are continuing much status quo. The earnings continue to be higher, but the days appear to be longer even though they are shorter. The interesting thing is I have a second breakup run today. This time, a young lady who was escaping from a bad situation. It must be the holiday Blues. That is 2 days in a row. I met my expectations for the day, and aside from that one run, there was very little to discuss.
I'm still not sleeping well, and I am still feeling quite sluggish. I'm not to the point where I'm falling asleep at the wheel, but I'm at the point where I would like to stop and take a nap once in a while. I've had more communication with the extended family, and they still don't know what their end game is, but they are playing some game. I will listen to the rest of the story until they tip their hand, and then I will have done with them. I've been watching Supergirl, the series, and they only have a few more episodes left. It is time to get into the weekend, but there is still one day to go.
...but not beyond...
The end of the week is here, and it went pretty well. The only problem was that I had two reservations, and both of them got canceled. However, I made up the miles quickly, and I came out on top. I worked fewer hours this week than usual, but I made more money. If I can get over this lethargic state and get back to 12 hours a day, I think we can get ahead. The only excitement for today was yet another breakup run. This one was a little more intense because of the woman who was dragged out of the house with her hair pulled by a knife. That was a little above my pay grade, so the Police Department got involved. I don't know how it ended because I moved on. By the end of the day, I was $50 ahead for the week, and I am counting that as a good thing.
The end of the week has come, and it could not come fast enough for me. Even though it was a highly productive week, I spent most of it exhausted. I pushed myself and made sure that I cleared my goal and then some, and then I headed home. I spent the evening finishing off the Supergirl series and working on my list for the weekend. I want to make sure that I get some cooking done, and I have a few other projects that I want to work through.
...the down day...
I could pretty much copy and paste from last week to this week. We have made it into another weekend, and this is Saturday, so the only work that needs to be done is my record-keeping. I updated the spreadsheets and read the blogs for Memphis rideshare drivers. I am a little concerned about both companies and their actions. They have organized a bulk-hiring event, and both companies have added almost 100 drivers to the roster. In addition, both companies, starting tomorrow, will run bonus zones all over the city and through multiple times of the day. This concern is because of the addition of many drivers who may quickly work against the company. If drivers are coming in with the expectation of making a certain amount of money, that won't happen because the area will be over-saturated. But time will tell what's going to happen. I will be right in the thick of it tomorrow morning. I believe they have made an error with this process.
The day off did not go as planned, but I will take it. I wanted to finish quite a bit today but was very lethargic. I just ran out of steam and could not get into motion. I could make quite a few edits to the novel, but other than that, I ended up sitting around until lunchtime. There was some family time, some nap time, and then I was into the afternoon. Even coming out of a nap, I still had no energy, so I chalked the day up to an enjoyable but unproductive day. Tomorrow, I am going to be working in the morning, and I am a little apprehensive about what will happen with the infusion of so many drivers. But I am prepared for it, so there may be no shock if things go badly.
One thing that I did get done was cooking. I used the Instant Pot to make meatloaf and barbecued chicken. Both of them came out quite well, but not nearly as well as the ribs last week. I have to see what else I can cook using this thing. I want to try some vegetables, like Brussels sprouts or maybe some seared corn. But that will have to wait for now. Tomorrow is another day, and we shall see what it brings.
...who could have...
Who could have seen this coming? Well, I saw this coming because it was a bad business move. Both rideshare companies are hurting for drivers. They have been running bonus areas on both programs for a couple of weeks, which did not draw in enough drivers. So both companies have started incentives, including things like discount rental cars so that you don't have to use your vehicle and extended bonus zones. While these things are good for driver retention, they don't do well when drawing new drivers in. And the reason is that they chose a Sunday to activate quite a few new drivers. Part of this is that patrons have been going from one company to the other, trying to find a ride. When they have to wait an extended time, they get frustrated and move to a different service. To combat this, both companies have hired a lot of new drivers and activated them all at once. Anyone who knows anything about business understands the concept of oversaturation. I sat there for over an hour talking to Gaga at the Love's on Lamar Ave. Because there was no work. I was watching the number of rides in the area as well as in the surrounding areas, and there were just too many drivers logged in. I made $78 for three hours of work, but I was only working half of that. If you break it down by the hour, that is an excellent rate of return. But not if you have to sit on your asses half the time. I finally got frustrated and went home. By the end of the day, I read on some of the message boards that about 80% of the drivers had decided that rideshare was not for them. And that was on both applications. I'm curious to see what they try next.
Because of the rain and because of work, I had some extra time so I did some concentration on Lilith for the novel. I think that I have finally settled on a look. And here it is.
Work was frustrating, and the weather did not cooperate. It was supposed to be warm today so I figured I might be able to finish up the front and back lawns, but that was not going to happen because it started to rain and then it rained all day. I also had a developing migraine, and that is never fun. I began to get light and sound sensitive, and I was preparing for a two or three-day onslaught of not feeling well. Thankfully, by the end of the day, it mainly had receded. I was lucky that it was just a baby trying to be born and it took care of itself. It might have helped that I sat in the garage in darkness for most of the day, listening to calming and relaxing music while i meditated. I dimmed my main screen and turned off my secondary screen, and did the artwork that you see above.
The new computer was annoying this weekend, not because of the computer itself, which is incredible, but because of my microphone setup. Earlier last week, the mouse and keyboard ate itself and I had to replace them. I have never seen a mouse catch on fire. OK, that is an exaggeration. I have never seen a mouse issue billows of smoke, and that is not an exaggeration. But then again, I did get them at the bin store for something like $2.00, so I guess I got what I paid for. But I was annoyed when my webcasting microphone bit the dust this weekend. I blame myself because I went as cheap as possible, and the device I got had about 200 reviews, and all of them said that it would fail. It is something I will have to replace, but for now I have moved my other microphone into place. It is not really good for webcasting, but come January, I am going to do my best, and the quality will be substandard, and that is OK. The reason it is OK is because with the new year i'm going to be setting things up like Patreon. I have a lot of followers, as is evident every time I miss a day or three in the blog and I get the messages. Once I start doing my weekly webcasts, you, my faithful followers, we'll get to see the evolution of "remembering tomorrow with the ancient." And if you don't like the quality, you can donate for a new setup. Me? Going commercial? Maybe just a little. I promise I will never be a subscription-only service, but I will answer one thing that has been sent to me repeatedly. Many people have asked why I do not have a donate button. With the coming year, I'm going to fix that.
...Burn baby burn....
So, both rideshare services have apologized for infusing workers into the workforce without planning. I thought that was pretty funny. Mostly, I understand the reasoning because they both thought of it at the same time. They must try to shore up their numbers before the new year starts. Lately, both services have had to run bonus zones because of a lack of drivers. It's the natural evolution of the industry. Part of it is a lack of training. While I was sitting in Love's today, taking a break, I was approached by a brand new driver who could not properly operate the application. It only took 5 minutes to show him what to do, but that is something that the company should do. And the available training is very minimal. It can be very frustrating and make people walk away.
My day was fantastic. I was a little worried around midday because I was running behind on my goal, but that took off in the afternoon, and not only did I meet my goal, but I also surpassed it. Things would be very good if I could have consistent days like this. I had some problematic riders, but nothing I could not handle. One gentleman was sitting there rolling some very special cigarettes and was offended when I asked him to stop. And if you don't know what I'm talking about there, then you don't need to. And they had one drunk woman who is very down on herself and could not understand why I would not keep telling her that she was pretty. It is not my place to be a life counselor, so I just drove a little bit faster. I know that sounds horrible, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I put in a 12-hour day and was exhausted by the end of the day, but I'm feeling pretty good about it.
What is the push? The push is a state of being or a state of mind where I test the edges of my abilities. I have been walking through life like the fool in the Tarot lately. It is not bad, but it sometimes has its place in life. I have not stumbled, and I have not fallen even though I am looking into the sky while I'm walking forward. But I have now looked down and seen the path before me. I need to concentrate on my own needs and those of my family and take action. My plan was not to touch this until January, but i became impatient. The first stage is money. There is potential with the rideshare to make a lot more money than I do but only if I work more diligently. And I started that this morning. I set out to do 12 hours, and that's what I did. It paid off because I did not stop when I hit my goal for the day, and I continued to push forward. The negative aspect of this is that it affects my mood when I push this hard, and they have to try and find a way to counter that. I ended the day in a bit of a negative mood, but nothing horrible. And I was up $50.00 for the day.
An interesting twist of fate dealing with Gaga. She is one of the hookers who works out of Lamar Ave. And I have talked to her a few times while I was sitting and waiting. She reminds me so much of Jennifer, just without the emotional baggage. I find that very enlightening, considering her profession. Most people in that situation have significant emotional baggage or have been brought to their situation through the negative aspects of family or friends. Usually, they are broken children. But Gaga is different. She likes what she does, and according to her, she does it well. Where the twist of fate comes in is that she is in a similar situation to Jennifer. One of her regulars has offered to take her away from all of this. And she wanted to know what I thought about the problem. She went so far as to call him and ask him to meet me while I was on my lunch break. He rushed straight over. He was kind and respectful. The only advice that I could give Gaga was that she had to follow her heart. I know what I would love to tell her, and there is no way that she could ever find me to communicate with me after the fact, but just the chance of getting involved in another situation like Jennifer's, the thought scares me. That is a lifetime of scar tissue; I do not need to restart it now. I suggested that she discuss this with Diamond because it would affect our work. If they put together plans, it is unlikely that she would continue in her current role. And Diamond has been very good to the girls. I refuse to get involved on any level. I do not mind talking to the girls or even the handler that Diamond keeps on hand, but nothing beyond that. That world is behind me, and it needs to stay there.
...in a good way....
Today was one of those days where I had to look back and say, "How the hell did that happen?" I started the day with a double reserved run that ended in Booneville, Ms. That is about 110 miles outside of Memphis, and I was prepared to double the length of the run for a ride back without a rider; however, I got halfway back and got to pick up somebody that I had dropped off months ago. She lives in the Outback of Mississippi on a dead-end road that doesn't even look like a road. They were having trouble finding her a ride, and I was passing by. So, when all was said and done, it was a $300.00 day. It would have been more if not for a series of unfortunate events in Arkansas.
The events I'm talking about are terrible planning by the highway department. There are two ways in and out of Memphis heading toward Arkansas. You can either take I-40 or I-55. The highway department decided it would be splendid to shut down all but one lane on both bridges heading into Memphis. Drivers that go this way regularly understand that when one side is backed up you can take the other side. However, closing down all but one lane on both bridges causes an extensive backup. Because of this, going 7 miles from West Memphis, AR, to downtown Memphis, TN, took more than an hour. If it were not for this, I probably would have made about 50 more dollars. But this is part of the driving life.
As much as this is going to kick my personal ass, it has to be said. Personal attacks, regardless of politics, should be off the table. I said this when people were going after Baron Trump during the last reign of Heir Trump. And I am going to repeat it now. There was an incident recently where people sitting close to Donald Trump noticed a stench. One reporter described it as the smell of armpits, ketchup, feces, and makeup. Anybody who does not know this smell has never been in a convalescent home. It is what happens when you wear an adult diaper. This is part of getting old, and this is not a deficit by the would-be king. It should be addressed by talking to him about it, but it is not something to make fun of. His policies and attempt to create a monarchy are all on the table. But please lay off the personal attacks.
I rolled through today in a haze. Unfortunately, it was not a purple haze, even though my last riders offered that to me when we were stuck in traffic. Having a commercial driver's license, I could not partake and I would not let them enjoy themselves in the car. They had to wait till I dropped them off downtown. But it was one hell of a day. I blew my goal for the day out of the water, and I still push through to a 15 hour work day. In the morning before I went to work I could get the morning routine out of the way, and when I got home, I turned on my red light and said thank you to the Lilith for giving me the strength to get through the day without losing my mind. I admit that on the drive home, when there was somebody behind me with their ultra bright high beams, a pickup truck that was way too loud, and pumping out music by Kid Rock, I was praying that I had an ice pick. When he finally went around me, it did not surprise me that the back window was painted with the words “Trump, God, and Guns.” What made me giggle most is the order.
...Roll on....
I continue to roll in the productive days. By the end of the day, I had more than $230 in the Kitty and that puts me just $25 from my weekly goal and I still have three days to go. I had a reserved run first thing in the morning, and I took somebody from the airport to Oxford Ms. at the end of the day. Unfortunately, both had some serious unpaid miles. However, it worked out pretty well in the end. I'm feeling pretty good about the week and I can relax a little bit, but not a lot.
I am adjusting to the additional hours, but not that easy. I think that part of my problem is I chose a very poor lunch this week and the ham sandwiches on rye are just not doing it. I think it is the rye bread that is tossing me off, but I will try again next week. By the time I got home, I was exhausted, as usual, and the girls got pizza, so I ate some of that. In the morning, I got quite a bit done on my list and in the evening I sat and stared before going to bed. The weekend is right around the corner, but that does not mean a whole lot this week because I'm going to work. I don't know how long i can keep up this pace, but I'm going to do it until i can't anymore. I'm just going to try and get ahead.
...another goal....
This was another long ass day. It was nonstop from the minute I logged in until I was ready to log out: a few long runs and many short runs back-to-back. But there were two apparent incidences today. First, I hit 1750 runs as of this afternoon. Ironically, the system notified me as soon as I hit that goal. Within moments, I received notification of a customer complaint against me that I made them feel uncomfortable. That notification contained links to educational material about sexual harassment. This happened once before on the day that I hit 1000 runs. I find it interesting that the complaints come in as you meet these milestones. This time, I did not take it lying down. I let Uber know that I have the right to face my accuser and demanded that they supplied the details of the encounter as well as a time and date of the encounter so that I could pull my own personal surveillance video. They backpedaled immediately. Explaining that they understand that not all of these types of complaints are credible and that I did not need to worry about it. I know how I treat my riders and it is with nothing but respect and I think that this is just a way for them to send out their educational material. Since the notification is sent in a strongly worded message, that indicates that your account could be in jeopardy, I am sure that less-tempered people will immediately jump over and do the educational stuff. I've looked at the educational materials, and it is so basic it is not funny. I will ignore it this time, but when I hit 2000 riders, if it happens again, I will address it.
I was feeling playful this evening. Here, have a naughty elf.
I was up almost on time this morning, but I did not have a lot of drive. I was able to work through the morning routine, but that was just about it. I pushed hard at work and hit a new milestone as well as my weekly goal, one day early. I did not have much time between riders, so I did not get to grab my recorder today. But I knocked off 30 minutes early so I could stop at Target and get something for the wife. It's actually for the wife to give to the daughter, and because I'm not sure who reads this, I'm not going to point out what it was. Then, it was home to finish the meatloaf and head to bed. It has been an exhausting week, and it is not over yet.
...a good day....
I pushed through the day, and even took two hours off in the middle of the day and still cleared over $200. I am exhausted, but continuing to push through. I have one more day in this work week, and that will be tomorrow. The only reason that that is happening is because I have a pre-scheduled run at noon. I have already committed to it, so it will take place.
I feel as if I am droning through the days at this time, because the mornings are almost nonexistent and by the time that I get home, I am so tired that all I can do is sit and stare. This could become a problem in the long run, but for now I will deal with it.
...gods help me....
Even though today is Saturday, I was at work bright and early. I accepted several reserved runs for the day and I was determined to push those out. That means that I worked 8 hours on my day off. And by the end of the day, I was rolling tired, but I am highly satisfied with the week's income.
I know my limitations, and I am pushing against them right now. I am not nearly as young as I once was, and working seven days a week is not something that I should do often. By the time I got home this afternoon, I was beyond exhausted and needed to sit down and just stare. The drawback of that situation is that I got nothing done on my list. That causes harmful self-interest because now I regret not getting anything done. That can quickly turn into a problem. I still have to work tomorrow for the personal Kitty, but this week, my heart is not in it. We shall see what the coming week brings. Even though I've been staying up to date with my meditation, yoga, and exercise, I have not touched my novel in a week, nor anything else.
...for the cliche'....
I would say that I should shine on you crazy diamond, but I think I am closer to coal on the spectrum. I pushed through and hit over $100 for the personal Kitty, but by the end of the day I was dragging my wagon. So I shut it down and took it home. It was a good and productive day, I could not continue. I am not burning out, but I can see the fuse.
There are not too many things that I take personally. A random person on social media said that I looked extremely boring. It was in a no-name group from a no-name person. It passed me off. So I took a picture. I do not think I am boring. And I have no idea why I care what other people think.
I could not tackle the list, but I could put together a decent picture to show my strangeness, and it made me feel pretty good about myself. With the new year, I may start a new project of self-indulgence and exploration. But we shall see if that comes to pass or not. I have a lot on my plate right now, and the list for this coming week is longer than that of a baby's arm. And that is one hell of a baby. I spent the afternoon relaxing and catching up on some well-needed meditation. I have been ignoring Lilith too much, and I must rectify that. I did crank open the novel and did another chapter, but I have to make that a priority. Once the Kitty is taken care of and I am back on to a personal goal, I will have to prioritize self-publication. I think that I'm going to shoot for March. But we shall say.
...da rain....
The day started out horribly. I was getting nothing but tiny runs, and there was a lot of distance between them. Add to that the rain and overcast skies, and I was prepared for a terrible week. The rain and the cloudy skies never cleared, but as the moon rolled around, the work tempo changed. The runs got longer and right next to each other, and they came to an end with a last-minute run from Memphis to Jackson, taking a differently-abled person home. He and his seeing-eye dog had a lovely trip. But as I left Jackson, the sky exploded in a torrential downpour. That, of course, created hazardous roadways that shut down I-40 for more than an hour. I finally made it home and poured myself into the house.
Because the work day was extended by almost three hours, I had no personal time at all today. Thankfully, I was able to get through my morning routine, but once I got home in the evening, it was time to go right to bed. It was a very lucrative day, and I hope that the week will be the same.
...on steam....
The theme for today is being tired. I pushed through the day, but barely. I managed to hit my goal, but then I had to shut down about an hour early because I was just exhausted. I wish that I could blame this on working too hard or something like that, but it is environmental. This is the third day of Gray skies and rain. It is exhausting.
Time is an enemy right now, but only because of the environmental issues of the overcast sky and the relentless rain. It is just sucking the energy right out of me. I was up and in motion about an hour late this morning and pushed through the day, but I had the energy for little else. By the time I hit the house, I was ready to sit and stare at a wall. Apparently, this will be the ongoing theme for the rest of the year. The only interesting thing that happened today is I spoke to Melody, but that is a subject that I will not even touch until next year. I know that quite a few people who read this blog know who Melody is. And also who she is assumed to be. My most outstanding advice for you is to mind your own business.
...just a little bit....
I was at work 30 minutes early this morning to handle a reservation and then to handle the five that came behind it. It was a decent day, but the Gray skies and rain persisted. I pushed through right to the limits of my time, and I could hit my goal for the day a little, but I do not believe it was a highly successful day. However, that being said, the company is running a bunch of quests right now. If things go as they are supposed to, I should hit a double goal tomorrow and get a significant bump in pay. That would be very nice. By the middle of the day, the clouds cleared out, but by then, my brain was so muddled that it was time to go home.
I was mainly running on time this morning, so the morning was status quo. I fought the doldrums and the Gray skies until mid-afternoon, and by then, my brain had turned to mush. I worked a full day and hit my goal, and then a little, and when I got home, I got to have a long conversation with the wife, which has not been possible for quite a while because of our weird schedules. It turned out to be a decent day, but I was still swimming through molasses mentally. I relaxed when I got home and started putting together my big list for the weekend. And boy, there are a lot of things on that list. I remembered that I had never transferred over the investments, so I had to take care of that immediately. The upstairs shower is leaking again, so I will have to regroup the entire shower. That is going to be a pain in the asses, and I have to get out to the hardware store to pick up some supplies. A few other things need to be done, and I have to figure out how to get them done. I am only one person. But it is a challenge. We are ramping up toward the weekend, and I can see it in the distance.
...just a bit more....
I made more money today than I have ever made on a single day with Uber. I started early and ended late, running many reservation runs throughout the day. I finished the day with a rider that was supposed to have an animal, and that animal was a young girl on a leash. This might offend some people, but I am quite aware of the lifestyle. They played their part well. I am pretty sure that she was supposed to be a cat. Other than that, and the fact that it was a very long day, it was very lucrative and satisfying.
Part of the thought for today should probably go in one of my rant boxes, but I am not in the mood right now. The incoming administration is setting himself up to be king. And the fact that people do not see this is scary as hell. He suggests that he might provide an executive order allowing a third term as president. Of course, that is a fascinating thought because if he were to do that, it would mean that a real president, such as Barack Obama, could run again. And I don't think that His Majesty could beat Obama. Of course, there is the added issue of Elon Musk being set up as a major player within the government. I can't do anything more than just shake my head at this point.
...down time...
I continued to push through the week, and the return has been excellent, but I hit the wall around noon. I had been running so hard this week and last week that I just could not go anymore. I had a reservation for about 11:00, and I set my sights on running that and then shut it down for the week. If things stay like this, this should push us back up near the top.
The work week is ending, and I headed home early once I finished with my reservations for the day. I hit the house exhausted, but I resisted the urge to take a nap. Instead, I started working on the big list for this weekend. I did not complete any of it, but I got it into some order that will allow me to complete it tomorrow. I finished filling out most of the passport information and starting on the investment information. These two things have been sitting since very early in the year. I will finish them both by tomorrow, which will end this year positively. Other than that, I sat on my ass and did nothing, and I do not feel bad about it at all.
...a down day...
Since it is Saturday, the only work that needs to be done is the bookkeeping. So, for about half an hour, I went through what needed to be done and completed it. The only addition to the bookkeeping was that I took the car down for an oil change. We are going to count this as a very easy work day. We are going into the final week of the year, or at least close to it.
One of my biggest problems with my 3D art software is dealing with hair. I have been able to do some rudimentary hair modules, but I am still working on enhancing that craft. This week, I lucked out and had a hair module in my freebies. So I took one of the standard models, added the hair and some of the flowery backgrounds, and came up with this.
Lately, I have been exhausted on the weekends and have had no drive to do anything. I have tried to trick myself into believing that I was getting things done, but the crossing of stuff off the list did not reflect my desires. I was able to change that today. I had A to-do list that was 10 items long, and none of them were simple. They included things like getting the cars down for oil changes, which is time-consuming, as well as filling out paperwork for my passport and the investment portfolio, which are incredibly time-consuming. But I was able to get 9 out of 10 things done that were on the list. The final thing, which is sealing one of the tubs in the house, should be done tomorrow. That will make a clean sweep of my list.
In addition to the regular list, I have fully updated my 3D software and have some fantastic new freebies. It is going to take a long time to go through them, but I went right for the hair, which you can see above. I also went to the health insurance website and set up my account. I did the preliminary stuff and gained almost 2000 points. I have to go through the rewards program because something does not seem right. I figured that it would be like an arcade and 2000 points would get you a pencil Topper with squiggly arms. But apparently, 2000 points can get you things like an air fryer. Granted we don't need an air fryer right now, but there were a lot of other things on the list. As long as I was doing things that were supposed to save me money, I finally got through the Uber rewards and got everything set up. The only thing that is missing at this point is the Arizona global program, but I seriously don't think that I will go after another master's degree at this point. But you never know what the new year will bring. I can honestly say that I would love to get a master's degree in psychology, but I do not know where I will be in 18 more months. I refuse to jump in head first again. I made it work three other times, and I might be pushing my luck.
On a more interesting note, I received information that there has been a change in management at US Xpress in Memphis. The terminal manager is no more. I wish I had somebody I could bet with on that because I would have won. The terminal manager in the position came across as a shining beacon of honesty. Never trust the shining beacons. I am pretty sure that discussing the negative aspects of this person is part of what led to my being released from that company. I never trusted him and I barely tolerated him. And it looks like they discovered what I was trying to tell them. I believe that everything has worked out for the best, and I am going to make no changes at this time, and I have no plans of returning. Even though I'm pretty sure that may be on the table shortly in one capacity or another. With the new year, I intend to launch the webcast and expose the logistics problems. That should be interesting.
...not horrible...
It is Sunday, so I was running Lyft today. There were a lot of rides but they were very small, and they petered out just around 10:00 AM. I missed my goal for the day by a few dollars, and I'm going to have to make that up later. But everybody was grumpy. You can feel the stress oozing off of them. Sadly, it was contagious. By the time I ended the day I felt like I was walking on pins and needles.
When I went through my 3D software, I discovered I have almost $5000 worth of stuff. It's good to take advantage of the freebies. But it is unsorted, and I haven't even looked at a small amount. So, I figured that I would do something completely different. This is the result. It is random without cause or purpose.
The most significant problem of today is that I am rolling with one hell of a headache. It is even touching on light and sound sensitivity. And that is not a good thing. It got consistently worse as the workday continued, and by the time I got home, it was the sound of 500 gnomes banging their feet in my head. And while that may sound like a very interesting visual, it did not feel good at all. I sat and watched some garbage, and I dimmed my screen. I did my random artwork and kept the sound turned down on everything. I ate my Sunday pizza and just sat down and enjoyed that I didn't have to get anything done. I was able to finish my entire list for the weekend except sealing the tub again, which will have to wait until next week. But I got everything else done, and I am damned impressed with myself. Now, if I could make a habit out of this. But I got to bed early, and we are facing the final week of the year, mostly.
...let's roll...
I was back to work today, but it was a hard restart. I headed out early to take care of a reservation, but it did not help as I had to push through the entire day and barely met my goal. I knew that Christmas week was going to be either feast or famine, but right now, I'm not sure which one it's going to be. If today is any indication, it's going to be famine.
I am in a mood, and I do not know why. The last two weeks have been outstanding, and I knew there was a chance that this coming week would be a bit of a bear, but I don't think that has anything to do with my mood. I may be reflecting on those around me. People were just mean today. Almost everybody that I came in contact with had a negative perspective on life. I hope this does not indicate the next couple of days.
...Christmas...
I should have been able to see this coming, but today was annoying. It is Christmas Eve, and most of the rides were long travels for a short run and had minimal pay. I don't know why I did not anticipate that possibility, but I did not. I took a short day because it cost me more money than I was making at least in the grand scheme of things.
As we do every year, Christmas Eve was present day, and with that, we had pizza. This is our family tradition. Everybody was quite happy with their gifts, including me, and it was a relaxing evening. I look forward to playing with my mushrooms and making some hot sauce with the kits I got, and I can't wait to dig into my VW bus model. The drawback is that I do not have the paint colors, but I can handle that quickly enough. In my stocking, I got a new set of pens, which I desperately needed, and some shrimp bait. I also got a new trowel and some fire starters for my camping kit. Now, I cannot wait until spring.
...and simple afternoons...
I predicted how Christmas would work, and I was correct. Most of the day was spent running people to and from gatherings. It was not a profitable day, and people were very rushed and rude. I did not prolong the day and headed home as soon as I could.
Because of the shorter day, I had time to sit down and play with some new filters and tools for my 3D software. This is a basic artwork, but it reflects my current mood. Now, if I could identify that mood, everything would be good.
Once I was home, the afternoon and evening were very relaxing, and I could even finish up the latest piece of artwork I was working on. There have been significant updates to both the Adobe system and the 3D modeling software. I usually wait until the weekend to update those programs, but because of the size of the updates, I took care of them today. Laura made steak, potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, and broccoli for dinner. It was a decent meal, even though I am not a fan of very fatty steak. All things considered, it was a very nice Christmas.
...and beyond...
Today was a bit of a nightmare. I had to push the limit and push it hard, and I ended the day with just minutes left on my timer. But I hit my goal, if barely. The most problematic thing for the day was that everybody was in a terrible mood, and it was affecting my mood when it came to the world around me.
By the end of the workday, I was mentally and physically drained. I pushed through until the end of the day, but by the time I hit the house, I was ready for sleep. And that's exactly what I did. I ate dinner and headed off to bed, believing that tomorrow is another day.
...is nigh...
Friday has come and gone, and that is a good thing. I was pushing toward my goal all morning, but it became clear that that would not happen. I'm still running very far to pick up very short rides, but there are still people carrying presents, and I hope this is limited to the season. Because if this is an ongoing thing, I'm not going to be able to make this viable. On the positive side, I already have many reservations for next week. And they continue to come in. I hope this is just an isolated week and we will return to something that resembles typical next week. It was an early day, and it was time to start the weekend.
I took off early today, and I hit the house expecting that I would blow through my weekend list. That did not happen because I was fighting one hell of a headache, and I was exhausted. I wound up sitting on my ass and doing little to nothing for the afternoon. But that is OK because I have tomorrow and I can use the rest.
...or is that easy?...
The one thing that I really enjoy about Saturday is that it is nothing more than a bookkeeping day. It took me less than 15 minutes, first thing in the morning, to enter the bookkeeping for the week. Just one more week, or should i say half of a week, and the year will be over. Then we get to face new challenges and whatever the new year will bring.
I pushed through the morning with grand plans in my mind. Initially, I was going to go fishing this morning because the weather is unseasonably warm. However, we had an 8:00 AM family call with Rowan in Japan. I could not have made it out to the lake without having to turn around about 30 minutes later and come home. So I put that off to the next unseasonably warm day or in the spring, whichever comes first. So, I took advantage of the morning and am glad I did. There have been significant updates to my 3D software as well as to Adobe, and they took hours to complete. But everything is up to date for the new year, and I can do what I must.
After the call to Japan, I tried to get my wheels under me but failed miserably. Don't get me wrong, I was able to get quite a bit done before the call, but I was fighting a headache and lethargy afterwards. I have a feeling that it has something to do with the weather because it has started to rain heavily, and you can just feel the oppression in the air. We all headed out to the store to pick up some ingredients for a new dish, but that did not go as planned. I did get to make Empress chicken, but nothing else came off as we had wanted it to.
When we got back to the house, I had no energy to get anything done, so they wound up sitting and watching a movie. I am hoping that this moodiness will end with the year. It is starting to get on my nerves.
...what a day...
I believe that I have finally hit the goal that I've been working for over the past couple of weeks, and that would be a good thing. However, I was having trouble driving today because of leg cramps, which makes it difficult to drive a standard transmission, so I cut off early for the day.
As it says above, I took a quick work day and headed home, and I am glad I did. I am facing the trifecta of problematic physical issues right now. I am getting leg and other cramps again, which is usually related to restless leg syndrome while I am sleeping. Today, I had some stomach issues, which kept me a little bit out of the loop for most of the day, and I have a change in my medication that is having a negative effect on me. That final one will require some adjustment, but I will get through it.
Because of the issues and the changes, I came home and did something that required little or no movement. I spent close to seven hours working on my writing. My writing is something that I have put to the side for quite a while, but I am prioritizing it for the new year. I am still working on the novel daily, but I have pulled out all 33 short stories, and I will flesh those out as well as possible and then submit them starting in January. Who knows, maybe they will lead to something.
I did start working on some artwork, but my heart was not in it so it will have to wait until the new year. I updated my journal for next year; the template is in place for 2025 on the blog, and the physical journal is set up for the new year. I was going to work on my model of the 1962 Corvette Roadster, but because of my stomach, I was jumping up and down all day, and I didn't have time to work on the paint job. I also began to get my big list done for 2025, and I am happy with how it came out.
...countdown to a new year...
I pushed through the day and hit my goal easily and then some. The people were still angry and mean, but at least my hard shell was back in place and I could ignore them for the most part. One notable ride was a supremacist. When he sat in the back seat, he made it clear that he did not like my people. And when I say my people, he did not like anybody who was differently colored than himself. I pointed out that he was in my car by choice and he could always wait for a more acceptable driver. I already knew that no other drivers were available in the area, but he knew that as well. I took him down to the airport, about a 15-minute drive, and I kept a smile on my face at all times. I neither agreed nor disagreed with him, and i let him rant himself out. There are many ways that I could have taken the conversation and I chose silence. I think that he was just looking for somebody to argue with. I do not take offense if that is his way of thinking; as long as he uses words, they are impotent. Words can only affect you if you allow them to. Nobody was more shocked than myself to realize that I could take a stance of non-argument. As he exited the vehicle, I thanked him for his insight and recommended that he hold the conversation with more people while keeping his emotions in check. The man actually gave me a $5.00 cash tip. But I still gave him a low review so that I do not have to carry him again because I am not sure that I could be that patient a second time. I feel like I was part of a social experiment. But it is water under the bridge now.
...the new year has come...
I went back and forth with how to handle today for quite a while. In the end, I decided that it would be best if I did a split shift. I rolled about six hours in the morning and then came home and slept. I headed back out around 6:00 PM and rolled through the night. The most significant aspects of the day were the lost items: a wallet, a purse, three pairs of panties, and two iPhones. I could handle everything except for a single iPhone, which I did not find until I got home. I'm going to have to run that out to the owner tomorrow. I should get a $20 finder's fee, but I will not count on that. But the day was lucrative, and I will take it. Now we are into a new year as of tomorrow and whatever that will bring.
The personal side of today is the status quo. Because I was running a split shift, I came home and did as much relaxing as possible before heading back out. Not exactly the party animal I used to be. But that is OK because even the sloth has its place worldwide. I continue to be haunted by bad dreams, as well as muscle cramps. As soon as I get a chance, I will go back and see the doctor to see what I can do about these. Since they modified my medication, I've had quite a few problems. Hopefully, I can get that fixed.