Listening to:

Big Country, 'The Lost Patrol'



Big Country, featuring Kate Bush, 'The Seer'

It has been a long, tiring week, and Friday cannot come soon enough

I started a new aspect of my job today that replaced a minor thing I did and expanded my work in terms of time. So, for four hours or so a day I do library stuff--interlibrary loans, cataloguing, literature reviews, shelving, administration, etc., etc. For the other four hours I deal with insurance companies and doctors' offices regarding referrals, put in data entry sheets, reconcile items put in by the system, and once a month do an audit. So whereas I used to be somewhat bored and didn't have enough to do, now I am quite busy. That's not bad, of course, but it makes it somewhat challenging to get everything that needs to be done, especially because so much of it is time-sensitive, as it relates to revenue and billing. I think I've gone beyond the simple data entry I was doing at first by quite a bit.

But I do enjoy it. Well, except for dealing with phone message systems for the insurance companies in the (sometimes) vain attempt to reach a real person. Anyway, I hope you'll understand if, after being on a computer all day, I don't always blog very long when I come home. Normally I don't mind, but today I think I'll keep it short. I'm going to go take my contacts out and change into my sleep shirt. Maybe I'll watch something while folding the laundry.

I just realised a little while ago

when I was at Rite Aid that although I made a friend's birthday very pleasing and nice, I forgot to get him a card [I sometimes forget the social conventions.] I know actions are more important than expressing sentiments by pre-made and highly marketed birthday cards, of course. I did feel a little bad, however, for forgetting. But considering we are going to continue the celebration with Indian food Saturday, I think there's still a chance a card might be in his future. :)

Six eyes?

The part of my job that isn't being a librarian involves various forms of data entry and dealing with papers that have tiny numbers on them. I have bifocal glasses and contacts, but I find my contacts especially blur a bit as the day progresses, and my glasses are one or two prescriptions behind. I'm not sure how good or bad it is for my eyes, but I found a 2-for-1 deal at Rite Aid on Foster Grant readers and decided to get them, so hopefully they'll tide me over until I can get new glasses in January. So there's eyes, plus contacts, plus reading glasses. Here's hoping it helps.

So tired

I just got in a little after 10 pm and I'm very, very tired, and I'm paying for getting up so terribly early this morning to do the laundry. Also, my back has been bad all day. The clothes can stay on the couch until tomorrow, I'm afraid, and even then I'll have to fold them sitting down. Any standing has hurt today. Also, I have to get up early again tomorrow, as I have a meeting right as I normally go in to work at 8:30 am, and I need to print out some sheets for it and grab some breakfast before I do that. On the one hand, one of my tasks is going away. On the other hand, I'm going to be reconciling some things and need some training on how to read the sheets I'll be getting.

So, the phone is on its dock, the tablet is charging, my contacts are out and I'm in shorts and a tank top and I'm all comfy, although to be truly comfy I'll need to stretch out and rest my back. I still need to give an offering to the Goddess tonight, but I didn't manage to stop by the Liquor Barn, which closes at ten of all things. So I have no wine, very little olive oil, and some honey. It looks like that last is my best bet. I'm usually a little better about it than this. At least the house is clean, though. :) That makes it nicer, as part of the point is to purify and rededicate myself and my home to Her.

So, that and taking my insulin are the only other things to do before I turn in for the night. At least it's Wednesday; just two more days and there's a long holiday weekend. Yay! The only plans I have for now are for Saturday, when friends and I plan to go to Masala, the Indian restaurant. I think we'll be playing the game on Sunday, too--Brenda didn't think there would be anything preventing it. Okay, it's time to stretch my back out for a bit and relax. Have a good night.

Yay!

The laundry is finished except for the folding and putting away, which I will do when everything's dry. In the meantime the clothes I washed today are ranged out on the couch so they don't wrinkle. I didn't actually go back to bed; I sewed some buttons that were loose back on to a summer sweater I have. I think I'll wear it today; it's going to be very hot, but this is light cotton and short sleeved, and I'll just put it over a matching tank top. It's dressy enough for interviews, etc., black, with little silver rose buttons. That's why I reinforced the buttons--there was no extra that came with it and if I lost one, I'd have to replace the whole set. One came loose the first time I wore it and I wound up putting a staple in to hold it until I could get home. The only trouble with sewing (or in this case, mending) is that with my carpal tunnel back, it's very painful and I can only do it for short periods. Also, I have to take my glasses off to thread the needle, even with bifocals. Ah, the joys of getting older.

Okay, I should go shower and get ready for work; I have to be there in less than an hour. Have a great day!

Good for her, inspiring for others

177 pounds lighter, yo-yo dieter reaches goal weight

Kia Horton was thin as a little girl. "Like fit your fingers around (my) ankles skinny," she recalls. But at 5, she says, she became a victim of sexual abuse, triggering more than a decade of poor eating habits. By the time she started eighth grade, she was borderline obese.

At 15, Horton weighed almost 200 pounds. Her father allowed her to sign up for a diet meal delivery service. She lost 30 pounds on the program, but she says, "I hated the food, and the program was not sustainable because eating their food was the only key to success."

She gained back the 30 pounds and then some. By the time she graduated college, she weighed 260 pounds.

"I immediately joined a gym and hired a personal trainer," Horton says. "This also proved to be futile because I was not ready to change my eating habits." She lost no weight working out with the trainer. "I quit!" she remembers thinking.

Her bad eating habits continued, and in 2006, at 31, the Chicagoan topped out at her heaviest weight of 319 pounds. Horton is 5 feet 4 inches; her body mass index at the time was 54.8, which is considered morbidly obese.

177 lbs lighter, after starting to truly work on things when someone made an off-hand comment about her having a pretty face and losing weight, she has this advice:

"The best advice I can give to people is to face their whole life down," she says. Horton says she believes weight gain is a symptom of other issues. "You can't take control over just one aspect of your life; you have to take control over everything. Once you do that, then your journey can begin."

I so need to get my act together regarding my health and weight. These sorts of stories remind me that it isn't futile.

So I am actually up and doing laundry

I got up at 5:30 and took it over, then went back with a dishcloth someone crocheted for me that was sitting damp in the kitchen sink. They'll probably be ready to switch to the dryers in about ten or fifteen minutes. It was two full loads, which wasn't too bad considering it has been about three weeks since I did laundry. The hand-washables have had the fan on them all night, so they're drying nicely. It was a little harder for me to sleep without the fan, even with air conditioning. I'm attuned to the sound and the breeze going over me all times of the year. I'm still a little sleepy as a result. I may go back to bed for another 40 minutes or so once things have gone into the dryer--they're on a 48-minute cycle. In the meantime, I think I'll check the news.

Bleh

Last night I got home fairly late and pretty much went straight to bed without blogging. Tonight I've been home, and at times I've been busy, but mostly I've just felt bleh and didn't get around to writing. I have, however, been fairly productive up to a point. I worked, went to an appointment, ran by the pharmacy (for the second day in a row), ate dinner with a friend, returned my library books, did all the hand-washable laundry (21 pieces that are now drying on the new rack with a fan on them), and so that's not too bad. I do plan on doing the regular laundry as well by getting up early in the morning. My back has been giving me trouble tonight with all the stooping and movement with the hand-washables, so I've been lying down trying to get it to ease up, and I took some ibuprofen, too. I also played some 'Joining Hands', an addictive game I got the other day for my phone when it was the free application of the day on Amazon.

Yesterday I came late to some news that made me sit in my cubicle at work and cry. Barbara Mertz, who wrote under a number of pseudonyms, including Elizabeth Peters, and who among all her many novels wrote the 19 Amelia Peabody mysteries, died on August 8th at the age of 85. I didn't know her, of course, but she touched my life and fired up my imagination with her strong female characters. I watched Amelia and Radcliffe begin their life together, their son grow up, their grandchildren born, and every year 'another dead body' as their foreman on the digs in Aegypt would lament. I felt like I'd lost something very special, much like when you've been entranced by a good book and you come to the words 'the end' and have to close the cover. Here is her obituary in the New York Times: Barbara Mertz, Egyptologist and Mystery Writer, Dies at 85. According to it, she wrote nearly 70 books. I have read about 32 of them, and have about 30. I have read her Aegyptology non-fiction under her own name, all of the Amelia Peabody books, several of the Vicky Bliss ones, and all of the Jacqueline Kirby ones, plus a few more sprinkled here and there and the guide to the world of Amelia Peabody. I have most of them in a coveted shelf near my bed. Oh, she will be missed.

A good game, and a fun movie afterwards

With all the cleaning yesterday, I wasn't able to stay and watch a DVD with a friend of mine, a favourite movie from his childhood that obviously influenced him in many ways. So we watched it after the game today. The movie is called Captain Nemo and the Underwater City. It came out in 1969, when I was a mere toddler of two, but he was older than I. I really enjoyed the movie and a glimpse of my friend's world at age 8. It has domed cities, an undersea utopia, and even a theremin, an instrument I had never heard of until he told me about them. :) Here's the trailer:

PS

There was this video that I found when I re-watched the other. It's even more me. Oh, yeah. So me.

Screw the laundry, at least for tonight

I have enough clothes for tomorrow and Monday, at least, so if all else fails, I can wait until Monday night. Yes, I know, I always tend to put it off. But I've done everything else to the house I set out to accomplish. Now I'm hydrating. Then I'm going to turn my attention to the game notes. I'll try to finish those and then turn in for bed. Then I'll get up early, do the Meijer and Kroger runs, and head over to my friends' house to prepare for the game. I must remember to charge the batteries I use for the voice recorder. Last week I went through all four, plus I used my phone as a backup in case the recorder failed. I was afraid it would.

I am now properly tired, and my back hurts (three trips to the Dumpster/recycling containers, and one terribly overloaded), so I'm looking forward to sitting down and doing the notes. It's definitely time for some ibuprofen. Okay, what I'm really looking forward to is lying down, to be honest. :)

So

Our local newspaper has a new way to try to make money by publishing an 'early Sunday' edition for $2 on Saturdays. There is no 'regular Saturday edition' for $1. It's Saturday's paper with all the inserts from Sunday, so if you get the paper on the weekends, you wind up getting the blasted ads, Parade, comics, and everything twice. So I really wanted to share a couple of comics ('Dilbert' and 'Get Fuzzy'), but they're not online yet to share because, well, they're tomorrow's comics. Drat you, Lexington Herald-Leader!

Disturbing

MSF-backed hospitals treated Syria 'chemical victims'

Medecins Sans Frontieres says hospitals it supports in Syria treated about 3,600 patients with "neurotoxic symptoms", of whom 355 have died.

The medical charity said the patients had arrived in three hospitals in the Damascus area on 21 August - when opposition activists say chemical attacks were launched against rebels.

But MSF says it cannot "scientifically confirm" the use of chemical weapons.

Both sides in the conflict accuse each other of using them.

The kitchen is finished

Yay! It, oddly enough, was the most work, partly because I rearranged it. So mainly there's the trash and recyclables and the laundry. But I think I'm going to take a break for about forty-five minutes before going on. So far in all this I've filled five trash bags, four bags of recyclables plus a hamper, and I'm going to take those out in just a bit using my granny cart. It's amazing how much stuff I let pile up. :(

So sorry to hear this

Linda Ronstadt reveals she has Parkinson’s disease, can no longer sing: The 67-year-old 'Hurt So Bad' songstress, whose vocal range spanned the octaves from contralto to soprano, says she began experiencing symptoms around eight years ago

What a shame. I wish her well.

Interrupted work on the house to go over to my friends' for about six hours

But we got the grocery run finished, I did a little visiting, and we watched some things on YouTube as well as 'H2O: Just Add Water' and 'Lab Rats' on Netflix. YKWIA showed me a great video that made me laugh so hard I cried. This is both of us when it comes to opening medicine bottles:



Now I'm listening to Imagine Dragons and looking at what needs to be done next. There's the refrigerator to clean out, then trash and recyclables to go out. I need to do dishes and laundry, wipe down the counters and stove in the kitchen, do a quick cleaning of the bathroom, and that should pretty much do it. Still, it's a lot to do. Plus I need to do game notes. I'm not sure I'll get it all done, but I will try to get what I can finished.

I also need to go to Meijer for something for a friend and pick up snacks for the game tonight, and then go in early tomorrow to get a head start on game preparations so that YKWIA and I can watch a movie from his childhood that he wants to share with me.

Okay, I'm going to go tackle the refrigerator.

Whew! Got to catch my breath!

So I did go to bed early last night, but I was up this morning at 5 am and went to Kroger pretty much as soon as I dressed, beat my hair down into submission, and brushed my teeth. My objective: to get things to further organise the house. Success! I now have two of those small folding bookshelves that fit together into one tall one for the kitchen, so I can move things from the kitchen island (such as cookbooks and various storage containers) and actually use the thing. I got a new trash can (my old one was sad). I got some closet hangers after about three associates helped me, mainly for drying purposes with the hand-washables. I got a second drying rack (this one can hold many clothes on hangers). I found a hanging shoe organiser that will fit in the closet (for someone who used to own about three pairs of shoes--athletic, dress, and sandals, I now have quite a few. Not a huge amount, but enough that this will help.) I threw some air freshener, soda, and coconut fruit bars into the mix and then got out of there while I still had some money. But the most expensive item, the shelves, were only $42, less than they were when I got so many in the spring. And my fuel points just went up.

So now it's 6 and I'm going to take just a bit of a break before actually putting all this in action. Here's the plan for this morning:

1. Rearrange the kitchen with the new shelves
2. Do dishes
3. Clean cabinets and stove
4. Clean out refrigerator
5. Set up new trash can
6. Sweep and mop kitchen
7. Straighten up computer area
8. Straighten up dining table
9. Go through mail
10. Water plants inside and out
11. Repot the ailing umbrella plant
12. Take out trash and recyclables
13. Do a once-over in bathroom
14. Return books to the library [Tuesday, actually]
15. Get quarters for laundry

Later in the day:

1. Take a friend to the grocery
2. Invite friends over
3. Do laundry [Tuesday and Wednesday]
4. Do the game notes

So, busy, busy, busy, which is why I got up so very early. Wish me luck!

Feeling better

It was kind of a blah start to the day, but it got better. I managed to get into work and I worked my butt off to get caught up on what I'd missed yesterday, and managed to do so. After work I stopped by Texas Roadhouse and got a salmon dinner (I know, it hasn't been that long since I did it, but I was really craving fish). After I finished, I went over to my friends' house to help with something, but they were having some mechanical issues beyond what I could fix. So I came on home.

The plan for tonight is to do a little relaxing but also work on the house. But first I'm going to get into something comfy. I'll try to write later.

Not feeling well today

I did a rare thing and called into work because every part of my body, every joint, every muscle it seemed, was aching right down to my toes. Not sure if its the fibromyalgia that I've had since my 20s but doesn't impact me to that point much or if it's just arthritis as I get older. Ibuprofen didn't really touch it. A hot shower helped just a little. I can move, I just hurt, regardless of whether I'm lying down, sitting up, walking, or whatever. It's worst in my hands, and using them hurts. So I've spent most of the day so far in bed. Usually I'm good with my chronic pain, but this was stronger than normal. My stomach was a little touchy this morning, but that's passed, at least. I had just a little cheese and juice this morning. Right now I've had some of the eggplant from last night and a sandwich with some hazelnut spread and I'm full. I feel like going back to bed for awhile. Maybe I'll do just that.

Friends and eggplant goodness

I wound up watching a friend cook tonight (and eventually did a bit to help, including scooping out eggplant guts to make little boats to stuff), then staying for dinner, where we had Eggplant Sicilian Style (eggplants stuffed with eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, and onion, I think, topped with cheese) and a nice tomato and onion salad. While I was merely watching, I was texting with another friend, whose son started preschool today. And my other friend and I visited for awhile before the cooking began, and then he rejoined us for dinner. So it was a night full of friends. I found that watching someone cook is very relaxing. I didn't mind helping, of course. I just scooped out the little boats, cut up a few tomatoes, as well as an onion. Otherwise we just visited. So it was a nice night full of good company as well as eggplant and tomato goodness.

I'm listening to Of Monsters and Men's album, My Head is an Animal. I really like them. I especially love 'Dirty Paws' and 'Your Bones'.





It's kind of late, so no reading tonight. I'm going to set several alarms for early in the morning, as I have some straightening up to do before the exterminators get here tomorrow for their bimonthly visit. So I'll say goodnight for now. Hope you're having a good week. The weekend is just around the corner, at least. :) My week has been a little less busy than the last few weeks, but I had a lot of interlibrary loans to do today from several different researchers. But it's nice that they're using the library. I'm also trying to refine a search using skills I learned in the class I didn't finish. :) Oh, well, it was a good experience, anyway. So, goodnight, already. Take care.

Six chapters in

And enjoying the book. I actually feel content and happy. Why has it been so hard to just sit down with a good book, when it's really quite nice? I don't know the answer. But now I'm ready to go to bed and I feel like I accomplished something tonight, no matter how small.

Some improvement, anyway

Today I was free after work. I came home, took out the trash (although not the recyclables, but still, every bit helps). I watched three episodes of 'The Big Bang Theory'. I spent some time on the computer. About seven I did drop off to sleep, and I woke up at 10:45. Then a friend called and we spoke briefly. So I didn't go straight to sleep on getting home, had a little fun, but it would be good to work things up to having a whole evening by myself without falling asleep.

This week seems to be going by somewhat slowly compared the last few. I was really pleased this afternoon when I took my blood sugar for lunch and it was not only merely 84, but also I didn't feel low symptoms or anything. I think my body is starting to adjust to lower, more normal, glucose levels--yay!

I think I'm going to try to read a bit before going back to bed. I have the last of the Sookie Stackhouse books on a shelf by my bed, and I noticed Amazon has a preorder of a 'what happened to everyone after the series ended' book coming out soon. Ingenious marketing, by the way. JK Rowling just did hers in an epilogue of the last book. Charlaine Harris did an alphabetical listing of characters from her series with what happened to whom that fills over 200 pages. If I don't want to get into any spoilers, I should read last novel soon, so I'm going to try to start tonight.

Gutsy and funny, all in one

Certain Doctor Who Phrases and how Olive Garden Customers React: An Experiment Done by a Server

I so would have over-tipped him.

Okay, I don't really care for the song (too much screaming)

but this homage has a great use of a book to take down evil-doers and is genuinely funny. And hey, they made it to Rolling Stone.

See Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage' Video Remade By Librarians: Crime-fighting librarians in shades and badges take over the stacks in hilarious remake

Just in time for MTV's Video Music Awards, BoingBoing has dug up an amazing remake of a legendary clip: the Beastie Boys' beloved Spike Jonze-directed homage to Seventies' cop shows, "Sabotage," as reenacted by librarians.

What a busy couple of days

Saturday I:

1. Was all emotionally screwed up when I got to my friends' house, and more than a little premenstrual
2. Had mermaid therapy with a couple of episodes of 'H2O: Just Add Water' (which did help my mood)
3. Took a friend to the grocery
4. Came home for a nap, which was aborted, which did nothing to help my mood
5. Helped another with cooking, which did help
6. Ate dinner
7. Watched an episode of 'Midsomer Murders' with friends, called 'The Axeman Cometh', where I sympathised with the murderer in this one

Sunday I felt better emotionally, but my neck and back were really bothering me. Despite that, I:

1. Helped with the house cleaning
2. Went to the grocery for game snacks
3. Re-potted a plant
4. Played the game
5. Helped with a project afterwards

I got home about midnight on Saturday and eleven at night on Sunday. So it was a very full weekend. Speaking to YKWIA, who is wise in many things, I really have to come to the conclusion (and not for the first time, but this one might stick), that I go to great lengths not to be alone, and when I do face that prospect--whether it's being alone at home or going out and doing something, I usually curl into a ball and sleep. I even get to the point where I blame others for taking up my time when, in fact, I'm lingering or otherwise making sure I don't have to face myself when I go home by keeping myself busy for others. There's definitely some unknown pathology there. I am considering going back into counseling, perhaps with a psychologist (I never seem to get much benefit from dealing with social workers). Perhaps she or he could help me ferret out the reasons behind this and find coping mechanisms so I can learn to enjoy being alone. I used to. But then I didn't have much choice; I was alone a great deal growing up. We'll see. It is a little odd, and I don't think it's true monophobia or anything like that. But it's affecting my personal life quite a lot. (Of course, professionally, I'm rarely alone.) For one, I didn't finish that class I was in because I could never stay up and focused while at home, even though I had the opportunity. :( So, I really need to address that. I can't enjoy things that I might do like browsing through the vendors at a art fair or festival, or going to a movie, reading a book, or just watching shows at home. About the only thing I can do is listen to music, which was my standby when I broke my ankle and was off on my own for three months. I didn't really manage to read books or watch things then, either. About the only things I can do comfortably when I'm on my own is listen to music and play on the computer. I have to learn to enjoy being by myself again.

Moving really slowly this morning

I can't seem to wake up. It's 10:38, I got out of bed at 10 am, had a little yoghurt and blackberries, and now I just want to go back to bed for awhile. Mind you, that's after sleeping nearly twelve hours as is. Yes, it was a long, hard week. But I had wanted to hit the farmer's market and maybe the Woodland Arts Fair today; I'm not sure that's going to work. This afternoon there's grocery shopping to do and helping with a couple of things over at my friends', which I've already committed to. At this point there's no reason to go try to go to the Art Fair; there's just no time. :( And I still have some things to do around here that haven't been done, AND the game notes. It's like I'm sleeping what free time I have away, and as a result I don't actually get to have fun 'alone' time, and it's all my fault because I let myself just sleep away. It's very frustrating. I thought that with my blood sugar doing better I'd stop doing that. If anything I'm doing it more. I've been trying to get up since 5:30 this morning. Really. And I fell asleep last night without taking my Lantus, so my blood sugar is actually a little high this morning and no doubt is contributing to my grogginess. Grrr....

Curious

I did step out for a moment. The sky is quite cloudy and obscured. Better to return to the land of imagination and dream. Good night.

My God, it's full of stars

I woke up just a little while ago from a dream which was irrelevant to this story except for the very end. I looked up, and despite being at my apartments where there should be some light pollution, the sky was a beautiful cascade of many stars, the Milky Way was visible, there seemed to be such depth and velvetness overhead (I tend to dream with a sort of intense super-detail often, and this was exactly like that). There were meteors shooting up ahead every few seconds. Right now the Perseid meteor shower is going on, and even though we're past the peak, meteors are still being grabbed up by Earth's atmosphere. I'm almost tempted to go outside to see whether I can see any, although I know the city edge that I live on is pretty bleak for most skywatching. I really need to find a good stargazing spot and take my telescope there sometime.

Of course, I have seen a sky like that before. I've lived in the country plenty of times. And when I lived on Edwards Air Force Base in California, we not only had little light pollution (or any other kind), we were at a high altitude. I remember one of the parents driving us out onto the base away from the lights and it was total darkness, and we got up on the hood and roof of the car with blankets and just watched the stars and meteors. That was the Perseids, too. It saddens me that many children today will never see the stars like that.

Anyway, just wanted to share that bit. Time to head back to bed. I was gone by 8 pm and have slept almost seven hours as it is. I hope to get up in about an hour or two and do some things around the house. I've been going to bed in an attempt to avoid them, I think. I tell myself I'm just really sleepy, but let's face it, it's a trick. :)

Satisfying a craving for salmon

Dinner tonight was salmon, a sweet potato, broccoli, and rolls from Texas Roadhouse. It was wonderful.

I have some things to do around the house, some work on the class I'm taking, and I'd like to watch some videos as well. We'll see.

The weather is gorgeous and October-like. Our high today was 73 degrees, our low 53. You'd never know it was the middle of August. It's sunny and beautiful. I think I'm going to open up the windows for the evening.

Okay, I'm going to go do stuff. It's probably a bit too cool for the pool. I probably should have gone to the Y tonight, but there's no open swim. Perhaps Friday. But I can do things around here.

This really disturbed me

Questions Follow Acid Attack on British Women in Zanzibar

I know that it the United States can be just as dangerous as anywhere else (for one thing, there's all those guns), but when I read about crimes such as this in faraway lands, I shudder. When I was young I considered going into the Peace Corps, seeing the world while helping others. Various things kept me from taking that road. Today, I seriously doubt I would do it for a host of reasons (mainly my health), but also because to be a Western woman in many of these areas is to be a target. As a woman and as an American, I would not feel safe, especially in Muslim areas, no matter how respectably I dressed or how well I acted. I would be out of my comfort zone, afraid to make an innocent mistake. So yes, while there are beautiful places I would love to visit, there are many that I find simply too dangerous to risk. I'm not sure whether that's giving into fear or merely being prudent. And of course this was a rare event in Zanzibar. But I think if I ever do go out of country, I'll be very careful to research my destination and make myself as safe as possible in my choices. Unfortunately, that is no guarantee. Those girls did everything they were advised to, did nothing overt to indicate that they were Jewish, for example, and generally did the right things. Yet they suffered terribly for the crime of being Western women strolling through the streets. It's a shame.

This is so incredibly nifty!

Want to have some fun?
1. Click on this highlighted Google Maps link.
2. Either click on the double arrows in Street View, or use the 'up' arrow on your keyboard.
3. Explore!

For more on how to view this little 'Easter egg' from Google, see this article at Techcrunch: Google Maps Easter Egg Lets You Explore The TARDIS

Quite a storm has come up

I stopped by YKWIA's after work for just a bit to help him with something and then went over to Office Depot looking for a USB headset with microphone to use tomorrow for a meeting of the Kentucky Medical Library Association via GoToMeeting. I just couldn't justify a drive to Louisville and back for a three-hour meeting when I've got data entry to do, especially since, due to some issues today, I'm behind on putting the data in, so I'll have to catch up tomorrow morning.

I got some things over at Office Depot and came out of the store just as the sprinkling began, with the clouds very dark, lightning striking in the distance, and a flash flood/thunderstorm warning issued on my phone. From Woodhill to about Speedway on Richmond Road the skies had opened up in a deluge, but I drove ahead of the storm, got in the house without getting very wet, and now it's very dark outside and I suspect the more rain is coming. My across-the-hall neighbour has fixed some form of Indian food that smells wonderful. I'm eating a bit of pimiento cheese with crackers and a banana. It is sad by comparison. But I should be going over to Masala in Beaumont for some tasty Indian food soon with friends.

There are some things I need to do around the house tonight, but they'll have to wait until the storm clears. My keyboard is acting a bit weird, typing slowly at times like the buffer or connexion is messed up whenever I backspace, so I think I'll sign off of here for just a bit. It's a little odd, as it is a wired ergonomic keyboard. It may be somehow related to the storm. I'll write later.

So tired

I know, I start a lot of entries that way. But, man, what a busy week. Yesterday I went to five different places: the pharmacy, Meijer's, Lowe's, and two different Krogers (one for gas, one for groceries), running errands with a friend. I also watched some videos with another friend and then helped him make kugel, which turned out splendidly. For dinner we had kugel, eggplant pâté with a bit of baguette, a turnip/apple dish, matzoh ball soup, and a lovely salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and olives (that's what I remember anyway--there may have been more in the salad). He also made cholent for today, which was very good.

Today was cleaning and then the game, which we played until 10:30 pm or so, taking a break for a bit when one player had to go get her son from something. I had taken the laptop with me, so while the game master took a nap, I played Civilization IV. :) But we probably played our normal five or six hours altogether. I enjoyed it. It was downtime, rather than investigation or heavy action, but sometimes that's where a lot of the character development happens. A character that had been in the game several years ago made a reappearance as one of our comrades in arms, having gone through the training the player characters receive. I think Brenda was quite pleased; she's been asking about bringing this character back for awhile. Anyway, I just got in a little before midnight, as I helped clean up after the game and YKWIA showed me some more fashion. I think he's really trying to improve my wardrobe, which he believes to be tacky because it's often sparkly with various sequins and little shiny things. Today's 'Baby Blues' comic reminded me of the whole thing, actually.

Okay, I have taken my nightly medicine. I've blogged, which was an aim for today. I've plugged up the various things that charge overnight. I'm heading to bed before it gets much later. Good night. Hope you had a nice weekend!

A handy guide for explaining 'Doctor Who' to the uninitiated...

'Doctor Who' Explained in 25 GIFs

:)

I've always been fond of the library in 'The Name of the Rose'

but I can get around most of these, particularly #1, once they cleared out certain problems in the shadows:

12 Best Fictional Libraries

I think this song would work well on 'Supernatural', assuming they haven't put it on there yet

It's Imagine Dragons' 'Demons'



For one with lyrics:


(Unlike most of the fan-made videos on YouTube, this has only one tiny punctuation/grammar mistake, but I'm willing to forgive one, although not several.)

Had a nice dinner with friends

I kept the cook company and did some prep work for tomorrow, and then I helped clean up afterwards, loading the dishwasher (I am so glad they got that) and washed a few dishes that can't go in the dishwasher. Technically that had been second dinner; I had some baked fish with almonds, macaroni and cheese, and a small serving of mixed vegetables after I'd clocked out but whilst still at work. At my friends I had some broccoli soup with a tomato base and Gruyere cheese, a small serving of carrots with raisins and onions, and a salad of tomatoes, herbs, feta cheese, and onions. So together I've had quite a bit to eat tonight, but I think I'll be okay for tomorrow. Mostly it was either protein or vegetables.

I didn't manage to get to work early today, although I did get there on time. But it was a productive day and I'll try to go in tomorrow to make up some of my time from Tuesday. I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday, though. And YKWIA is talking about making kugel on Saturday, which is great. I can almost do that from memory, I've helped enough. Kugel is a wonderful thing.

I did give blood today, my 35th donation (that may sound impressive, but it's over about 29 years, so it averages out to be about once or twice a year). It went very slooooowwwly for some reason. The alarm kept going off and they had to reposition the apparatus the needle was attached to several times. But they managed to get a minimal pint out of me, although it didn't look as robust as the ones I've done in the past. But otherwise it did alright, no complaints. The phlebotomist was good, everyone was professional, I didn't have any light-headedness or anything. The site does itch a bit, but I think that's normal; they used latex-free stuff on me, I know. I'm very vigilant about that ever since a dentist washed my mouth out with soap as I was having a mild reaction with some swelling when she accidently regloved with latex.

Well, if I'm to get up early, I should turn in soon. I'm listening to some music right now (more of the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men). I've taken my insulin (I forgot the Lantus last night and my blood sugar was a bit high (but not like it had been) as a result today). Have a good night.

I am an idiot

I forgot I still had some acetaminophen left over from when I was out with my ankle injury. It isn't an NSAID, so it can be taken before giving blood without a problem. I don't usually take it, but apparently NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen can also affect bone healing, so I was on the acetaminophen when I had the fracture. Silly me. So yes, I took it, and hope to be feeling better and whinge-free soon.

I totally crashed

when I got home from Kroger after work. I worked 9 1/2 hours today, trying to make up some time for the half-day yesterday. For once it wasn't that my blood sugar was through the roof, I just had a busy day. With the exception of a few things that needed to go into the refrigerator, I just left everything on the couch and went straight to bed, ostensibly for a short time (I even changed my alarm tone, and it did wake me up after a half hour, but I went back to sleep). Now, three hours later, I feel better in general, although my joints are really bothering me, no doubt because of the rain (we're having a thunderstorm now--I think thunder is what actually woke me up.) I had packed my bag for the Y today just in case I felt like going, but what I really needed was the pool, and the pool here wasn't an option due to the weather and there is no open swim at the High Street YMCA on Wednesdays, so no pool today. Again, trying to manage without ibuprofen due to the blood drive tomorrow, despite arthritis pain. Hey, I'm pretty good at chronic pain and grinning and bearing it, despite the whining I do here sometimes. It's acute pain that I'm a real weenie about.

The rain is coming down pretty hard now. Maybe it will make it to the window boxes. :)

Tomorrow I'm going to try to work another long shift, and Friday as well. I don't feel as bad about coming down and crashing as I could have because my class has been extended for last submissions by the 19th, as opposed to Friday. That doesn't mean I can wait till the last moment, as I have two assignments to do, but it's a relief, anyway. If it's not raining in the morning, I'm going to try my best to do a few things around the house that include taking out the recyclables. I never got around to them earlier.

So the question becomes what to do with the remaining evening. I could watch 'Big Bang Theory' or 'Downton Abbey', or I could work on the notes, but the sound of the rain is actually quite soothing. I'm halfway tempted to head back to bed and just start my day tomorrow super early. It would be the best in terms of my joint pain, and I'm still tired. Not just sleepy like usual, but actually tired. It was a busy day, with a lot of catch-up to do. We did have our employee appreciation day, with a catered picnic (inside, due to the muggy weather that threatened to pour) and we got some movie tickets like we usually do each year. Yay.

There are quite a few stories I really meant to blog about tonight. I'm a bit behind. But there is one that really broke my heart, and so I'm including it here. The rest will have to wait, I'm afraid. And instead of including the teaser text for the story this time, I'm including the picture, which really is worth a thousand words. This is what we have to look forward to on a larger scale over the coming years, and it's very sad. The picture is by Ashley Cooper/Global Warming Images. I'm not sure we can avert their fate at this point, but I hope so. I hope this picture becomes a rallying point for raising awareness of what we are doing to the environment, to other creatures, and ultimately, to ourselves.

A victim of climate change? Polar bear found starved to death looked 'like a rug'

I really had to laugh at this

I don't know where this originated, so I can't give credit where credit is due, but it is dead on. The gentleman in the picture is Steven Moffat, who is executive producer and head writer for 'Doctor Who'. He is the one who made us fear the dark and statues, and he has taken the series on a remarkable journey.



Anyway, this is for YKWIA, who found it amusing when I described it to him. I'm sure some of you might enjoy it as well.

What a busy day!

Listening to Of Monsters and Men, 'Dirty Paws'

Today I:

1. Woke up and wasn't groggy; morning blood sugar was only 145!
2. Went into work early
3. Worked half a day
4. Took a friend to an appointment
5. Got my insulin and pen needles from the pharmacy
6. Took my friend to pick up something that he'd ordered
7. Ate dinner with him
8. Took him to the grocery; also got glucose tablets and alcohol pads for me
9. Watched 'H2O: Just Add Water', an episode from season 3
10. Watched the first episode of 'Fringe'
11. Came home just now and am listening to music and relaxing after all that running around

Wow

Today I was energised, alert, and had a really pleasant day. For one thing, my blood sugar was near-normal all day. In fact, before lunch, it was 101. Even two hours after lunch, it was 121. That's very good. I'm still a little high in the mornings, but I suddenly realised this morning when updating my medication list that I'm supposed to take two metformin a day, and so I'm supposed to take an evening dose as well. That should help with the morning highs. But even so, it wasn't nearly as high as usual. And although I know part of it is water weight, I've lost 12 lbs since Thursday. Really. I was really productive today, and so much clearer mentally. When I got home, the first thing I did was change into my swimsuit and go to the pool, where I did exercises (I didn't really attempt to swim, exactly, nor did I float about, as there was a young girl splashing all over the place). But I did some good exercises and got my joints moving. That's what counts.

Tonight I have a quiet evening at home. I have a few things to do around the house. One of my co-workers really wants me to watch 'Downton Abbey', as she has finished season 3 and she's afraid she'll let something slip since I'm only five episodes into season 1. :) I think tonight I will watch some of that, and also start 'The Big Bang Theory' from the beginning. I might work on the game notes a bit, too, and get them squared away.

I do have a headache (I have almost all day), but I think that's because of the rain that's due tomorrow, and maybe because my blood sugar is lower than it has been, too. I'm resisting taking ibuprofen because Thursday is our blood drive at work and I don't want to have to have them mark it for having had aspirin/NSAIDs exposure. I do think I'll listen to some music for just a bit and rest my eyes, hopefully without actually going to sleep. I'll set several alarms. :)

A little tired

Listening to: Imagine Dragons, 'Demons'.

Today we didn't play the game, as one player's been sick all week (she actually missed her vacation entirely), I hadn't finished the notes (although I'm more than halfway through now), and generally it just wasn't a good day to play. Instead I did the normal housework, with A's help (well, it is his house, and he did most of the things that hurt my back), checked on the announcement of the new Doctor from 'Doctor Who' (Peter Capaldi), played with the dogs, dosed and brushed them, watched quite a few videos, including the early season 3 episodes for 'H2O: Just Add Water', visited with both friends, worked on the notes, and worked up some things for one of my characters for the game.

But it has been a long day, a busy week, a busy weekend, and I'm kind of bushed. It's only a little after 10 pm, but I think after I finish listening to this album I'll take my Lantus and head on to bed. Good night.

115

That was my blood sugar reading right before lunch. Really. Looks like the new medicine is working pretty well. And I've been under 200 all day. I've also lost five pounds since Thursday. I know it's the general post-period water loss, but still....the only bad thing so far is that I pretty much have to go pee every time I finish drinking anything. So I'm trying to drink a good bit of liquid, especially water, throughout the day so I don't go into dehydration or for that matter, lactic acidosis, which is a rare side effect of the metformin the endocrinologist put me one.

Today I did four loads of laundry (including bedding) [finally!] over at my friends' house. I also went to the store with one of them on the grocery run and watched those last two episodes of season 2 of 'H2O: Just Add Water', which included a showdown between the mad mermaid and the others with my other friend. Then we worked on one of my characters for the game. I came home and dropped everything near the front door and just went on to bed, I was so tired. But I'm up now. Today was also my mom's birthday, so I sent her an e-card (wasn't with it enough to get a real one this year, for which I feel a bit guilty). Anyway, I did wish her a great birthday before the day was out, at least. Good thing I woke up when I did; there wasn't much time.

Okay, I've eaten a little (yes, I know it's late, but I haven't actually had dinner). I have some things to do before tomorrow. Good night.

I have spent a lot of the last 48 hours in doctor's appointments

Yesterday I went to the endocrinologist. She wants me to lose 30 lbs. I weigh more than I ever have, at 305 lbs, but some of that is water weight due to insulin's tendency to kind of swell you up, she said. She put me on two medications, one of which I had never heard of. It's only been on the market since March of 2013. Both tend to help with losing weight. One makes you more sensitive to insulin, and the other helps clear the glucose out of your blood and kidneys. Ideally, as I lose weight, I should be able to dial back on the insulin. Wish me luck.

Today I was at our family doctor with a friend for three and a half hours. The plan had been to get to work about noon and work a half day. I got there at 2:15. But I managed to do everything I needed to in a small amount of time, even though it was a bit hectic for awhile. Then I went to the pharmacy and got my medication (they had ordered them yesterday, as they weren't in their inventory) and over to my friends' house for a bit. We were both tired from the day at the doctor. So I went home a little before dark. Then I texted with another friend for awhile, and got up on the bed with the idea of lying there for only half an hour or so and then getting up and watching something on DVD or Netflix. Turns out I went straight to sleep, and woke up just now, at about 2:30 am. I finally gave my libation (it's a bit late) and ate a little cheese.

Tomorrow there's getting my rent, the farmer's market, the grocery, and a run to Lowe's, plus watching the last two episodes of season 2 of 'H2O: Just Add Water'. Also there are game notes to do. And I've asked to do laundry at my friends' house. It will be easier on my back than doing it here. And I need to finish assignment three for that PubMed class. So tomorrow will be fairly busy. This whole week has been extremely busy; I've gotten a lot accomplished, at least.

Okay, I think I'm going to go to back to bed. Have a good night.

Just got home

and there are two women in my hallway with laptops sitting on the floor. I am presuming their apartment doesn't have electric for some reason. They didn't seem to be in any distress or anything, so I went on in to my apartment.

Tonight I spent time with a friend, watching videos and then helping make a squash and zucchini casserole that was very good. I did manage to catch up on my class assignments earlier, and I sent in the book review and copyright form (on time!), but I forgot to ask about doing the regular laundry at my friends' house. The hand-washables were still pretty wet this morning, although they're better now. My bra was still pretty damp, and the shirt slightly so, although it was the only one I washed that was not too bad when I got dressed this morning. :)

I am very tired and still hurting, so I am going to take some ibuprofen and put my feet up for awhile. The libation will have to wait until those people have gone back inside, I think. I still have to take the recyclables and trash out; that will be on tomorrow morning's agenda as well, and I need to stop by the store and get a birthday card for my mom (hers is Saturday). Tomorrow afternoon I see my endocrinologist, so I need to remember to get my folder with my lab results and put it near my purse. Every day this week has been busy, busy, busy, and while I'm getting a lot accomplished, I'm ready for a breather, although that may take awhile. Friday I'm taking a friend to an appointment in the morning and working a half-day in the afternoon. Saturday I need to finish the notes in case we play the game on Sunday, although it's somewhat doubtful, as one of the players has been camping for a week and will be getting back on Saturday and may need to recuperate a bit. We'll see. But for now, I'm heading to bed. Have a good night.