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a fresh attempt
December 10, 2018, 5:46 P.M.

Despite a horrible night, I am feeling less anxious today. Nothing has improved, yet it has been a fairly decent day, and I don't have that "all wound up and ready to snap a string" feeling. Meh. Maybe I am just too tired? I awoke at 1:43 am with immediate work stress and anxiety flooding every atom in my body. Dozed for about 10 minutes between 4:00 and 4:30, but otherwise got only 4 hours of sleep.


Anyway. I really ought to put down something about my new(ish) car. A 2017 Chevrolet Sonic, Premier Package, with a turbo. A cute little Cajun Red 4-door sedan. ECOTEC 1.4L SMPI DOHC, 6-speed automatic. Keyless, premium audio with Sirius XM, hands-free, Bluetooth, USB ports front and rear, backup camera, traction control, heated leather seats, heated leather steering wheel, and a security system. A year's oil changes, thrown in, too. Plus we bought the platinum expended warranty and an additional warranty on finishes (paint, carpet, leather, and other interior surfaces). Got a couple grand for the Impala, plus we had been saving for a down payment, so that was another couple grand on it. Got the payment down below $240.00, which is a good thing.

We got a very good deal on it--we bought it from Spouse's youngest nephew who has grown up into quite a nice young man and is selling cars about 30 miles away in Burlington. And since that dealer has a Kenosha location, we can take it for service without driving all the way to Burlington.

Of course, not everything has gone smooth...less than 24 hours after we bought it, the check engine light came on. Spouse pulled the code and said it sounded like a bad sensor or something, so we called the dealer and took it in for service on the following Saturday (Saturday after Thanksgiving). It turned out to be a leak in the intake manifold, so yeah--pretty major. They fixed it, and replaced some other gaskets while they had it apart, and it was covered under the factory powertrain warranty, so no bill.

And this weekend, Spouse went ballistic because the seat heater on the passenger side isn't working, so guess where I am spending my precious Friday afternoon this week? Oh, well...I was raised in a dealership--sitting in an automotive waiting room is like going home for me.

Anyway--I really do like my new car. We had a blizzard the Monday after Thanksgiving, and I had no problem at all getting to work. Unlike at least half of the people that work in my building, including the other members of my team.

And speaking of that blizzard...When Spouse saw the weather report early on Sunday morning, he got such a defeated tone in his voice as he said "I can't shovel that". Made me want to cry! I just told him he'd better figure out what he wanted and be at Lowe's when the opened at eight! I stayed home and made breakfast and he went and got a new snow-thrower.

Not the cheapest one he'd picked out, nor yet the next one up, of course. On Black Friday weekend, with a blizzard on the way? Puleeze. BUT he was able to get one, and it is a 4-stroke, electric start, and a good size for our needs. $500.00, but he gets a nice discount at Lowes and as I told him--in the long run, no one is ever sorry that they got the BETTER snow-thrower. It certainly did a marvelous job, come Monday morning, with several inches of extremely wet and heavy snow.

I was terribly proud of myself for making it to the office on Monday--only to suffer the ignominy of having to go home sick at midday on Tuesday! No idea what it was, but I had a fever, chills, body aches, and lightheadedness. Went home, bundled up, turned the blanket on high, and passed out for four hours. Went back to bed at about 7:00, and slept pretty much the whole night!
Unexpected visit from the boss on Thursday and Friday. Turned out she flew in just to deal with a personnel issue that was trumped up by the toxic, dysfunctional managers in our division against two of the three people on my team. I was the exception,



Reading: "The Second Fiddle" (1917), by Phyllis Bottome

Listening: Stone Temple Pilots, Collective Soul, Green Day

Inked Up: Still these four, and at least the Hero made it out--I've been using it to write Christmas cards. Skilcraft Executive Red Fine, with Bungubox Sweet Potato, Hero 616 fine with Iroshizuku Ama Iro, Pelikan Stola III medium with Sailor Apricot, Conklin Duragraph fine with Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown.

recede - proceed

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