This is great, I hope it happens!

Meriam Ibrahim: Sudan 'to free' death row woman

Ms Ibrahim, 27, was brought up as an Orthodox Christian, but a Sudanese judge ruled earlier this month that she should be regarded as Muslim because that had been her father's faith.

She refused to renounce her Christianity and was sentenced to death by hanging for apostasy.

On Wednesday, she gave birth to a daughter in her prison cell - the second child from her marriage in 2011 to Daniel Wani, a US citizen.

The court said Ms Ibrahim would be allowed to nurse her baby for two years before the sentence was carried out.

The court had earlier annulled her Christian marriage and sentenced her to 100 lashes for adultery because the union was not considered valid under Islamic law.

This woman and her family have been through a horrible ordeal. May they be reunited soon.

I love this

The first computer I used in school was a TRS-80, manufactured by the folks at Radio Shack. The first one I owned was an Atari 800 XL, which I got my senior year in high school and used through part of grad school. The word processor was a ROM pack. One day there was a fire at a warehouse near the university. A power surge caused all the control characters (the formatting codes) to spin wildly on the screen and I couldn't save or print the document. This, of course, happened right before it was due. I wound up threatening my roommate with harm if she turned off the computer or even the television (that was our monitor in those days), and had to go bed my teacher to let me turn in a handwritten version I'd copied off the screen. Really.

When I went off to college, we thought it was on the fritz and my mom bought another one, and it turned out the dial on the TV used for tuning had gotten turned in the move, so she kept the other and became a video game fiend, especially at Dig Dug, which I finally got back from her. I still have the games, though the computer died awhile back. Every now and then I look at the systems as they come up on eBay. Kids today just don't get a little pixelated man digging under monsters or jumping over alligators like in Pitfall as what we considered fun times.

There is a library-related section, too, in the video, going something like this:

'When this computer was used, there was no internet.'
'Then how did you look up homework?
'You would go to the library.'
'Who would want to do that????'

Some terrible poetry to say goodnight

Errands run,
Work done.
It should be the time for fun.
Notes can wait,
Friends are fed.
But I am tired,
So time for bed.

This is why my spells in the Call of Cthulhu game suck. Brenda is far better at versification than I.

I just took an online quiz, and

I came out as 91% Introvert - 9% Extrovert, but then on the Myers-Briggs I turn out to be INFP, which is something like 4-5% of the population (introversion, intuition, feeling, perception). But I thought I was getting more balanced as I get older, and apparently that may not be the case, according to this little non-validated test, anyway. Thanks to Vanessa Irvin Morris for sharing on Facebook.

Here's the link: http://bitecharge.com/play/balanced/h2

Okay, I promise, just one more goat video, and then I'll stop for awhile :)

Mr G the goat was rescued from an animal hoarding situation and taken to a sanctuary, but wouldn't eat for days and acted very depressed and lethargic. Apparently his best buddy, Jellybean, a burro, had gone somewhere else, and he couldn't bear the separation. So one of the folks at the rescue made a 14-hour trip to bring Jellybean to Mr G, even though they'd never taken in a burro before. The change in the goat is absolutely amazing. :)

Mr G and Jellybean have their own Facebook page, actually: https://www.facebook.com/mrgjellybean

There are people who honestly believe animals do not have emotions or form bonds like people. This sort of thing demonstrates that they are terribly wrong.

Ah, what a naughty 'wee puppet man'*

Ed Sheeran as a puppet sings a very catchy song:



*Totally ripped off from Spike from the puppet episode of 'Angel'. :) I have Sheeran's album + and have really enjoyed it. Looks like x, which contains this song, might be next.

A little tired tonight

One of my co-workers mentioned today that sometimes it seems the 'short' weeks with holidays seem longer than others. This week has been very busy, plus for whatever reason I wound up with a cluster of doctor's appointments. Yesterday was my ophthalmologist, today the endocrinologist. I learned that I really should go to see the ophthalmologist in the later afternoon, as it takes several hours for eyes to recover from the dilation. My vision was blurry, and of course I was sensitive to the lights in my office. I had trouble reading things on the screen to the point where I had to put my head up and look through the bifocal part of my glasses to see. Right now I have a morning appointment in December, but I'm thinking that's going to have to change.

My endocrinologist gave me a new metre today that hooks up to a computer and downloads the data, syncing it into a tracking program. I tried it out today and I like it very much. My old one still works, but it's probably about thirteen or fourteen years old and had no way to do that. The new one is a One Touch Verio IQ. I thought she'd give me a prescription for one, but they had one on hand they could give me. Yay!

Both appointments went pretty well. I dreaded today's especially, because my blood sugar's been up. She put me back on Invokana, but at a lower dose to try to prevent the side effects I was having. I'm going to try to make some changes in my lifestyle, really work on them this time. She wants me to lose 30 lbs to help increase my sensitivity to insulin. I'd really like to start walking more but my knee is still giving me issues if I overuse it. However, my pool at the apartment complex is now open, so perhaps I can do a workout in it without the stress on my joints.

This week I've applied for a job, run a friend to appointments, gone to the pharmacy, did my own appointments, watched 'The 100' and 'The Big Bang Theory', and I've worked a lot on the revenue cycle issues at work. Tomorrow I really need to get a book order in to our vendor. Through July 15th there is a special being run that ups our discount on one order. I've had two people really wanting access to the current Publication Manual of the American Psychological Associatio, and it would be nice to get it soon so they can use it for school and research. So it's definitely on my to do list, as well as getting the referral queue down. But I'll get it done, I'm sure. At least it's a light clinic day, so I can concentrate on those things rather than a lot of data entry, hopefully.

Okay, I really think it would be best to go get some rest. I have something I need to do very early in the morning, and so I'm going to turn in early. But I'm very glad tomorrow is Friday!

Since I can't seem to mail this to YKWIA

due to his provider's spam settings, I will provide it here, in the hopes that he will see it. The rest of you are very welcome as well.

Powerful

Thanks to George Takei, who shared this on Upworthy and Facebook.

So terribly senseless

In Lahore, pregnant Pakistani woman stoned to death

In an apparent 'honour killing', a 25-year-old pregnant woman was brutally beaten and stoned to death on Tuesday outside the high court here by her father and brothers for marrying the man of her choice.

I really liked the movie

X-Men: Days of Future Past. It did a good job of tying together the two time periods in the movie franchise, and while it was not entirely true to the canon of the comics, it seemed to be fairly consistent within that of the films. And it included little tidbits, like Peter (Quicksilver) mentioning that his mom knew a man once who could manipulate metal (the fact that he is Eric's son I only know from YKWIA, who read a lot of the X-Men comics, whereas I've read very few, despite working in a comic store for a year--there were just so many titles to keep up with for the books). They did an excellent job of recreating 1973. YKWIA asked me which power I would like the best if I could have it. I have to go with Mystique's--the ability to appear like anyone you wanted. Also, according to the comics (if I remember what YKWIA said), Mystique doesn't age like ordinary people. She may have been alive at the turn of the 20th century or even earlier (I know, that doesn't match the young Raven growing up with Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class, but I gather that was a departure from the books. All in all, her power's pretty cool. YKWIA, on the other hand, would be perfectly suited for Xavier's power, as he has both the intelligence to use it well and the will to control it.

So I've been home for a little while putting the Elder Scrolls Anthology on my computer (Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind (including Tribunal and Bloodmoon), Oblivion, and Skyrim, all included in one package). I loved Daggerfall years ago, and had played a little of Morrowind, but it's been awhile and it took me a little while to get back into the swing of things, literally, as I forgot some of the essential controls and apparently didn't read the manual as closely as I should have. But it's all good now. Right now I'm downloading Skyrim, which requires a Steam account, and listening to the radio. I think I'm going to put up my feet for awhile since it's taking awhile to download. But it's been a nice long weekend. Tomorrow I have to try to balance work and a friend's appointments, and I have to get up very early, so I'll turn in soon. Good night.

Any Cthulhu game

where you drop a cavern on scores of Deep Ones, escape an Aegyptian tomb that had been sealed by a rockslide, avoided a rampaging shoggoth, and watched an evil sorceror torn apart by his Deep One minions is a good one. Next time we'll try to contain the large Mythos creature that threatens to breach the gates long sealed, and put a not-quite-evil but definitely annoying and nasty sorceress in her place. This was followed by an intriguing episode of 'Salem' on television.

Tomorrow YKWIA, Brenda, and I are going to meet back up to go to Fayette Mall and watch X-Men: Days of Future Past. Hopefully, that will be fun. But for tonight, I'm bushed. I'm going on to bed. Good night.

Movie weekend

Last week's DVD from Netflix was the excellent Saving Mr Banks, so we got Mary Poppins for this weekend. My friend saw it when he was just three and it entranced him. He asked me how old I was when I first saw it, and it must have been in my early 20s. In fact, he introduced me to it and to many Disney movies (the only ones I saw as a child were the ones they showed on television on 'The Wonderful World of Disney', as I didn't go to the cinema except for one birthday party at the movies, and that wasn't Disney, that was a The Bad News Bears and The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training double-feature.) Oh, and back when I was in junior high as part of a special programme I was in, we went to see 1776, and I think that was actually in a museum amphitheatre. It's one of many things I owe him for, introducing me to Disney movie classics. I believe that if I had kids I'd sing the lullaby Mary Poppins uses on the children. I have the complete set of books by PL Travers on the Kindle, and it's high time I read them.

We also saw The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box this weekend, and we plan on going to see X-Men: Days of Future Past on Monday. Tomorrow will hopefully be the game, since as of now we're all up for it. So it's a weekend of fun and adventures. :)

This was adorable

I had to share this with YKWIA, who has a soft spot for goats, and I'll share it here, too. It's a great use of assistive technology to help overcome disability:



(YKWIA, this is a different video from the one I sent you. This is the actual footage from Edgar's Mission, which unlike the video I sent you from the Weather Channel site, is longer, doesn't autoplay, and oh, by the way Weather Channel, Edgar's Mission is in Australia, which is a totally different country than New Zealand (the other video had an intro all about New Zealand). Perhaps they should stick to weather and not geography.)

PS Success! Now the video on the Weather Channel talks about Australia rather than New Zealand. They must have gotten enough feedback to change the introduction. Yay!

Turns out

that after a day on my knee (and thankfully at the moment I've got a desk job, rather than a standing one like when I was at Speedway), my knee was pretty swollen today. A friend with some medical background examined it and said it felt like it was not only swollen but area seemed tight, maybe in the ligaments and tendons. I can stretch my whole leg out till my toes are pointed without too much trouble, but bringing my knee up to my chest really hurts and is, indeed, tight. If this lasts much longer I think a trip to the doctor is in order. I know I have some arthritis in my knees, and my weight has contributed to that, but I'm not sure why it's flaring up at the moment. The odd thing is this is my right knee, which is usually the 'better' one (on my left I fell when I was about 20 and nearly shattered my kneecap). On the one hand, the knee is better than it was Monday. On the other hand, I'm having to take an anti-inflammatory to bring the pain down so I can sleep. Tomorrow if it's hurting I'll try to prop it up somehow, I think, and see if that will help. Okay, now for some ibuprofen and then on to bed.

Wow

I got home from watching 'The 100' with a friend about 10:45 pm, after the major storm had passed which drenched the city but while some others were coming through. I was hot and sticky (yes, serves me right for wearing polyester), so I came in with all intents and purposes of blogging but instead I took out my contacts, took off my clothes, turned on the fan in the bedroom, and propped my feet up on the bed. I'd been aching everywhere, and my knee is still bothering me a lot, so it felt good to have the breeze on me. I told myself I'd lie there for a minute or two, then go get my glasses, something to eat, and some ibuprofen. Than was three and a half hours ago. :) So now I'm doing all that, plus I cleared out some algae that was invading the fish tank's filtration system.

I got an e-mail saying the second of two positions I'd applied for had been filled. :( There is another one that just opened, though, so I'll go ahead and apply. I'm thinking that indicates an internal candidate got at least one of the jobs.

I submitted two book reviews today, was very productive at work, and then came home and had dinner and about 45 minutes of resting (no, I didn't nap). Then it was over to YKWIA's where we watched the first episode of the British comedy 'Clone' and then 'The 100', which is getting better and better as it goes along. I wonder how close it is to the book upon which it is based, by Kass Morgan? That might be worth looking at after the season's over, which will be three more episodes. Soon there will just be 'Salem' to watch, as 'Grimm' is over for the year. But hey, that's what Amazon Prime and Netflix are for. :)

Okay, I've had a little cereal and I'm going to take that ibuprofen. Time to go back to bed. Good night!

Yes, I did vote today

So far, all of my candidates have progressed to the general election in November, and been the top vote-getters in elections where more than one candidate goes forward, with two positions still unknown--my district council seat and the judge-executive one. But Grimes will face McConnell, Jensen will face Barr, Mayor Gray will face Beatty, but had a good margin over him, and Kay, Moloney, and Cegelka all made it to the general ballot for at-large council members. Woo-hoo! The two races that haven't been decided yet that were on my ballot were the two I couldn't find much information about beforehand, unfortunately, especially the judge-executive race, which in Fayette County isn't a big position because unlike most other counties in the Commonwealth, we are a merged city-county government.

The third candidate in the mayoral race, named Mayer (Mayor Mayer?) lost any chance with me when he responded to a question about the challenges faced by the office in the Herald-Leader's voting guide with a haiku, and a bad one at that (it didn't incorporate the full range of haiku elements). Granted, I like Mayor Gray anyway and think he's done a great job, so I never really considered voting for this guy, but really? I want serious candidates on the ballot, not someone playing games who thinks he's clever.

Anyway, if you live in Kentucky, hope you voted today. I know turnout was expected to be low, and I know of only 2 people in my workplace who had stickers on (and I'm one of them). Just remember, no complaining about the results if you don't exercise your right to vote.!

Ours is

Uncle Tom's Cabin:

The Most Famous Book Set in Each State

This makes me sad.....

Dogs at War: Left Behind in Vietnam

Reichenbach never had another dog. After the war ended, he didn't try to track down Major the way that some handlers did, sending inquiries after their dogs, hoping to adopt them (all unsuccessfully). Someone sent him an email once, saying they'd found a record noting that Major died of a jungle disease that had been killing off their dogs. But even if Major was still alive by the time the United States forces pulled out of Vietnam, he, like all but a few of the dogs still in country, would have been left behind.

And many of these military dogs met with an unhappy end—likely euthanized by the South Vietnamese Army, with whom they were left, or worse. Many of the handlers didn't find out for years that their canine partners never made it out of Vietnam alive.

This is one of the darkest parts of war dog history, especially considering how valuable they were to U.S. troops. Roughly 4,000 dogs served in the war, leading patrols with their handlers through dense jungle terrain. Overall, they are credited with saving upward of 10,000 lives.

This is absolutely adorable....

Must remember

to vote in the primary election tomorrow. I should get up early and do so, although I'm up awfully late tonight. If you live in Kentucky, don't forget to exercise your right to vote!

A monthly libation

Orphic Hymn to Hekate (translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis)

Lovely Hecate of the roads and crossroads I invoke;
In heaven, on earth, and in the sea, saffron-cloaked,
Tomb spirit, reveling in the souls of the dead,
Daughter of Perses, haunting deserted places, delighting in dear,
Nocturnal, dog-loving, monstrous queen,
Devouring wild beasts, ungirt, of repelling countenance.
You, herder of bulls, queen and mistress of the whole world,
Leader, nymph, mountain-roaming nurturer of youth, maiden,
I beseech you to come to these holy rites,
Ever with joyous heart and ever favoring the oxherd.

Tonight I lit lavender incense and gave herb bread, honey, and pinot noir in fulfillment of the covenant made now over twenty years ago with the Goddess, at this, the time of my menstruation. Guide, Guardian, and Giver of blessings, She has been a powerful force in my life these many years. Wisdom and prosperity are Her gifts, and Her domain spans earth, sea, and sky. I am very blessed to be Her priestess and servant.

A little business, a little pleasure

I got the bills paid that are due and played some Civilization IV for about an hour or more. I haven't played video games for awhile. I've changed into shorts and a tank top, the better to relax in. It's only 8:30 but I'm going to put my feet up for a bit (they're swollen and throbbing) and listen to some music. Then I'm going to put that laundry away. It's so nice to have the apartment so neat and tidy, so I must keep it that way.

It occurred to me as

I made my pimiento cheese sandwich for dinner, that I had a salad and pimiento cheese for lunch, as there wasn't much on the menu I liked at the cafeteria today. I haven't been particularly hungry today, either, which is probably good, given my weight. I was able to actually get up this morning and take my Lantus and Byetta before going to work, so I suspect the extra time for the Byetta to work helped. I'm also happy to say that my blood sugar just now was very good, whereas this morning it was utterly through the roof, so I was able to bring it down to a manageable level.

The first thing I did on reaching home today was water the plants outside and in, and then I opened the windows and brought the fan out to the living room. I started some lavender incense in the dining area, which I find relaxing. I had been telling YKWIA about how I was very lucky to remember to pay my electric bill today, as it was the last day to pay and I'd meant to as soon as I had been paid, which was last Thursday. He pointed out for someone with lots of gadgets, it's a shame that I don't use them to keep track of my bills. Since the point was well taken, I downloaded an application that reminds you to pay your bills and then you just mark them paid as you go along. It's a simple concept, so hopefully it will work. I spent some time putting those in.

So I'm home tonight and I think I'm going to go through a couple of paper bills and get those out of the way, so I can mail them tomorrow. I have a lab draw bill from the last time I went to the endocrinologist for about $4, for example, and it's so small I'd forgotten to take care of it. I don't want to be owing a bigger bill by not paying, right?

I did get some disappointing news today from the public library that they'd filled one of the positions I'd applied for. Since it's been three weeks since the remaining one closed and there's been no call, things aren't looking good for it. I would really love to work there and I think I would really be good for them. But first I have to get to an interview. Oh, well. At least it was worth a try, and every time I apply that's just more experience at the whole job hunting thing.

Okay, time to look over those bills. I'll write later, most likely.

Excellent movie

Saving Mr Banks was not only quite enjoyable, but well-written and -acted, and it really touched the heart. Now I know that's not how it necessarily happened, and by many accounts Walt Disney was not nearly as sweet as played by Tom Hanks, but I must say, it was a fine story. Emma Thompson was excellent, and Tom Hanks and Colin Farrell were very, very good indeed. I also think the young girl who played Travers as a child, Annie Rose Buckley, did a great job. A and I were too busy pointing at YKWIA through most of the early part of the movie going, 'Oh, my God, that's what you would say.' Who knew that the closest depiction in video form to his manner is not actually Sheldon Cooper of 'Big Bang Theory', but rather PL Travers, who delighted so many with the Mary Poppins books, yet was described by her grandchildren as having 'died loving no one and with no one loving her'. :) Fortunately, he may not be loved by many, but he is loved dearly by those who count. Next up on the DVD queue: Mary Poppins itself.

Yesterday I finished the actual cleaning of the house but took out the garbage and recyclables at first light this morning. Today I cleaned my friends' house, helped A wash their dog, watched many video game walk-throughs of Dishonored, and went to the grocery store with A. Now I'm home, the groceries are put away, I'm munching on herb bread, and contemplating unpacking the laundry I did at their house today. As much as I'd hate to put it off, essentially 'messing up the house', I just don't think I'm up to putting things away tonight, and I'm not sure I have room to put much of it away, anyway. I might have to get a little creative with some rearranging of space, which is too big of a job for me right now, as I have to get up in 7 hours. We'll see. But I think I'll go ahead, get ready for bed, do my monthly libation, and just go ahead and unpack tomorrow.

As you know, I've

been doing spring cleaning most of the day, putting in some sweat but also blood (found a tiny piece of glass with my foot), and even some tears (found something of my beloved dog's, who died almost seven years ago). Just have to give the bath a once-over, take out the trash, and get all this folded laundry off my bed and into drawers and closets. Then I'm going to stretch out, put my feet up, and listen to some music. What a day! This will probably be my last post tonight. Good night. Hope you're having a nice weekend.

Best bread I've ever made

Very creamy and aromatic, with a nice blend of flavours.

Hot

The herb bread is almost finished baking (and smells divine), and even thought the temperature outside is merely 56 or 59 degrees depending on which application on my phone I should believe, it's getting warm in the apartment, especially since I have been going strong for a bit. I think when I move to the bedroom, I'll open the window there. I finished the dining area and solved the problem with the purses. I have two hampers, which I sometimes use for laundry but more often use for recyclables. I took the large one and put it in the closet with the purses tucked inside. The smaller one is now stationed in front of the kitchen trash, so that I have one spot for trash and recyclables. Three purses that I rarely use are going to go away, probably to Goodwill. I'm burning some sandalwood incense and listening to Of Monsters and Men's My Head is an Animal, specifically 'Lionheart'. I vacuumed as well, so all that's left is the bath, mopping the kitchen and bath, and finishing up in the bedroom, which is mostly put back together other than putting the clothes away and some things to get rid of. I'm going to wait to do all that until I have a little bread, which will be finished in just a few minutes. It's herb bread with caraway, dill, and celery seed, Italian herbs, parsley, cilantro, basil, dill weed, and a little bit of crushed red pepper and dried onion. There's also just a bit of onion and chives cream cheese. In retrospect, I should have added some garlic powder. But we'll see how it goes. It's a modification of the existing recipe, and sometimes that can be a nightmare. The cream cheese was used, along with margarine, because I realised at the last minute that I no longer had any butter. It wasn't an ideal substitution, but it might just work. We'll see.

Hydrating

The excavation of the bedroom is taking longer than I expected, but I have all the clothes folded or hung up, except those I need to launder, which is about two loads. I've changed the shoe organiser around and that's working well. The main thing I need to figure out is what on earth to do with my purses. I don't really have many shoes for a woman--my main walking shoes, snow boots, a couple of pairs of sandals, a pair of pumps, that sort of thing. But I have several purses ranging in several colours, because, well, I like them and I like to coordinate. They might work on the floor of my closet under the clothes; but that's not really organised. Anyone have any ideas? They're generally fairly large bags. There are a couple that are probably best to give to Goodwill, along with a few of my old shoes I never wear. But the rest are in good condition and I want to keep them.

The good thing about the bedroom work is that there are piles of folded clothes all on the bed, so I can't take a 'nap'. :) I think I'm going to work on the dining area now and then clean the bathroom before returning to the bedroom. One, bedroom doors can always be closed (but YKWIA would probably go in anyway to see how I did), but also that will keep me from taking breaks by putting my feet up. And if my foot bothers me too much, there's the loveseat, which I can't actually sleep on easily. At the same time, it's really been the bedroom that I've been putting off so much lately, and I have to put away the clothes before I go to bed.

In the meantime, I'm drinking water and eating lentil soup, listening to the radio, which is playing 'Somebody That I Used to Know' by Gotye, featuring Kimbra. I do like that song. :) I think I'm going to go check the news and see what's going on in the world.

I napped for a bit

but then got up and really did a nice job on the kitchen. I just have to load the dishwasher, do a load, and sweep and mop the floor. The counters look great though, and there wasn't much empty space before. I did a little rearranging as well, both in the cabinets and on the counters. I have a very small kitchen, so space is at a premium. Now I'm enjoying a drink and getting off my foot for a few minutes. The next thing on my list is dealing with the clothes, because I have hampers from last week's laundry in the dining area and clothes in the bedroom that need to be put away in drawers or the closet. I also and going to move my shoe organiser from one closet to the other so it hangs freely and I can actually put my shoes in it, so they're not all out under the various furniture in the living room.

After that, it's putting away things in the dining area, straightening up things in the bedroom, cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming, and sweeping and mopping the bath and kitchen. Then everything will be ready for guests. :) The living room is still in good shape from last week.

Tonight I need to go through some bills and mail. I think I'll try to watch something from the DVR, too, something fun. I might also bake some bread, as I've replenished the supplies and organised them. And at some point today or tomorrow, I need to make a grocery run. About all I have to eat here are crackers, lentil soup, and macaroni and cheese. Which reminds me; it's been hours since I ate. Okay, food, and then, back to work!

In retrospect

I was totally wrong about why my toe hurt last night. I had forgotten that I stubbed it on something. Last night it was red; today it's a little grey around the base where I have most certainly sprained it, possibly even broken it, although I don't think there's much to do about a broke fifth toe, except tape it and try to keep from hitting it or hurting it further. My toe doesn't stray very far from the fourth toe anyway, so I think I'll just wear my normal walking shoes rather than sandals for a few days and see if it heals up. Unfortunately the pain has spread to the outside of my foot into my ankle and up my calf part way, and it's real tender at the original point of injury. Still, it's a toe, and I'll be fine I'm sure, so I'm going to try not to let it slow me down.

I went by the pharmacy and delivered the medicine that I had to my friend. Now I have the rest of the day free to myself, as we're doing the store tomorrow. I literally clapped my hands in glee when I got back to the car. Mind you, I love my friends dearly, but I so rarely have a Saturday to spend any way I like. :)

I think I'm going to put my foot up for just a bit and take something for the pain so I can work on the house today. If I can get it together, maybe we can watch Saving Mr Banks over here tomorrow. Plus, I just want to get it all happily spring cleaned and comfortable.

The great thing

about gardening in window boxes is that if you have a blackberry winter as we are having (cool temps in spring, when the blackberry plants are blooming), you can just take them in when it gets down to the 30s at night. Which is what I just did. :) I got in from spending time with YKWIA and watching the season finale of 'Grimm'. We'd both predicted the outcome several episodes ago. I was afraid they'd kill off Rosalee this season, with the wedding and all, but they didn't, thankfully.

So now I'm listening to 'The Stolen Child' by Loreena McKennitt and thinking of putting my feet up, as they are hurting a bit. Where I've been wearing sandals, there's an issue with a bunion that's forming on my left little toe, and it's hurting a fair amount tonight. Plus, I'm just tired and achy, especially as I did some bending up and down helping with something earlier. So I'm looking forward to getting some rest.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to the pharmacy for a friend. The rest of the weekend is fairly clear. The last game notes have been finished for awhile. We're not playing Sunday due to the SCA event Border Raids, as Brenda is going. Instead we'll probably watch Saving Mr Banks, which I have out from Netflix. I'm also hoping to get some work done on the house. The living room is still in good shape, but there is plenty to still do.

To that end, I should really go to bed. Good night.

I got home from my family visit about six hours ago

but I needed a little time to process my day and get back on my normal emotional track before writing. I love my family, but visits there can often bring up troubling emotions and it's usually best to kind of keep to myself afterwards and give myself some time to destress. I'm sure there are others out there who feel the same way.

While there were some negative things about the trip, which I'm not going to focus on here, there was a lot of good stuff, too. Among other things:

1. The ride down was quite nice, although it rained a little. Everything is very lush and I saw a lot of cattle in fields, although no tobacco to speak of yet.
2. My aunt and her husband were able to come up and so I got to spend time with them. We don't see each other much, as they live in another state, but my aunt and I are enough alike that my grandparents and my mom often call me by her name. She also works in a library, too. :)
3. I spent some good time with my grandmother, who was sleepy when we got to the nursing home but perked up over lunch. She will be 90 in a few days; she amazes me. I wish she could be home with us, and it terrifies me that I will most likely wind up in a place like that (and don't get me wrong, it's a nice facility, I'm speaking in general) as unlike most of my cousins, I didn't have children. But she's in a good place, and my mom visits almost every day.
4. My mom and I had some quality time. We went shopping at Burke's Outlet, and I found a few nice things that were very reasonable.
5. We had a nice meal at Applebee's. I got an appetizer and shared it with my mom and stepdad, and my aunt and uncle shared theirs as well, and then there was a salmon dinner. The little bit of vegetables that come with it could have been better (the peas were shrivelled, and there was just a little bit of spinach and potato, as it was on a 'bed' of them, rather than as a side, but the grilled salmon was very good, as was the queso I got for the appetizer, and the service was decent in terms of refills, etc.
6. My mom's dog has warmed up to me. She really liked being petted, although she goes off every time someone hugs someone else, or if you get up like you're leaving the house. I think she misses my grandmother's dog, Bo, who died in March. Momma showed me where he's buried.

I do wish I'd gotten to see my other uncle, my mom's brother, but apparently there was a fire in Chicago that affected air traffic and cancelled his flight. My aunt and uncle were driving, so it didn't affect them.

The ride up was a little more stressful, particularly as I had someone ride my bumper from Danville to Jessamine County, where I finally stopped at a station right before Nicholasville for a drink so I could get them off my tail. Mind you, I have a pretty strict rule of going no more than 5 miles over the speed limit, but this meant I went about 60 the whole way. Highway 27 is not an interstate.

After that, the trip was better. I called my mom when I got home so she'd know I was safe and then called a friend who'd called about some medicine and also to see if I was back in the city as he'd worked late and it was going to be very late before I got home by bus. Unfortunately, that was right after we'd gotten back from Applebee's and I hadn't left yet. So he wound up getting home just a little before I did (it about takes an hour to get to my house from Danville, at least obeying traffic laws), even though he was just going a few miles. I wasn't up to going over there tonight (I'd have had to shower and get the smell of cigarettes off me (my mom smokes) because YKWIA dislikes it a lot), and I was wound up and a bit murbly emotionally. So it was better to stay home. I'll be over there for 'Grimm' tomorrow and can pick up his prescription then and get it on Saturday morning, we decided.

Another good thing about today is I was able to keep my partials in till past 8 pm and ate well with them, although my mom had a little trouble with the speech impediment they give me. But overall they weren't as uncomfortable as they are sometimes. I will get used to them eventually; I just need to wear them regularly. I've already set them in their bath to clean, and I took my contacts out when I got home, got into something comfy, and then I put in some Loreena McKennitt, whose music is probably as efficacious as Prozac and is very relaxing. I got online for a little while and then put the computer down and went to sleep for awhile. I awoke to cramps and pain going down my legs (I'll start my period within a few hours), so I got up and took my long-acting insulin and took my blood sugar while I was at it. And I decided to write this post.

I should probably head on back to bed. I have to get up at my normal time tomorrow for work, after all, and that's five hours away. But I feel a little better now that I got some things down about the trip.

I unfortunately broke something this morning

It's not terrible, but I woke up this morning with glass on my bed. There is a floor lamp that stands by the bed that has an upward-facing torchiere and two side reading lights, all with glass lampshades. Apparently I thrashed around in my bed while sleeping and must have hooked the lamp, which fell on the bed, breaking one of the side lampshades. So I unplugged it and decided after picking up the glass not to try to unscrew the shade, as I was running slightly behind this morning and I was afraid that if I hurried I might nick myself with the remainder of the shade.

Fast forward to tonight, now that I'm home from watching 'The 100', and I managed to unscrew the one that isn't broken with no trouble so that I can take it to the store and find something similar. The broken one was really on there, but I finally managed to get it off. Now the glass pieces are thrown away and the light bulbs are back in and both, oddly enough, are working. Strange that it should break falling on the mattress but not hurting the bulb itself. Oh, well.

Tonight I visited for awhile and then we watched the show, which really has kept my attention and I'm interested in what is happening next, as opposed to its predecessor, 'The Tomorrow People', which has been cancelled. In all fairness, I was biased against the latter from the beginning because it was loosely based on a beloved British show from my childhood, and never captured my love for the original. 'The 100' has different plots and subplots going through it, as well as the necessary-for-the-CW love triangle and some angst thrown in. Plus, the grounder guy Octavia is so into, Lincoln, is hot. :)

What I forgot to do tonight was call my mom to confirm that I'm coming down to Danville tomorrow to visit my family. I'll call her first thing in the morning. I've got to get some gas before I leave and do a few minor things, so I'll probably get there about mid-morning.

So now I'm sitting on the bed, under the light, with the fan oscillating back and forth and my phone charging. It's been a good day, although very busy. I really worked hard to get caught up on everything I needed to before I left at work. Also, it's almost time for the Medical Library Association meeting, so I was fielding inquiries for some Hospital Libraries Section business (I'm chair of the membership committee). Between that and work, I kept on my toes. My optometrist's office called, too, saying that while they found my records, the contacts they were going to prescribe and which I'm trying now do not come in the prescription for my right eye, so they wanted me to come by and pick up a different pair to try, which I did. I also went the library and picked up an interlibrary loan.

Okay, I'm going to go do a few things before bed. Good night.

My thoughts exactly

I'm ashamed I ever voted for our governor, Steve Beshear. Our own attorney general, Jack Conway, refused to defend the case. Now he's running for Steve Beshear's job. He has my vote as of now, anyway.

Silas House: Beshear lawsuit embarrasses state, tarnishes his legacy; Backward thinking on Ky.'s gay-marriage ban

Last week, Gov. Steve Beshear used taxpayer money to file an appeal arguing against marriage equality after a federal judge ruled that gay marriages must be recognized in the commonwealth.

Beshear's lawyers argue that marriage equality will have a profound effect on Kentucky's birth rates, and only — according to their suit — "man-woman couples can naturally procreate."

This defense is not only laughable, it's incredibly offensive on a number of levels. First, it outright proclaims that gay people are not equal, with this line: "Same-sex couples are materially different from traditional man-woman couples." Different. Not the same. Not equal.

It is very quiet in the Rowan household

I got in from visiting friends about 9 pm, and did not pass go, did not go to the computer, did not collect $200. Instead I turned on some Loreena McKennitt and promptly went to sleep. I think I heard two songs, or maybe one-and-a-half, before falling into slumber. Now it's 1:30 am and I'm up. It was a very busy day at work today, and I had a lot of things that popped up that I had to attend to right then, putting off some of my other work, but I got all the vital stuff done. Then I went to the pharmacy to get some medicine for a friend, then to the dentist to get a permanent crown, then over to my friends' house, where among other things I did some troubleshooting on the computer. Tomorrow I'm going to check how the partials do with the new crown. If all goes well with the bite and everything, then it's time to start thinking about making permanent partials, which means taking impressions again.

Tomorrow the plan is to finish up everything I need to as I will not be at work Thursday, but have taken some time off to be with my family. After work it's over to my friends' house for 'The 100', after picking up an interlibrary loan book from the Lexington Public LIbrary. Friday it's back to work and then over to watch 'Grimm' (it's the season finale). Saturday my friends are visiting family. Sunday there is no game because Brenda is going to an SCA event. So things won't be in their usual routine. Tomorrow I should be getting Saving Mr Banks from Netflix, so perhaps we can all watch that Sunday instead.

I guess I'll try to go back to sleep. Sorry, it's been sort of quiet here of late, without much to write about. That's not actually a bad thing. I've worked hard to minimise the drama in my life. :)

Feeling much better

after getting some rest. I put on my Relax Melodies application set to flute and rain and wound up actually curling up in bed for two-and-a-half hours. But gee, I feel like a normal human again and not some grouch in trash can. I'm trying to decide if I want to salvage my plans to work on the house, or maybe just do some reading. Really, at this point (it's almost 9:30 pm) I'm thinking the latter. Tomorrow is another day, and the mess will still be here tomorrow.

Having one of those days

(Monday, of course), where every little thing is grating on my nerves, yet I managed to be pleasant and productive and got through the workday. But now I'm home, ready to 'nest' in the air conditioning, with sunlight streaming through the windows onto the plants, and I'm going to listen to some music, breathe in and out, stay away from people, decompress, and meditate on how minor these things were compared to what someone I know must be going through who lost her husband and will be burying him tomorrow. It's that sort of thing that reminds us of just what's important in life.

I was feeling oddly awake after my time over at my friends' house

but now I think I'm going to crash soon after all. I spent a good deal of the day there, culminating in an episode of 'Salem', and had a good visit.

I talked to my mom today, who hasn't gotten my card yet (I sent it Thursday, and really thought it was enough time to go 35 miles away, but sadly, no.) My aunt and uncle will both be in this week so I'm going to try to take at least part of Thursday off to go visit them, my mom, and my grandmother. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.

Tomorrow the plan is to work more on the house, especially the kitchen, bath, and dining room. I'll be sending Philomena back to Netflix tomorrow, and I'd like to have the house ready so A can watch his Bette Davis movies. YKWIA doesn't care for her, so we'll be watching at my house. :)

Okay, that's all for now. I must get up early tomorrow for work, so even though I'm still a bit restless, it's time to move the fan back to the bedroom, plug the phone in to charge, and head to bed. Good night.

Whew!

There was quite a bit to take out, two bags of trash and four of recyclables, plus a big printer box with the packing materials. Thank goodness for my granny cart; I only had to make two trips to the Dumpster. The inside and outside plants are now watered. If I want to get over to my friends' house by 2 pm I'll definitely have to get that laundry together soon, then take a shower and get ready. I think I'll take a fifteen-minute break, though, and maybe have some lunch and take my meds. I have a headache, in its second day (allergies, no doubt), and so I think some ibuprofen is in order, too.

Must take break...

Once I got out of bed this morning (around 9:45, about two hours later than normal for a Sunday, which was bliss), I turned off the AC, opened up the windows, moved the fan out to the living room, and had a bite to eat. Then I put Bastille's Bad Blood CD into my player and proceeded to clean the living room throughout the entire playing time. I have gone through back mail, various things that were out of place, stuff that was just sitting on the couch, even things that were still out after my trip, that sort of thing. With the exception of a light dusting, vacuuming (which I'll do at the end for the whole apartment), and watering the plants, the living room is presentable again. So I'm taking a quick break. The next thing I am going to do is take out the trash and recyclables, as they are piling up quickly--mostly recyclables. I still have a printer box to go out as well. That will free up space. Then I'll water the plants. And then it's back to the bedroom, where I need to collect the laundry to be done to take over to my friends' house today. I think the rest of the apartment will have to wait until tomorrow after work, but it's not horrible; the two big rooms were the challenge. But I'm going to take about 10 minutes first to just sit and relax, and maybe work on my computer desk cubbyholes.

Just got in a little while ago

after watching Philomena with friends. It was a very good movie. It breaks my heart what these girls endured for their 'sins', and how terrible it must have been for them.

Last night was 'Grimm' (only one more this season!), today was the pharmacy, grocery, and Philomena. Tomorrow there's no game due to illness, so I'm going to try to get something done here in the morning and then go over there mid-afternoon and work on their house, then watch 'Salem' at 10 pm.

Otherwise, not much is happening, which can be a blessing at times. Tomorrow is Mother's Day, of course, so I need to be sure and call my mom. My mom's brother is coming up soon and I need to see if their sister is coming in soon, too, and if so, if there's an overlap. I had originally thought to go visit on Memorial Day but may move it up to see them. My grandmother's 90th birthday is coming up as well. So, yay, I'll see about getting to visit. Going to bed now, though, I think, with maybe a little reading first. Good night!

Ugh

I was actually working on my house tonight when I was overcome by a sneezing and coughing fit and basically got all choked up and could barely breathe, which is odd because I didn't do any dusting or anything that would stir up anything. But everyone I know who has allergies seems to be having trouble this year. I did break down and turn on the air conditioner because the pollen blowing in from outside was just too much, and with temperatures in the mid-80s, it was too stuffy otherwise. So the dishes are washing, but I'm taking a break and I'm in the bedroom listening to music (Natalie Merchant), with the CPAP on to try to clear out my nasal passages. I may read a little. I have some new material on the Salem witch trials to read. The plan is NOT to go to sleep yet. We'll see.

Came across these pictures tonight

of Cerys (the dog) and her constant companion Darius (the cat), as well as Spock. In September it will be seven years since Cerys died, the last of my furry companions. I've been petless since (except for fish--Darius preceded her, which was just as well, for while he adored her and would have mourned her terribly, she was somewhat long-suffering about a cat that wanted to constantly sit upon and cuddle up with her).  It was the first time without pets in 27 years.  I loved my animals so much. Spock, Cerys, Buns, Darius, even the somewhat evil Basil I had for awhiel. It's just so odd to not have dogs or cats in my house, and yet I am a good aunt to others. But it's not quite time for one of my own, yet. I'm not sure I'll ever get another dog, to be honest--I don't know if I could do it. I love cats, and I love dogs (although I'm allergic to both), but it seems you bond even more with a dog, or at least that was the case with Cerys, although I was very close to Spock, particularly, who was a cat, the first kitten I got as an adult. But when you bond with them and they are your family, it is so hard to let them go when it's time. But at some point I'll probably break down and get a cat. Or two. :) But not now, right?

Darius and Cerys

Spock

Yay!

Another day where I reached my goal, without any extra effort like going for a walk or taking the bus, except for a few steps at the end because I was so close. It's usually closer to 6,000, since I have a desk job. :-)

The sun is streaming

in on my garden, both indoor and outside (look carefully and you can see the window boxes on the other side of the sheers).

:)

Thanks to YKWIA for showing this to me. I can just imagine the call to the cops now. 'They're passing out banned books, free!' For more info:

Parents Call Cops to Stop Kids From Handing Out Banned Book and

Idaho Students Get 700 Free Copies of Challenged Sherman Alexie Book

Well

The horses I picked came in 1st (California Chrome), 4th (Wicked Strong), and 5th (Samraat). Not bad, really. So glad it was a clean race and everything worked out fine. For a complete listing in order of finish, you can check out the Bleacher Report. I think if I'd placed a $2 bet on each to win, I'd have made $!0. :) Ah, well. A had Danza to win, Wildcat Red to place, and California Chrome to show, so he would have won $9 on a $2 bet. But he chose two of the horses in the top three. I think if Wicked Strong had had a little more space he might have won, so he might be one to look for in terms of the Belmont. The last time a Triple Crown winner was crowned was Affirmed back in 1978. I've visited Affirmed's grave at Darley Stud, a nearby horse farm (pictured to the right).

After the Derby we watched What Lies Beneath with Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford, which was pretty good, and now I'm home and ready for bed. Still not sure if we'll be playing tomorrow. Good night.

A happier story

New Jersey Family Sets Out to Adopt New Dog, Finds Beloved Pet Lost After Sandy: The James family started tearing up when they walked into a shelter and saw their beloved family dog, lost after Sandy

More than a year after losing their beloved pet during Sandy, a New Jersey family made an amazing discovery during a visit to animal shelter this week: their missing dog.

Reckless, a 3-year-old brown and white terrier-pitbull mix, escaped from the James family home in Keanesburg during Sandy. James says the fence in the yard got mangled in the storm, and Reckless ran off, and his collar caught and left on the fence.

The family spent months desperately searching for him.

"It was like losing a family member," said Chuck James. "My kids were upset, my wife was upset, I was upset."

They searched for more than a year, and although they never gave up hope, James and his wife knew it was time to move on. They went to the Monmouth County SPCA to get their daughter Ally a new dog for her 10th birthday, and ended up with a gift beyond their wildest dreams.

"Sitting in the first stall in front of the doors, I looked over and I thought it looked a lot like Reckless," said James.

His wife started tearing up and said: "Look at the scar on his head! It is Reckless

Here'a wishing that they stay together for now on. :)

I just don't understand

a world where a 16-year-old boy has no regard for the lives of younger children, one of which was only 12 and he reportedly attacked in a rape, the other of which, who was only 8, he apparently beat to death when the boy came to his sister's aid. Sorrow does not begin to describe what I feel, much less the feelings of the victims' family and loved one, I'm sure.

Boy, 8, Killed Defending Sister From Rapist: Cops

It's Derby time!

[Hey, I live in Kentucky, in the Bluegrass region, surrounded by horse farms. I am not immune to the excitement of watching horses run quickly around a track for two minutes in the bid for the first jewel of the Triple Crown.]

I like three horses, Samraat, Wicked Strong, and California Chrome. I won't put them in order of finish, but I have a good feeling about each of them. Keep in mind I know almost nothing about horses in terms of pedigrees and racing performance. I go mainly on names and looks, I'm afraid. :) The one and only race I ever attended and bet on (which was actually in Louisiana), I placed two bets to show on the longshot and the favourite in a five-horse race, and guess which ones didn't come in? I would love to see Rosie Napravnik win, which would be the first winning female jockey in the history of the race, but she's on a first-position horse that will have a very difficult time and is at odds that are 21-1, on Vicar's in Trouble.

For more on the race, see Kentucky Derby 2014: 5 Fast Facts You Should Know for a quick look, the official Kentucky Derby site for more in-depth info. Post time is 6:24 pm EDT. It can be viewed on NBC. Online and mobile streaming is available, but it's a little tricky. For example, the free site I was sent to for NBC's is through NBCSports Extra, which does not list my cable provider as one that subscribes to their sports channel so I couldn't get very far with it. The Kentucky Derby suggests the twinspires.com gambiling site, which I think you need a login for. I'll be watching it on my friend's big TV on NBC anyway, but you folks outside the US may want to see where you can watch it. Anyway, I've spent way too much time on this post, time to get some things done before heading over to my friends' house about 2 pm. I've paid my rent today and have eaten breakfast, but not much else today.

Just because...

Despite the fact that I just watched 'Grimm'

and have been making fun of a friend with little time sense for thinking last night was Friday, I came home and proceeded to put together pictures for 'Throwback Thursday', and really, truly believed it was Thursday. Argh. So, yes, it's Friday (yay!), and even though it's not Thursday, I will share these anyway:

A rare picture of me laughing

Me, my paternal grandmother, and my mom, back in the early 1980s

I didn't sleep well last night

I was very restless all night, and I'm not sure why. I didn't have too much caffeine or anything like that. I did walk a lot, of course, much more than today, where I didn't even make my normal 5,000 steps. In fact, I'm at about a third of yesterday's accomplishment. I've been productive today, and not really pooped despite the lack of sleep, but I didn't feel like doing a lot of walking again today.

I did succeed at something else, though. I got my partials in very well (I hadn't been able to get them in after my temporary crown was put on, and just let it go for a few days, then decided this morning that I was going to get them in come hell or high water). I could speak more clearly than I have been, and I managed to eat both a portabello mushroom sandwich on ciabatta bread and corn on the cob without them becoming loose or coming out. It was nice to take them out once I got home, but it gave me hope that I might be able to get used to them and wear them on a daily basis.

Okay, I hate to say it, but I'm going to go in the bedroom and listen to a little music, and most likely fall asleep. I'd like to watch 'The Big Bang Theory' at 8, though, so the idea is to not make this a long nap. As a backup, though, I have set it to record. I don't feel sleepy, really, just a bit tired. I still feel a little restless, and I should put that energy to some use, but I'm just not feeling like doing anything much, even reading. So maybe the music will relax me a bit without my falling asleep, rejuvenate me a bit, and then I can get up and do some things before actually heading to bed. :)

PS (5/2/14): Ha! That wound up being a 12 hour sleep! I apparently was exhausted. All that walking, and then hardly any sleep the night before made me a very tired person. I slept from about 7:30 pm to 7:45 am. I'm beginning to think I should add 'napping/sleeping' to my list of talents.

So sad

South Korea Ferry: Heartbreaking Video Shows Last Minutes Aboard

Clips of the 15-minute recording show teens nervously calling the ferry their "Titanic" and saying "These are the pictures we need to take as our last memories." The teenagers talk of taking selfies, wonder if they'll make the news and discuss posting about the excitement later on Facebook.

The fear in the cabin builds as the listing becomes worse. Some say they feel dizzy, that their legs are shaking. One student can be seen walking with his hands braced against the wall for balance.

"Am I really going to die?" a student asks at 8:53 a.m., two minutes before a crew member on the bridge made the ferry's first distress call.

Students ask whether the ship will sink and where their teachers are. "What's the captain doing?"

Several times they are warned over the loudspeaker to stay where they are, even as the tilting increases and it becomes less possible for them to flee.

More than 300 people are dead or missing in the tragedy. About 220 bodies, mostly from inside the submerged vessel, have so far been recovered. More than 80 percent of the victims were students from one high school in Ansan, south of Seoul, on their way to the southern tourist island of Jeju for a school trip.

Wow...that was stupid

Teaneck High School senior prank leads to vandalism, arrest of 62 students

More than 60 members of Teaneck High School’s senior class were arrested Thursday morning after a prank that police said involved urinating in the hallways of the high school, smearing Vaseline on doors, flipping desks and littering the school with balloons and other debris.

The students entered the school in the middle of the night and broke chairs and desks, scrawled graffiti and Vaseline on the doors and urinated, Acting Police Chief Robert Carney said at a press conference this morning.

Carney said that of the 62 arrested, 38 are juveniles. All have been charged with criminal mischief and burglary, and the juveniles have been turned over to their parents.

“To go into a school and damage a school, that’s not a prank. That’s criminal mischief,” Carney said.

Troubling

Carbon dioxide in atmosphere at record level

For the first time in human history and likely for the first time in at least 800,000 years, the average level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth's atmosphere topped 400 parts per million for an entire month.

Carbon dioxide is the greenhouse gas considered to be most responsible for global warming, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Earth System Research Lab.

I don't use Internet Explorer at home

but I updated anyway just on the off-chance I have to use it for some reason. And I'll update my friend's computer as soon as I can. Hopefully work will do the same.

Microsoft issuing fix for IE zero day today

At 10 AM Pacific time on Thursday, Microsoft will release an update to address the zero day vulnerability recently disclosed in all versions of Internet Explorer. The advance notification of the update lists Windows XP as among the affected platforms, indicating that it will be among the platforms patched, in spite of its support period ending weeks ago.

Adrienne Hall, General Manager, Microsoft Trustworthy Computing stated "[T]he security of our products is something we take incredibly seriously. When we saw the first reports about this vulnerability we decided to fix it, fix it fast, and fix it for all our customers."

Users with Automatic Updates enabled do not have to do anything, although running Windows Update will apply the fix immediately.

One last thing, and then good night

A lovely redbud I saw this morning

Happy Beltane!

Took this self-portrait yesterday

So there were actually three things wrong with the car

1. The motor for the blower (air conditioner/defroster/heater, all of which are no working noislessly)
2. A part that my car has instead of a distributor, called a crank sensor and synchroniser [which tells the engine how to fire]
3. A serpentine belt [which was making noise and now the car is very, very quiet]

Grand total: $724.73. Thank goodness for credit cards, that I could take care of it without freaking. But, wow. And this is a place I trust which doesn't push things on you or make unnecessary repairs. Apparently the synchroniser, if left as it was, might have broken completely and caused damage to the engine. The parts were almost $450, the labour $250. But the car is running amazingly well now, so I'm glad I took care of it and didn't just think the gas was the problem.

Speaking of gas, I'd noticed certain premium gas places like Shell and BP had gone up to $3.79 for gas today, but Speedway and Kroger were still lower. I also realised that, this being the last day to use my gas points from Kroger, I should stop by and see what I could save. Turns out for April I had 50 cents off a gallon, so I got the gast at $3.03. Yay!

It's been a very busy day, especially for being off work. I:

1. Rode on the bus for three hours (two back, one to the garage)
2. Got the car fixed
3. Went to Office Depot and got a few things I needed, almost all of which were purple :)
4. Went to Dairy Queen and had dinner (they have a nifty fountain dispenser with a touchscreen and one spigot, where you choose your drink and flavouring on screen)
5. Went to the library
6. Did actually work some on the house
7. Visited YKWIA and A
8. Watched 'The 100'
9. Fixed something with the computer and the printer over there
10. Walked a lot (see previous post for phone screenshot)

I still need to work some on the house (I did nap a bit today, too, especially after riding the bus home, as I'd gotten up early and walked much). But it was a good day off.