Domestic Geek

Well, I don't have an appointment with the oral surgeon until Tuesday afternoon. Stupid holiday weekend. Even then, it's only a consultation appointment, so who knows when the teeth will really come out. The pain comes in waves of severity. I haven't had a full night's sleep in a week and I'm exhausted. I hope they come out sooner than later. In the mean time, I have a prescription for Vicodin (got the generic equivalent) and so far I'm not impressed with it. Last night I either hallucinated that the pain was worse or it really was until I finally got knocked out. Then I woke up feeling like crap. The drug-induced didn't really get good sound sleep feeling. Ugh. To help cover the cost of all of this, I'm going to be working tomorrow and Monday. Hopefully my next paycheck will be pretty decent since Monday will be time and a half and tomorrow will be all OT. Now that I'm becoming more skilled, I'm hoping I'll get offered more OT on a regular basis and I won't have to find another part-time job. My supervisor said that the company doesn't mind paying OT as long as work is getting done. We'll see.

I finally found a thermostat for my car, but nobody in town has the freaking gasket. How lame! We went to three separate automotive chains today: one didn't carry it and two others' computers said they had one in stock, but the clerks couldn't find it. I'll try a couple of more tomorrow when I get off work before I get totally pissed. I'm hoping that it takes care of the problem because I don't have the money for huge auto repairs right now. It's bad enough that my air conditioning decided to break just as we're coming into summer. *sigh*

I need to go to bed since I'm working tomorrow, but I'm waiting for the drugs to kick in. I took the pill like an hour ago and I still feel the same. I'll be interested to read this post in the morning and see if it's all jacked. LOL

One last thing: Anybody have any particular preferences as far as photo paper? I'm all out and I was looking at the various brands at CompUsa last weekend and they all don't really compare well. What has worked best for you in the past? What really sucked? I should mention that I'm using an Epson Stylus Photo R340. Anyway, any advice or thoughts would be appreciated. I'd hate to waste money on crappy paper since the stuff is so freaking expensive. I wish I could get some samples and do some tests before I bought a whole pack. Is there any way to get samples from somewhere?

Since I'm babbling away, do you guys ever check out the Apple ads on the International sites? My favorites are the guys from Apple UK. A lot of the ads are similar to ones in the US, but there are a couple that are different. My favorite one right now is Office Posse. I played it for my supervisor at work today (it's on my iPod) and he laughed out loud. Go check it out. Right now.

Well, I'm back from the dentist, $25 dollars poorer and still in pain. I've been referred to an oral surgeon, so who the hell knows when I'll be able to get these stupid teeth out. Why the hell can't a general dentist pull teeth? I don't get it. Anyway, I've got a pain meds prescription, so hopefully I'll be able to sleep tonight. I'll have to call later today to try and get another appointment. Hopefully one that is after my normal work hours.

On the way there, my car started overheating. I stopped in at AutoZone to get a thermostat to see if that would fix the problem, but I couldn't get a soul in there to help me. I can't believe how the corporate culture of those stores has taken such a dive since Marcus and I worked there. It's sad, really. So, I'll borrow Marcus' other car to get to work and see about fixing mine after I get home.

There is a woodpecker that has started hammering on our house. He's been around for a few years, but usually I see him on the pole on the tree. I first heard him yesterday when I came home from work and it sounded like someone knocking on the side of the house. I went out and ran him off, but he was back a couple of hours later. He was at it again bright and early this morning and woke Marcus up.

OK, I guess I'd better scoot off for work. I'm just frustrated and had to get all of this off my chest.

I've got a dentist's appointment in one hour. I'm probably going to come home with a few less teeth. I'm in such horrible pain that I haven't slept well since Saturday. I'm really, really kicking myself for the poor care I've taken of my them. Carbonated beverages are bad...very bad. Pair that up with a chronic cough (brought on by the flour from making dough) where I sucked on cough drops for years and not enough brushing and here we are. I wish I could get implants to replace them, but even with my insurance coverage, I can't afford them. It looks like dentures are in my future.

I love military surplus stores. They usually have so many cool things to purchase. There are a couple of good ones in the Denver area, but they are way over on the west side of town and that's quite the trek. With the cost of gas anymore, I'm finding I prefer to do the shopping online. There is also the added benefit of not having to deal with sales clerks. I found a really cool surplus store called Army Navy Mall that carries a lot of the same products I've seen locally plus a whole lot more.

If you haven't noticed, camo clothing is getting quite a resurgence in popularity. It comes in so many cool color combinations, too! You're no longer stuck with green — there are blue, gray, red, tan and even pink camo for the ladies. I'm thinking of getting myself a pair of camo sneakers or a hoodie for camping this summer. Boonie hats are good for keeping your head dry in the rain. I purchased one for Marcus a few years ago and he loves it. Army Navy Mall carries one in blue that I'm considering.

Besides clothing, Army Navy Mall carries camping and hunting gear, flags, military-themed gifts, police equipment, flashlights and optical equipment and so much more — all at very low prices! Their site is well laid out, so browsing or finding a specific item is incredibly easy. The shipping charges are in line with any other online retailer and in-stock items are shipped 1-2 days after your order.

If you're in the market for military or outdoor related merchandise, give Army Navy Mall a try.

As I mentioned in the last post, we have an Apple TV (tv if you're an Apple Geek) in our household. We've decided that we're going to dump our Dish Network service (unless they have a very cheap basic plan available) and just rely on iTunes and the Internet for our entertainment. I already watch old television and movies through Netflix and most of the shows I watch have episodes on the networks' sites. We could get season passes for our most favorite shows (such as The Office) and still save money by ditching the dish for now. The only problem I foresee is stuff on USA (Psych, The 4400, etc) and a few other shows.

Honestly, though, I'll probably survive just fine not seeing any of them. I'm looking for part time work in the evenings and won't have much free time anymore anyway because getting out of this mobile home is becoming an obsession. We stopped in at PetSmart to get Timothy hay for the bunnies and my heart ached seeing all the dogs and their owners. I want to be a dog owner again so bad. This is the first time in my life that nobody in my family has had a dog and I feel lost.