Listening to Natalie Merchant and chilling out

I've been doing a lot of cataloguing this week, trying to finally get all the books online. This is the third time I've done it, as there was an Access database at one time and then on LibraryWorld, which gave me a horrible export when I left. But LibraryThing works well for our small collection (I have more books at home), do it's a lot cheaper. What I do is put the NLM (National Library of Medicine) classification scheme numbers in the comments field, which can be displayed when browsing.

Now you ask, why do this when the collection is on a timed schedule to be dismantled? Well, for one, it helps to know what we have now. And it will help later. And so I catalogue.

Yaaaaaayyyyy!!!

First tax refund in something like seven or eight years, deposited into my account. Which is good, as I was down to $11, had one dollar on me for the bus, and my rent is due today. :) *Does the happy dance*. Okay, time to get up, get going, and go to the bank.

I did two bad things tonight

1) I ate dinner at the computer, and was distracted enough that I didn't take my insulin, leading me to get sleepy and head on to be for a 'nap', only waking up when a friend called, and

2) missing a dose of my medication that helps with the foot pain, so they're not feeling so well. I can tell a real difference. I went ahead and took my nightly dose, though, so hopefully that will kick in here soon.

Today birds figured prominently in my day. The weather was very springlike, sunny at times but a few showers later. This morning as I went to work, birdsong abounded. The lawn in front of the hospital portico was full of robins and starlings, and a tree near the entrance had several birds, including a goldfinch, perched in it. Later, on my way home, I saw a kingfisher (this one was a female), a bird I've never seen in person before. It was near the reservoir on Richmond Road, perched on a line. And of course there were ducks in that body of water and the pond on Blazer Parkway. What can I say, I notice birds. I find them reassuring and love watching their delicate movements and the listening to the variety of their songs. I'm not an active birdwatcher, I don't go hiking out in the woods to see them, but I enjoy seeing them when I happen upon them. :)

I feel so much better

My feet are doing much better, I didn't get drowsy at all, just the tiniest of mid-afternoon slumps [better than usual] and a second Diet Coke took care of that. I was walking faster, and I felt steadier. The weather was so nice today I almost took a walk, but decided 1) I was too busy, and 2) I shouldn't overdo it, since I've been used to hobbling around like an old lady. I had more energy all day, too, because I wasn't being dragged down by pain.

Also, I have lost five pounds in the last week, doing nothing but trying to make healthier choices.

Tonight after work I went to the library to do some techie stuff. I totally lost track of time. I was there for an hour and a half. It was nice to see how busy they were. The computers were full, there were lots of people browsing, people meeting in each of the rooms set aside for that--even the copiers were being used. One family had their children doing homework at the table while the parents used the computers. It's a shame there are people out there who have no idea what the library can do for them, especially when they're in charge of funding or budget cuts. Anyone who is in charge of the chopping block should have to go visit the library and see what's going on.

I did everything I planned to do today and more, except taking the books to the clinic. I put several books into LibraryThing, using a scanner, then putting in the shelf # and tags. Tomorrow I'm going in a little early because I have a meeting at my normal arrival time and I want to get settled in first. I hope to get more books into the system.

Okay, I'm going to go do some relaxing, and get away from the computer for a bit. I picked up some CDs from the library while I was at it, so I think I'll go listen to some of that.

Remarkable

I went to bed last night around midnight after being up for nearly twenty hours on about 2 1/2 hours of sleep, taking my insulin but also the new medicine I got yesterday. This morning I woke up fifteen minutes before my alarm, rested, not groggy (which on Monday, even without medication, I tend to be), having slept through the night without any pain keeping or waking me up. And my feet ache just slightly, even though it's been over 8 hours since I took it.

Now the test is to see how well I can work with it. It throws one of my co-workers for a loop, making her incredibly drowsy, and she has to take it fairly early in the evening to not be groggy in the morning. But I didn't have any grogginess (I was already very tired, so I don't know about the drowsy part, yet.) I'm supposed to take it three times a day. It's not a narcotic or anything like that; it's actually an anti-seizure medicine that helps with nerve pain. Most meds that say they can cause drowsiness with me don't (although there was the Dayquil incident, as I mentioned, but I think that was back when it was basically Nyquil with caffeine.)

On other fronts, I'm still waiting for my tax refund to come in. The IRS says it should be in my account by tomorrow, but of course various factors might affect that. Since they already owe me money, I'm a little concerned that it will somehow get hung up.

Today should be a fairly busy day in the library, and just a little slow in terms of the data entry position. On Friday I unpacked ten or so boxes of children's books (mostly board books) and put them on my book truck and shelves, breaking down the boxes and donating them to a co-worker who's moving. Today I need to put some of those books on the book cart in the clinic so they can be given out to children who come in who are from 6 months old to five years old. I filled several interlibrary loans on Friday, so unless I have some new ones, I'm okay there. I want to do some cataloguing as well. And I have a meeting today and tomorrow regarding the data entry. I also need to modify some guides for how to do the data entry for my backup if I'm sick or on vacation, as some things have changed. Since there are a couple of slow days this week, I'm going to work on that. And I have a monthly audit to do. So I should definitely be on my toes (figuratively) today.

What else? Well, I had a good weekend. It was nice to have a Saturday to myself. And although I did a lot of work yesterday that seemed nearly endless (I even washed a dog in the bathtub and took a bed apart to get behind and under it, with help), plus we had the big grocery run, the Cthulhu game was fun and we learned some information and gained something that should help keep our characters alive and deal with a seriously recurring problem (a supernatural creature that can walk through walls, put her hand through your chest, and kill you by squeezing your heart till you die, all the while feeding on your life force--oh, and did I mention she's pissed at us?) So far we had been doing better at saving the world from tentacled horrors than dealing with this one non-Cthulhoid creature.

This morning, of course, I woke up feeling well. I washed some dishes from some things my co-workers had sent home with me, and I really think if I feel decent when I get home, I'll finish my dishes and do some more on the house. Here's hoping.

Okay, it's sunny, it's supposed to be 56 later today, and it's a new workweek. It's been such a mild winter I'm really waiting for the other shoe to drop and then we'll get an ice storm or heavy snow. Hopefully not, though. But anyway, it's about time I got going and headed on to work. Have a good day.

Wish me luck

I have a new medicine I got today that is supposed to help with the foot pain. I'm supposed to take it three times a day, but others who have taken it say it can really knock you out, and they're in a capsule, so I can't split it or anything. I waited till after the game to take my first dose, so I wouldn't plop face down onto the table or anything (did that once with Dayquil--really). So we'll see how it works for me; I'm sure everyone responds a little differently. I already get too much sleep, often falling asleep by 8 pm and not getting up for 12 hours. But if I'm in less pain, the way I see it, I can be more active, so maybe that will cancel things out.

So, to recap

I have:

1. Gone hunting for an item and returned with it.
   
2. Did some techie stuff.
   
3. Texted and talked with friends throughout the day.
   
4. Took out trash and recyclables, including about three copy paper boxes full of old papers.
   
5. Typed up the game notes.
   
6. Burned some files to no less seven DVD-Rs, during which I--
   
7. Watched the first episode on streaming Netflix of 'Downton Abbey', which is all it's cracked up to be.
   

That was pretty decent for a Saturday, I think. And although it's only eleven at night, I think it's time to turn in, as I must get up VERY early in the morning (before 5 am). Hope your weekend is going well.

My hunt was successful

and I even managed to get my friends something for their house while I was out. The sun was shining when I got home (and indeed, it still is), so I gathered up the trash and recyclables, including all those papers I'd de-hoarded, and took them outside. There are still a few 'keep' piles here and there, but very little. So now I'm enjoying the other half of my Subway sandwich and taking a break before pressing on. I decided to wait till Monday for the bank, and Sunday for the grocery. That leaves notes and backups, and I'm finished. I have to go over to the gamemaster's house very early in the morning, so hopefully I can get through with everything and go to bed early.

Okay, time to check the news.

Please tell me he did not just say that

Rick Santorum On Opposition To Abortion In Cases Of Rape: 'Make The Best Out Of A Bad Situation'

GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum explained his opposition to abortion even in cases of rape during an interview Friday, saying that women who face such circumstances should "make the best out of a bad situation."

Asked by CNN's Piers Morgan what he would do if his own daughter approached him, begging for an abortion after having been raped, Santorum explained that he would counsel her to "accept this horribly created" baby, because it was still a gift from God, even if given in a "broken" way.

I think the Republican field is a bunch of yahoos, but this takes the cake. And as I get older, I find myself just as liberal as I was in my youth, just more of a realist rather than an idealist. I try not to break things down to black and white. But I don't want this guy in charge of my country, or anyone's country.

Go Obama 2012.

Ugh

I don't feel well at all, although I finally pulled myself out of bed to take some ibuprofen and text back and forth with a friend. Friday nights I always seem to be tired.

Tomorrow will be a really busy day, partly because I've been so sluggish tonight. I need to:

1. Go to the bank (I've been carrying around a cheque for most of the week).
   
2. Do some shopping (it's a hunting trip, not a gathering one).
   
3. Do the game notes (I'm just not up to doing them right now).
   
4. Backup some videos (although I'm going to try to do some tonight).
   
5. Work on the house (and at least get the tornado-look under control).
   
6. Go to the grocery (although I may wait until Sunday for that).

So I'm going to get up bright and early. Wish me luck.

Eating the best darn homemade vegetable stew I've ever had--and no it's not mine

I can't cook, remember? No, we had a potluck on Thursday and one of my co-workers made the stew (she calls it soup, but it's thick and hearty, so I'll say stew) and she kept some apart before putting meat in it, so I could have some. Turns out there was enough to take home some. [Another co-worker made chili, and did the same thing, so I have that for tomorrow.] So I've just eaten some tuna salad and vegetable stew and I'm considering my next move. The rain has stopped, so it would be a good time to clean up those papers that are still all over the living and dining area. But I don't want to do it just now. I downloaded Turn Coat today from the library, so I could read. But I think I'll listen to some music for awhile and just sort of relax.

I did decide the doctor was right about the neuropathy as a source of my foot pain, as I took my shoes (and socks) off at work because they were really bothering me, and with the exception of where my feet touched the floor, the pain stopped. That might explain why I have more foot pain when it's no longer sandal weather, I suppose. Everywhere my shoes touch hurt, and they're not pinching or anything. I'm barefoot in the house now (which is rather a no-no, in terms of diabetes, but I'm not up and walking), and they hurt in a dull way, but nothing like earlier. Walking makes it much worse. Fortunately I'll get my medication this weekend and it will hopefully help.

Okay, I'm going to go relax, maybe take a short nap--really--and then get up and take care of this stuff I pulled out of all those boxes. Hope you had a happy Friday.

I've been intrigued by the Roanoke colony from the time I first heard about it as a child

Now people are taking an interesting approach to disappearance of the 'Lost Colony' by trying to prove they were assimilated into the native peoples of the area through genotyping.

Lost Colony DNA

Genotyping could answer a centuries-old mystery about a vanished group of British settlers.

Archaeological digs, weather records, historical writings, genealogy—none have fully answered the question of what happened during White’s absence. But Roberta Estes, who owns DNAeXplain, a company that interprets the results of genetic heritage tests, is looking to DNA for help. Her hypothesis is that the Lost Colonists survived, and that evidence of their salvation is tucked away in the mitochondrial or Y chromosomal DNA of living descendents.

“They were stranded,” Estes says of the settlers. “They knew they couldn’t survive there on the island.” The colonists’ solution, in her estimation, was to go native.

I don't know if it will bear fruit, but it's an interesting angle.

I have never resorted to 'Cliff Notes' of a book

especially for a piece of fiction that I've been reading for pleasure. But I give up. I have been checking out Jim Butcher's Small Favor for a year or so, only getting through about half the book. If I can get through the story, I can read the others on my Kindle, and therefore have it close at hand and read in those moments I'm out and about (I hate to say it, but I don't have a really good setup at home to read. I just fall asleep in the bedroom and it needs more light. The living room is okay, but not really the best.)

Anyway, I did the unthinkable, as the book is due back to the library today. I went to Wikipedia and read the plot line, which is fairly detailed, taking in the spoilers and filing them away so I can try Turn Coat and see if the block lifts. I've never really heard of reader's block, and I've read other books while trying to get through this. It's not bad. It holds my attention. I just don't do so well at sitting down and reading it for any length of time. I have had similar issues with Charlaine Harris' Grave Secret.

Oh, well. I'll take the book back, download Turn Coat (assuming it's available), and go from there. But I can't count this book as read.

I should be clearing up all the papers I went through last night

and taking the majority out, along with the two hampers full of recyclables I have. However, it is pouring down rain, so that will have to wait. Ah, de-hoarding is a wonderful thing, although best done on a clear night. :) Oh, well, I can at least collect it all together, I suppose, and hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Nice

The Church dulcimer is larger and has more strings than a standard mountain dulcimer, so this has a different sound to it. I subscribe to the channel run by the musician, Dave Holeton, and this popped up. I rather liked it, and thought I'd include it here.

I have one shiny fingernail

After work a co-worker who was giving me a ride tonight was going to stop by the mall and asked if I wanted anything from there. I've been wanting some of that Bath and Body Works orange ginger lotion, so I tagged along. On the way back from the store, the nice Israeli man at the Seacret kiosk lured first my co-worker (and then, since she was captured, me), whereupon he exuded his plentiful charms and buffed our fingernails with a buffer from their nail care kit that basically brings out the natural oils (I think it 'exfoliates' the outer edge of the nail, revealing the shiny nail below). It was very impressive, and he dropped the price from $59 to $29, but we did resist. Still, I must say I was intrigued. :) It really does look like I have clear nail polish on that nail, and since I can't stand the smell of nail polish, it would be a nice alternative. I'll consider it for the future.

As you can see, I'm back

I got my Internet back on, thankfully. And there was water on when I got home, too (I don't pay for my water separately, but there was work being done at my complex today, tomorrow, and Friday, that necessitated turning the water off sometime between 8 am and 5 pm. Needless to say, I got up early so I could take a shower.)

It was a good day. I'm not on the new medication yet, but my feet are feeling a little better. I've been much better on my eating, and we celebrated two birthdays today and I passed on both coconut cream pie (something I really like) and a chocolate cake. I did taste the barest bit of coconut--minus the cream, but that was it. I have an application on my phone that tracks things, and although I normally weigh myself on a weekly basis, I thought I'd try daily just to see how it went up and down. From Monday to Tuesday I gained 1 pound. From Tuesday to Wednesday I lost three. This is what I do, see-saw within about ten pounds easily, due to water weight, I'm sure, at least in part. When people say, 'oh, I lost five pounds', I have to remember that not everyone loses weight the same. I consider it a success if I lose 10-15 lbs. But I think I'll continue tracking it daily for awhile.

Okay, I'm awake, and I really need to straighten things up around here. I'll try to blog later, but otherwise have a good night.

I don't really go gaga over babies, although I am not totally immune to their cuteness

But this video from a Boyle county dad showing his daughter's reaction to a sound is rather fun, and it has garnered over a million hits in just a few days.

I'm in the Eagle Creek library

picking up some books and logging in for a little blogging.

So, last night my best friend and I had a conversation about my health, how I'm the only one who can do anything about it, and how I haven't taken it truly seriously, so he was just prepared to enjoy my company for however long he had it and otherwise not interfere.

He's right. I chose the path to overweight and all the things that entails. Mind you, I have a strong genetic predisposition for diabetes, but my weight and diet have made things worse. But that doesn't mean it has to continue that way.

Fast forward to this morning, at the new podiatrist. He thinks that the pain I'm having is actually neuropathy. Plantar fasciitis tends to get better after you first get up. I may have some of that, too, but the point is my pain worsens over the course of the day, and actually keeps me awake at night at times.

So, he did all the subjective tests for neuropathy, to see if I'm sensing where he's touching, or the length of a vibration, or whether my toe is going up or down, and I passed that. But he did an objective test as well--he took a small biopsy of my skin on the outside of each ankle to test it for number of nerves per millimeter. [I have a band of that bandaging material (I think it's called Coban) that they use when you give blood around each ankle. Coincidentally, they match my outfit today. :)] In that way they can judge nerve health and make a more definitive diagnosis.

Since the ibuprofen isn't really cutting it, he's putting me on a non-narcotic medicine specifically for nerve pain. If the biopsies come back indicating neuropathy, he'll add a prescription medicine that is in essence a vitamin B complex, that is supposed to promote nerve health. Then we'll go from there. The idea is that if the pain can be controlled, I can be more active, losing weight, which will in turn help my blood sugar. Plus, of course, I've got to try to get a better handle on my blood sugar.

My blood sugar was actually better today, and I noticed the pain was not as bad, although I don't know if that's a direct result.

So, the plan is to do better. I'm checking out two books from the library on diabetes, The Uncomplicated Guide to Diabetes Complications by Levin and Pfeifer, and the American Diabetes Association's Complete Guide to Diabetes. I've had the latter out before and would highly recommend it. I should get a copy of my own.

Okay, I think I should go home and actually try to get some things done since I won't have the Internet to play with. And I still have A Beautiful Mind out from Netflix. Really.

So I thought I heard a scream

which is significant, as that's my best friend's ringtone (hey, he chose it, not me), but it turned out to just be the white noise generated by my fan and CPAP machine. Hurting, I got up and took some ibuprofen. I checked the Internet and it is dead, meaning it was probably switched off about midnight. Yes, I can blog by phone, but it's a little clunky on the small screen. But I'll plug away anyhow.

I went to bed all emotional and tired. I feel better now, and I'm okay. I'll try to write a little tomorrow from the public library about that. So goodnight for now.

Hmm...still up, both in terms of wakefulness and connexion

even though it's after midnight. That may be a good thing for tomorrow. But it's definitely time to sleep. Good night, and I hope you're having a nice weekend so far.