popcorn

Have not updated since the start of the year. Lets see where to begin ?

I will start off with my home life. This year at home has not been bad. I enjoy being home more then ever these days. I do not take it for granted anymore. This year i feel like we will be doing lots of projects to the home to make it even better.  Since the start of the new year I have wanted to go to the movie theater (to support it)  but its to the point where I have everything at home thats playing in the theater (might have to wait 2 weeks or so) but I have everything.  I have embraced the home theater....i even tried to do a little of "upgrading in sound"  I am going to tell you the seonc part of the upgrade first....

For the longest time i have looked at big sound systems that cost more money then its worth. So I thought i would buy into upgrading my apple tv HD to an Apple tv 4k (even though I have no 4k screen) but it does have Dolby Atmos (the big deal in sound these days for home and in theater) and the only way to get that sound was to have speaker systems with that sound feature OR apple made it easy by the homepod. So I get 2 referb items a apple tv 4k and a homepod.  A day or 2 hooking them up which i thought would be easy but they were confusing as hell! So I played some movies in that format and loud. And well it was underwhelming. It was not loud and had that extra layer of sound around the room. 2 days later I just say they are going back and i return them and early on this week I get refunded.

On to my real sound upgrade or a rebuy if you will. Last year I think it was i had bought the amazon echo sub. I did not like it or at the time I did not have right eqipment  Now foward a year, i have right correct speakers. For Valentines day I bought or rebought my self the echo sub and wow it makes a big diffrence also with the 2 echo studios I have 3 subs going at once if all are hooked together. So I did a sound test with an echo studio and the apple homepod and hands down the echo studio is better because you could hear sounds bounce around the room all around you from ONE speaker.

The good news the pets are doing fine both dogs will be getting haircuts at the end of this month. Both are eating well and drinking water. Brooklyn is starting to calm down kind of....

I have wanted to be home more often during the week to help with mom and the pets, i know she can not do it all by herself and its at times getting to become too much for her. i do what I can over the weekends and I try to do alot, even cook dinner for the family on both nights. She can see I am doing my best.

On the work side things are very mixed. Its to the point where I would like to transfer to another school,  Now do not get me wrong, I love my school and the teachers. But for my self its getting tough to work with my boss. It has not been all bad, we have good days and we have bad days no matter what the job is.

For the last few months 7 months I was the only male custodian. At times he took advantage of that because he would ask me and not the other cusodians, to do jobs the other custodian could also help with such as lifting and hauling items thoughout the school but it was just me. Many times I would go out of my way and ask (if I had some time) to ask if there were some other tasks to be done. Just being a good enployee.

Much of that time, he gave me more daily responsbility jobs, such as putting the chain up in the car circle each afternoon, turning off all of the school lights, making sure all doors in the entire school locked, turn the alarm on and shut all the outside gates.  The last school year (2019-2020) I was working with other staff members that have since transfered to another school and we all job to do such as one person set the alarm, one person shuts the middle gate, one person shuts the staff gate. We all shared. When this new school year started all those jobs were now mine to do.

At one point one of our custodians was out for a few days and I took it upon my self one night (also worried about what would be said the next day if it was not done)  to do a quick sweep around her section (get trash) because I thought she would be returning to work the next day. Next day comes around I told my boss I took care of the trash and first thing he said was you did not put bags in a few of them. I told him I think it was only 2 bags I had forgotten. No thank you, no nothing, just a complant right off the bat of a very micro small issue.

One day I was working in the libarary and the libaraian asked me if I could move some smart boards, she had told me she had went to my boss and asked him and he said that we would get to it. So i dropped what I was doing and started to move those smart boards where she wanted them...she was so thankful for the hardwork and happy it was done right away. Then my boss comes in to the room start the job with me and I told him its already finished. He said your on the ball. i went back to the job i was doing.  Another day we were cleaning out the trailer and there was a smart board. I had just walked into work.  No good morning just Sean, go get the smart board from the trailer and put it into the libarary. That I felt was just kind of rude.

At one point late last year prior coming to work I was dealing with a family issue, my dog, we thought he was near the end of his life. I did not want to leave his side but I had to go into work. Naturaly I was very worried, like if you left a loved one at home who was very sick because you had to go into work. Though out the day my mom and i had contact with each other and at one point she told me in tears that she did not know if my dog, Bono would make it and wanted me to come home to say my goodbyes. I go to my boss and tell him what was going on and he said i wish i could but i can't let you leave we are short, your mom is home and can take care of it.  There I was though out school (teacher's and some staff were asking me if i was okay because they saw something was wrong) and in my closet crying my eyes out because I could not go home to say goodbye to a family member that I have loved for years. I felt trapped. Lucky my dog Bono pulled thru but he had given us a scare. That is not how you treat a loyal, dependible employee.

I am still so very thankful and very blessed to have this job and i use to enjoy coming to work (it was fun) to see what each day would bring.  Now that joy is gone, I worry more about what the day would be like, My blood pressure and my anxiety goes up. I am not happy working at the middle school just because of one person and that should not be, its sad but true. I would like to be transfered to another school preferably Southport Elementry or South Brunswick High School.

This was my gifts from Christmas 2020. Every year I take a photo of my gifts. Anyways My christmas was really nice and realxing. Mom and i had ordered Chineese food for our Christmas dinner and it was yummy!  It was a nice, relaxing day. My mom LOVED her gifts it was a Beatles game, a small box of wine, some bath bombs, some nice disney things (like your going to the park) and I added to the photo personal gift that I have made her from time to time or so.  That weekend I watched the new Wonder Women 84 and it was kind of a chore to sit thru. I watched Soul. It was so good. I cried twice.

 Sean's 40th birthday Jan 2 of this year was also a very nice one. Lets see my gift was a pair of sunglasses but not any sunglasses but a pair of Bose speaker glasses. I have not really used them yet because weather wise its rained. That day we had a special lunch I cooked a steak and mom had some shrimp. And had a birthday at the home verion of Disney's Prime Time Cafe. Just as nice as being there and this time the bill was not as much as being there.  I looked to see how much a steak would cost in Disney $40-$60 the same size I had. The price I paid was $8. So such a nice birthday!

Over the last week or so I have watched lots of semi new movies. Promising Young Women, Nomadland, The Night Digger, The Empty Man, Endless Night - one of my Birthday gifts I bought for my self was the score to that movie by Bernard Hermann and I just now 2 weeks later listned to it! The Abyss and on my 40th Birthday I had to watch THIS IS 40.

Work wise for the last 10 school days no kids at the school everyone is remote learning so we had to put up 3 pallets up of celing tiles and not only that on Friday we were asked to come in on Saturday (yesterday) to take the dirt off the floor and wax up the floor. I was pissed! So yesterday around 1pm my angsity was starting to hit me because it was NOT required for us to be there but I felt trapped and all we were doing were waiting for the floors to dry and someone had some audio on that was really started to bother me so it was all of that going on and wearing a mask. i could not breath and all i wanted to do was scream and say i am leaving. But when it was time to go home it felt good to leave and be free! I was sick of wearing the same clothes for the last few days and so on. But when i got home it felt good and i started to calm down again.  So i kept on saying time to enjoy the 3 day weekend! I had such a good sleep from what I was told. Today I am just enjoying being home. Watched a new movie called LOCKED DOWN. and tonight I might watch News of the World.

Last updated back in the summer time. Sine then things were going ok. some ups, some downs. work has gone well. i have had some bad days but nothing really horrible.  Thanksgiving was nice for my mom and I. it was a nice day. we had turkey and watched the macy's thanksgiving paraide.  the break was not long enough. now the last few weeks of school have gone ok. but the obssesion of Covid runs wild around the school these days....they just talked about moving everyone online for the first 2 weeks of next year and thats what people are talking about. but i have to start letting go...thats not my problem. just come in. do work. go home. get paid. The Christmas season is somewhat here. I know we have tried to bring it at home and thats where it really matters. i have said Merry Christmas to alot of people and that really feels good and nice to wish that to people.  I hope the real meaning of Christmas is not gone because I know its in my heart. onto other news happy news Brookyln is enjoying this first Thanksgiving - he had a mix of turkey and everything eles on thanksgving he loved it.  Now this will be his first Christmas since he was Born in January of this year. He has brought nothing but laughs to us this year. I am unsure if bono or oreo likes him but i think they do they just do not show it but they do care about each other. I have 3 days left of work. Today which is a teacher work day then monday/tuesday those are non required work days but we have to be there...again dont care, its money and I look at the news I am still greatful and happy to have a job and thats what matters. So tomrrow and Sunday will be a preview of Christmas break. so woo hoo.

Merry Christmas to one and all. I know this year was a chalange to all of us. It has brought us to our knees. Some of us lost loved ones this year and was not able to say a true goodbye. We all had to adapt to a somewhat new way of life in everyway.  But may we take the happiness in our hearts that we have put deep down and bring it out for us to shine. We need love and shine as bright more then ever this Christmas.

I have not wrote in around a month! Lets see if i can remember what the month was like....lets see
Sad to say that Covid 19 is still around. Riots are still going on because of one man getting killed by 2 cops and he was a black dude. So for a few weeks were there riiots in the streets of the US. and also protests going on.  So this year the 4th of July was cancled so we had our grilled meal. Had a normal kind of a day. Later that night we had people setting fireworks off during the night and a few nights after. Loud.

The second week of July I was getting worried about my eye apointment for my licence. That was going to happen the following week.  During this same week the Rolling Stones released a song called Criss Cross with a new video. It was for the re-release of Goats Head Soup for early September. I thought I had heard that song before and it turns out i did. It was an unreleased song...its been on some bootleg recordings for years.  So for this coming release they would have the remixed album with an album of "rare songs" then a 70s concert that has been around for years but also came out in digital form  a few years ago that is no longer sold. but here is the track listing for the bonus disc
Disc 2 - Rarities & Alternative Mixes

1. Scarlet
2. All The Rage
3. Criss Cross
4. 100 Years Ago (Piano Demo)
5. Dancing With Mr D (Instrumental)
6. Heartbreaker (Instrumental)
7. Hide Your Love (Alternative Mix)
8. Dancing With Mr D (Glyn Johns 1973 Mix)
9. Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) – (Glyn Johns 1973 Mix)
10. Silver Train (Glyn Johns 1973 Mix)

So what I have done so far is make my own delux edtion of the album. I think i know what the song ALL THE RAGE is it use to be called YOU SHOULD HAD SEEN HER ASS.  I think 2 other songs will be listed also. So I have thought about getting this set-----more the super delux edtion that costs $150 with blu ray audio.  So that song made me happy really. Something to look foward to.

Speaking of something to look foward to Universal pushed the new Halloween Kills film (that was shot in Wilmington) last year to a year away till next October! Oh no!!!! So that sucks. They could had put it on VOD

I went to my DMV eye test and it was kind of tough but i was able to pass it. Its haunted me since March! I have an eye apointment in late Sept in Wilmington for my eyes again but this time for that surgery! So kind of scared about that.

The next week in July I tried to make it a Disney World themed week and it really did feel like i was on vacation because the parks were reopening and so i was viewing the live streams. playing disney infinity, really trying to get that diseny vacation feel. even got the pool out to put my feet into. that felt good.  On the blu ray world they also released the BIG 16 disc box set for FRIDAY THE 13TH for October. I should had preordered it early because it would had only been $118 its jumped to $132. It still costs more then tht via the shout web site because it had some posters and extras to make the price jump to $150

During the last week or 2 I have thought about upgrading my dvd set to the big box set or getting smaller sets and creating my own set.  Then i thought about that big Halloween box set that came out a few years ago...i thought about rebuying those movies but then i also found someone had posted most of the bonus featres on youtube so i took the time to DL them and add them to the collection on plex. I watched a few and thought to my self ----i spent this much on the movies so i could get all these bonus features?  how do I feel? I thought i already own these what a waist of money! So I thought i should make my own set and just watch the F13 films. So thats what I have done. The week after was a camp theme so i watched all the films during the week. not finished yet. even bought some camp crystal lake shirts to go with the camp theme!

Yesterday (saturday) we found out that our dear old friend Sally Gilbert had passed away. Very sad. We were both upset about the loss of our friend. So today (Sunday) mom and i went though some house paper work and just life paper work for the future to get everything in order.....you can work on that for just so long.

In the world of Brunswick County Schools we have learned that the districkt with be remote learning for the first 1 1/2 month then it will move to another way (part remote/part in school) looks like my summer might end early August sad to say.

Other news my old friend Kelly might be moving back to Wilmington sometime soon for sometime. Not sure how I feel about that because i kind of keep her (the thought) of her way deep down inside because i still love her very very much and this love has gone on for over 20 years! wow that long! i know she is only a friend but she was the first girl i said i love you to but also i think she was the first girl i ever fell in love with but she never felt the same way about me. oh well. play it by ear. for awhile i was depressed about seeing her and thinking about what have i done with my life for awhile i said nothing but the more i thought about it the more i thought sean you have done many things and achieved many goals. anyways going to end it there.

 The summer is going pretty good so far...its been expensive but good. When i last wrote my summer was just starting. Since then what has happened. I am doing more work around the house....whatever can be worked on i'll work on it. do what you CAN do and what you CAN fix. So odd jobs like that.  i went to my doctor's apt. everything is going good. he told me i had to loose some weight. but dont we all.

I picked up some movies this summer for aorund $1 each at the dollar store picked up
-exorcist the begnening dvd
-inharent vice dvd
-the inkeepers dvd
-the amazing spiderman 2 bluray
-AD The Bible tv series - bluray
-the twilight saga breaking dawn 2 bluray
-wish upon blu ray
-canterbury's law season 1 (kelly's first tv show) dvd
-vacation blu ray $5
-the exorcist 2 blu ray $5
-the searchers hddvd $1
-the mummy (tom cruise) bluray $6

I also picked up some playstation 3 games
the godfather 2  I enjoyed the first game for the orginal xbox and have wanmted to play this game for the longest time but the price was too high it seems but i thought  $15 was a good price
the beatles rockband with a microphone (i have wanted this game since i saw paul back in 17) i have enjoyed this game so much so far. its just down righ fun and brings back some good memories.
007 Bloodstone and all new Orginal James Bond story.  So far so good. i am having a rough time at some point during the game but i could always replay the level again....again this should hold me out untill the new film comes out whenever that might be?

Last week Brookyln went to bootcamp he got some good training. he knows lots of commands now. we just have to enforce them on him...in other words its up to us...or me to do the training. it was worth the money....speaking of the money i took money out of my account to help with the payment of the training and other little money events thruout last week.  So far it has not been that bad of a summer....kind of boring at times because we are all kind of still stuck at home but thats ok.

I am off for the summer. i survied my 10 months at school...well it began in november of last year. May was a rough month as you know. My aunt Rosie passed away in late May. Mom took it kind of hard. Everyone is feeling better now.
Bono is doing good. he is getting kind of slow but my guess its also the heat since its summer time. i am off for the summer and happy for it. this week i have my doctors apt. hope that goes well. Last year at this time i was happy working at fort caswell. and now a year later its only full time staff thats working, everyone who is pt time is not really working much anymore. So as I said it last year and i'll say it now but i think God had a plan for me. Think about it Over a year i've been able to stay employed. I worked all summer long last summer, then into the fall landing an interview with the schools and november landing a job in the schools.

This summer is my first summer off since 2013/ we are going to train the dog and i am going to help around the house. but also have an eye apt later in july also to see about getting eye surgery sometime this summer. lets hope all goes well

It was an awful week. Starting last Sunday, we spoke to Rosie for the last time on the phone. We told her we loved her. We thought she had passed. So we were both feeling upset. Tuesday morning while at work I get a call from mom telling me that Rosie had passed that morning at 5am.  Mom had woke me up at 430 that morning to tell me something and she gave me a big hug. That to me looking back was something....Then all was somewhat fine till Thursday/Friday. Later on Friday night we had gotten a call from Tiffany (rosie's  daughter) to tell us about the vertural cermonie for the next day (saturday yesterday) the details and everything. I had to step away from mom because i saw it was getting tough for her. Saturday comes, we think it might be a normal day kind of other then this cermony on our to do list to honnor Rosie. So we sat together and watched it at 10am till 11am. It was very nice. some family members had made some comments though out. nice to see. Around 11am i put the AC on in the apt and i leave so mom could have her coffee. Not 15 min later she walks out with the chills. when i say chills i mean CHILLS. she was shaking all over. i thought she had caught the Covid. i was able to bring her up stairs and bundle her up with 6 blankets and the heat on high. i was scared. called 911 they told me what to do...then at one point around 12pm i was trying to help her out of bed to go to the bathroom and she had fallen and almost hit her head but lucky i blocked that from happening. Called 911 again and the ambulance came over to help her. It took awhile but the last time i had watched her like this was back in 2018. So I got her to the bathroom then she kind of snapped out of it and wa wondering why it was so hot and why was she so hot. Well her body went into shock and she had a breakdown. i was scared. she was scared. she did not remember too much but by 2pm or so she was okay again and got some lunch for her. took care of her for the rest of the day and night. today she is resting but feeling better.

Today is my moms 78th birthday! We have had lots of nice fun. its been a 3 day bash. On Saturday I gave her a happy birthday wine glass. Yesterday Sunday I really made a fuss!  As you now we love to eat at the prime time cafe in Disney and as you know we could not go. So I recreated the prime time cafe at home.
The idea of eating there is your extended family is cooking for you but you never get to see them. and everything is 1950s style.  So I found a menu and boughr some food that they would have and i was the wait staff and my self while serving my mom a wonderful lunch. This is our photo!

Mom and I had a wonderful and happy Easter. We had a nice meal of steak on the girll and she loved her easter gift. the dogs loved there gifts. I had bought mom a photo frame that says my first easter for brooklyn. she got me a john williams record.
Since then we have still stayed home. go out for food. but more just stay home with the pets. i take a walk every now and then. the time off is not too bad. still do not miss work that much.
i do love spending this extra time with Bono, i know he enjoys me spending time with him and taking him out for walks when i remember.
the stay at home thing now lasts till May 8th. school is cancled for the kids for the rest of the school year (about a month or so)
my guess is the at home order will be extened again. its only giving everyone an extra 7 days or so.
will admit i feel kind of cheated but i know everyone feels the same way, i was planing on taking a trip this summer and as of now it looks like i am not going to travel. oh well. more things for the home i guess. 

Happy Easter everyone! Life has not been that bad. Right after I posted my last journal the governer issued a stay at home order so since then we have stayed at home. Which is fine with me. So far its not that bad. its like one long weekend. people are going cabin fever but also there are many people who are not doing what they should, meaning they still gather in large settings. i go out in public get my items and go home. lets see what have I've done since we stay home. do some house projects, watch movies eat and sleep and give bono a walk now and then. mom and i play board games every week. real simple stuff. kind of nice.