I disentangled myself from Brad’s arms and put my PJs back on, then headed home. I got some coffee while the computer booted, then got changed into regular clothes while Casey got up, dressed, and fed. I dropped him off at school around the usual time, where we saw Leanne dropping Michael off. The boys walked into school together, and I headed home. I got on Fallout 76 while waiting for my free book & paid emails to arrive, but ended up spending more time there than I’d intended because I knew I would also need to go to the store.
I took care of my free book & paid emails, then headed to Walmart. I wanted to look at computer monitors while I was there because I took to heart Brad’s suggestion that it may make work easier to cope with. I’d appreciated his offer to give me his 3rd monitor, but I don’t want to take something like that from him.
I found a monitor that I thought should work and got a tabletop stand to go with it. I wasn’t sure if either would really work for me but was willing to give it a fair shot.
I went ahead and picked up the rest of the groceries that were needed, then headed to the checkout. I waited in line for a cashier this time, instead of using self-checkout. I paid for the monitor and stand separately because I didn’t want to hear Dave’s bitching about me spending “his” money on stuff. I will need to cut back on what I’m spending out of my own account, but it’s fine for now.
I headed home and got the groceries put away, then assembled the stand for the monitor. It was difficult to assemble, so I resolved that if I needed to take it back I would leave it assembled and let them sort it out. I finally got it put together, and then unboxed the monitor. It would just figure, the stand I bought won’t fit the monitor because the stand is for a TV. There are screw holes to mount the monitor, but they don’t line up with what’s on the stand.
I got my desk rearranged so I would have somewhere to put the monitor. I ended up having to move my laptop to the lower part of the desk, and use a shelf for it to raise it up enough. The new monitor would go where the laptop used to sit. I got everything arranged as good as I was able, then plugged in the new monitor to try it out. It was surprisingly easy to work with, but I can’t imagine having more than the two screens.
By the time all this was done, it was time to pick Casey up from school already and I hadn’t worked at all. As much as I wanted to write the whole day off, I knew that I would probably wouldn’t want to work on Thanksgiving and would need to get my hours in somehow.
Once I got Casey back home, he got on the toilet and I got the dishes done and the litter box scooped. Then, finally, I sat down to work. Aside from one short break, I worked 3 1/2 hours straight, through cooking and eating even. That would leave me with a half-hour to work after getting Casey tucked in.
Dave came into my room and was commenting on the monitor and started asking about Brad. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to him, because I knew the kinds of comments that I would hear to anything I had to say. He pointed out my Facebook post from the other night and said he just wanted to have a normal conversation, so I felt obligated to humor him.
A short while later, I was putting dishes away in the kitchen and Dave came out to clarify the password for online banking. I figured he wanted to snoop on what I’ve been spending lately since he really had no other reason to check the online banking as far as I knew. Sure enough, I could hear him from whatever room I was in, calling out to me demanding to know what I was spending money on here and there and everywhere. What did I spend $150 on at Walmart? Groceries, including toiletries. Don’t worry asshole I used my own money for the monitor. I was there, I needed gas. Why did I spend $30 on Jimmy John’s? I was hungry. Ok well, he doesn’t need to know that I bought 6 cookies lol. What was I doing buying gas in La Crescent? None of your damn business. I ignored him for the most part. I wanted to snap back at him about all his spending whenever he goes out with Jennifer, but that wouldn’t get me anywhere. “Why can’t I spend the money I work hard for?” Well, because we’re in debt up to our eyeballs and neither of us should really be spending any money on anything we don’t need. See? I can dig myself into my own holes, I don’t need his help. But either way, better to just keep my mouth shut than try and retort.
Casey had been asking about having a “slumber party” with me for a while, so I got everything situated so he could sleep on the trundle. I had him get ready for bed, then read to him in his room before helping him move his pillows and whatever “babies” he wanted. It took him a while to get settled in, but finally, he was situated so I finished my last half-hour of work. Once I was done, I got on Fallout 76 and played around on there until I was ready for bed myself.
