Frustrating Friday!

I woke up this morning angry! Not sure why, maybe it was a bad dream. But, I felt edgy and out-of-sorts all day.

Again, it's remarkably warm here today and supposed to stay that way all weekend - (highs around 85 degrees F. or 29 C.) Hard to believe it's fall. I think it's that global warming that Al Gore invented (along with the internet).

At work, I had a visit from a State Farm guy. I needed to sign some loan papers, refinancing my car. It took my interest from 15.9% (hey, back when I bought it, I wasn't in a position to be picky) down to 10%! Just as I figured out how much I would save over the course of the loan, I got my paycheck and noticed I was now paying out almost that same amount in the increased Michigan State tax which just went up, effective October 1. <sigh>

So, I'm heading home, listening to WCSX. Every day at 5:00 PM, they have a short comedy bit, but on Friday's they always follow it with the same two songs: the first I don't know the name of, but the chorus/tag line is "I don't want to work, I just want to bang on the drums all day" and the next is "Everybody's working for the weekend." So, like Pavlov's dog, I am now "up" and primed for my two days off.

So, I bounce into the party store and pick up some hot dog buns and charcoal (hey, it's hot outside and I smell a BBQ!) As I was leaving, my neighbor lady across the way stopped me outside. Long time readers may remember she was the one I showed the "floating" picture to, and she came over and admired what Luanne was doing to the table she had bought at the Goodwill. You might also remember that Carla was convinced her husband was a drug dealer (but if he was, he was really bad at it as they lived in the crappy townhouses across the street, lol!)

Anyway, she said she had bought a house at 7-Mile and Farmington and they are moving today. I said, "Good for you, but, damn, I'm gonna miss you!" She gave me a slow, sweet hug and said she'd stop by now and again. I smiled and said, "Great!" but I'm old enough to know that never really happens.

So, now I'm REALLY bummed. I got home, changed clothes and said, "It's fall, dammit!" So, I emptied all the container gardens into the wheel barrow, put the containers and the two wood chairs in the garage for winter storage and trucked the dirt and plant debris back to the compost heap.

Then I started watering the bare spots (that I seeded the other day) on the side of the garage and into the back yard. I filled the bird and squirrel feeders and went back inside setting the timer (again for 20 minutes a pop).

You know, I always say that I like living alone (and I do, for the most part). Think about it. Since I was in my teens, I've had to allow for a wife and my kid's perspectives. To say, "This is what I'm gonna do!" or "This is what I'm making for dinner!" or "This is how I'm spending my money!" without any discussion is very, VERY liberating. But, at times, (like tonight) it is also very, very lonely...

Okay, enough whining. I fired up the grille - with apologies to Jake, as I had to use Kingsford charcoal instead of my normal Cowboy natural charcoal (hey, it really does make a difference, folks). I used just a tad, raised the coals and hit the grille grates with some oil. As the charcoal cooked down, I chopped up an onion. Then I put the six bratwurst on the grille.

I ate dinner watching TV and fell asleep around 10:00 PM. Woke up at 1:00 AM, wrote this and am now going to bed for real.