One more post tonight

It was a good day. I got some things done I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. I got a little done on the house, but also applied for a job, got my car taken care of, got a nap in, watched a DVD, had some quiet time alone (and it was fun), then had a lovely dinner (thanks to a friend) from Gumbo Ya Ya, weathered a storm with hail that came up as I was travelling to get dinner, watched 'The Big Bang Theory' with my friends, and watched an episode of 'House of Anubis' with YKWIA, Now I'm home. The house still needs work, but I've run out of time on my 'free day', so I'll just have to work a little each day to get it nice and ready for company again. It shouldn't take too long; things aren't that bad. Tomorrow I have to get up very early because it's allergy shot day, so I go in early to work, and it's almost midnight, so I should head on to bed. Good night.

This kid's family couldn't afford all those spiffy action figures (read, dolls for boys), so he made his own out of twist ties--and they're amazing!

Guy's Handmade Childhood Toys Made With Twist Ties Are Better Than Anything In The Store

This was hilarious tonight--the mothers meet

Awww....

Happy Beltane!

Watching (and cleaning to)

High Spirits with Peter O'Toole, Daryl Hannah, and Steve Guttenberg

Katie: [hanging from the castle awning] The things I do for you!

Peter Plunkett: [looking on as the bus recklessly drives away] Deeply appreciated... oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

You think?

Borderline Personality Disorder May Be as Disabling as Bipolar Disorder

People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) tend to suffer similar deterioration of their psychiatric and physical health as those with bipolar disorder, according to new research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

“Despite the clinical and public health significance of both of these disorders, it sometimes seems as if BPD lives in the shadow of bipolar disorder,” said researcher Mark Zimmerman, M.D., director of outpatient psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital.

“Bipolar disorder is a widely researched, well-publicized, well-funded topic. By contrast, BPD is seldom discussed and it is not included in the Global Burden of Disease study, a comprehensive registry that quantifies diseases by cost, mortality, geography, risk, and other factors.”

About 1.6 percent of the U.S. population has been diagnosed with BPD, compared with 2.6 percent of those with bipolar disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The study is the largest comparison of patients who have been diagnosed with BPD or bipolar disorder.

Diagnoses in mental health are very hard to come by accurately. In my life I have been diagnosed with depression, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and bipolar II disorder. I have never actually been diagnosed by a practicing health care professional as having borderline personality, but I do fit the clinical criteria, and went through a very successful round or two of dialectical behavioural therapy, which is useful for BPD. So as to what my real diagnosis is, I couldn't tell you. My current psychiatrist, who has just starting seeing me, tells me that I do have a mood disorder of some sort, particularly because of how I have reacted to medicine in the past (Lortab and Paxil both made me manic, something that happens in people who are bipolar, for example). But regardless of what the diagnosis really is, me off my medication is not a pretty thing, although I am fairly high-functioning. Fortunately I am very compliant with my meds, and so I (mostly) stay on an even keel, although sometimes my hormones stir things up, like yesterday. My fear is what happens in two years if I have not found another job with health benefits, as mine is going away, and between the diabetes and the mental health issues, it is imperative I stay on my meds. I've also known others with the clinical signs of BPD, and having a relationship with someone with those issues is not fun. It is often described as 'walking on eggshells'--there is even a book on BPD with that in the title. Mix that together with someone who is either suffering from BPD and/or bipolar disorder, with two people with issues, and you get a very unstable relationship, indeed.

No day off is complete

without a midday nap. It is the one thing I miss from when I broke my ankle (mind you, the one thing). When I woke up it was going to storm, and it rained just a tiny bit and got all thundering and dark, but that's gone now and it;s sunny. The rain smell is still coming in with the breeze but otherwise it's lovely, if a bit cool. So I'm going to work on the house for awhile. I finally ate lunch at 3 pm, and I've been very bad today about taking my meds, so I took all of them that I should have earlier. Okay, now to tackle the house.

This makes a very valid point

Credit to Max Temkin at maxistentialism.com via I F*cking Love Science's Facebook Page.

A progressive voice I can vote for

What Bernie Sanders thinks about the issues: a comprehensive primer

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, now a presidential candidate, is the only socialist in Congress. But "he's a 'small S' socialist," professor Garrison Nelson of the University of Vermont told me last year. "He's not, 'Let's totally revamp the government, break up the corporations, create five-year plans.' He doesn't get out too far on an ideological limb."

Sanders resembles many in the Democratic Party by criticizing the excessive influence of the wealthy. But he takes things much further, both rhetorically and substantively — he thinks checking the power of billionaires and corporations is the defining issue in US politics today. He's most interested in economic issues, from inequality to trade, and as a result he's won a devoted following among liberals who think their party too frequently carries water for the rich.

But while Sanders wants a single-payer health care system, a carbon tax, and much more government spending on infrastructure and benefits, he isn't an uber-liberal on everything. On social issues like abortion, gun rights, and gay rights, he is squarely within the mainstream of the Democratic Party — not to its left. And while he's suspicious of foreign wars, he voices sympathy with Israel's security concerns and warns of the dangers of ISIS. Here's a guide to his views.

Wearing a shirt to the DMV

that says 'You are about to exceed the limits of my medication' which our friend Tammy got me is probably not a great idea, but I went ahead and went down there, after filling up the gas tank, using the Kroger points to get it for $2.29. There was a line at the DMV, but it moved quickly. I was behind a blind lady and her caretaker, who were very sweet. I had everything ready when I got up there, got my new registration (it looks different now, and the sticker is a weird greyish white colour that looks kind of rubbery, instead of the normally brightly-coloured ones). After that I headed to the library, got three new books, including one on a 19th-century axe murder (no, not the Lizzie Borden case), and two on diet and wellness, and then got my parking ticked validated and went on out. I decided to go to the Chinoe Kroger (it's smaller, and easier to get in and out of, and got some drinks, some ice, some hand soap, and some menstrual pads. I went ahead and put the new sticker on the licence plate. I haven't eaten lunch yet (and did resist buying food, because for some reason after the burritos this morning, I'm just not hungry yet). I'll probably eat that here about 2 pm or so, unless I get hungry sooner. Newk's may be for dinner, though. I haven't looked to see if anything's playing at the Cinemark theatres that I have free tickets to, but frankly, I've put up the windows, it's nice outside, so I may just stick around here and watch a DVD or Netflix. Hmmm, I've been wanting to re-watch Galaxy Quest, which I have on VHS but not on DVD--but it is on streaming for Netflix. That's a possibility.

I woke up at an ungodly hour

because I'd still had my phone set for my normal schedule. So I decided to sleep in till about 8:30, and my friend called me with a question and we chatted a bit on all sorts of topics, including my own experience with bullies, as I told him about the study. By that time it was almost time to get up, and I felt like I hadn't really slept in, so I went back to sleep till after 9:30, having a bizarre dream of a strange bed-and-breakfast with the cast of 'The Vicar of Dibley' running it. So now I'm eating burritos for breakfast and the idea is to go get some gas, go get my car registration renewed, stop by the library downtown, and then head back home. YKWIA informed me that I really should watch 'The Big Bang Theory' tonight, as both Leonard's and Sheldon's mothers will be on at the same time. Okay, let me go go check the news and then get ready to go. I'll write later.

And did you see this?

Doctors Print Up '4-D' Airway, Save Three Babies

Three small children with weak airways that were constantly collapsing are alive and well thanks to a "4-D" printed splint that saved them from almost certain suffocation.

Three years after the splints were custom made and attached to their tracheas, the children are able to breathe on their own, a team of doctors reported on Wednesday. The splints are not only precisely fitted to the children, but they're made to grow as the children grow. (That's the fourth dimension, the researchers say.)

The device grows with the child, expanding as necessary so it doesn't interfere with natural growth. Children with tracheobronchomalacia who reach age 3 or so usually outgrow the condition. The trick is getting them there. Materials cost about $10. It has the potential to save precious lives and has already changed the lives for the three children who have received the device so far.

Oh, I did want to link to this very interesting study

Bullying does more long-term mental health harm than abuse, study says

The long-term effects of being bullied by other kids are worse than being abused by an adult, new research shows.

Among a large group of children in England, those who were bullied were 60% more likely to have mental health problems as adults than were those who suffered physical, emotional or sexual abuse. And among a large group of children in the United States, the risk of mental health problems was nearly four times greater for victims of bullying than for victims of child abuse.

The study itself, published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry, is open access and is freely available on their website (PDF: Lereya ST, Copeland WE, Wolke D. Adult mental health consequences of peer bullying and maltreatment in childhood: two cohorts in two countries. The Lancet Psychiatry. Published online April 28, 2015.)

Feeling better after a difficult day

I started my day oversleeping and with my morning blood sugar through the roof. All sorts of little things irritated me, from the drive in to work, to the inexplicable difficulty in peeling my hard-boiled egg for breakfast. Things got a little better as my day went, and I just decided I was having a Monday on a Wednesday. After work I took some medicine up to the vet for a friend and exchanged it for something else, and was visiting when I did something he hates (I was overly helpful), he barked at me about it, it hurt my feelings, and generally brought lots of emotions up, and when it all came down to it, and we talked, I realised I was being a little labile, probably because my cycle is about to start. So I went on home, ate something, listened to the radio, found the cards, and generally feel a little better. Tomorrow I am off from work. I think I need a break from everything. It's not that I have a particularly hard job. I love my co-workers and place of business. I enjoy what I do, and I'm good at it. But every now and then you have to get away from the normal schedule, and the last day off I had, on my birthday, was mostly spent getting the brakes worked on. So tomorrow, here's the plan:

1. Get my car registration renewed.
2. Straighten up the house.
3. Watch a movie, either at home or with my free movie tickets from work, depending on what's in the cinema.
4. Go eat at Newk's Eatery. I won a $10 gift card from them today from a contest at work to re-name the motion lab. (I was the runner-up, with the MAGIC (Motion and Gait in Children) Laboratory.)
5. Do some actual reading.
6. Stop by the library.
7. Work on a job application. Submitted!!!

So it's a mix of fun and important stuff to do. :) Okay, I think I'm going to sign off for now and go try to do something relaxing.

The house taketh away, the house giveth (in good time)

So I've been missing a group of cards, namely a Kroger card tied to many gas points, my second proof of car insurance, my Subway card, a card with my checking account number on it, and the one for Gabriel Brothers. The Kroger and insurance cards, in particular, have been the object of much searching, of late. I have gone through every purse, wallet, or bag I own, all the usual cubby-holes, etc. The wallet I used last I've looked through at least three times, without luck.

So today I'm on the computer and I look down and on the floor is that wallet (which I don't remember being left there), and I notice some cards sticking out of a pocket. I pick it up, and lo, the missing cards are all there! This is very timely because I need gas in my car and tomorrow I'm going to renew my car registration and really needed that second insurance card to give them.

Thank you, house. Now I'm not saying something mystical or supernatural happened, although I've experienced enough weird things in my life I'm not saying I would disbelieve it as well, but whatever happened, I'm glad to have them back. Yay!

I'm trying to be good

by wearing slippers instead of going barefoot in the house tonight. I mentioned the plantar fasciitis as an impediment to walking more/losing weight to my sleep doctor. He reiterated what a podiatrist had told me in the past, to not go barefoot, but he explained just how much damage is done to the fascia of the foot when a person does go barefoot, suggested I use slippers at home, especially on hard floors, and even use flip-flops in the shower. So even though I hate shoes on my feet and find slippers to be hot, I'm walking around with cushiony baby blue terry cloth slippers I got somewhere years ago, and they do seem to be helping.

My appointment went well, except I registered, got up there, and realised I'd left the CPAP machine in the trunk of my car, so I had to go back down and across a large parking lot to get it. I'm using it about 10 hours a day on average, which he said was very good. I do need to lose some more weight of course, and could go off the machine completely if I can. In the meantime, he's going to put in an order for new supplies (hoses, nasal pillows, etc.)

At work they were giving away some used children's books, and I found an old one that brought instant memories of my childhood to mind. It's called Georgie and the Robbers:



There's a whole series of Georgie books. This one is from 1963 and is darling. There's a little scribble on the cover and the name 'Sara' inside, but otherwise it's in good shape.

After work I went and got my allergy shot, then turned a book in to the library (it's right next door to my allergist) and got some more books to take home. I'm going over to YKWIA's and watch 'iZombie' with him later tonight, but I came home to get some food and work on some things. I have a lead on another job to apply for, with a closing date of Sunday (weird timing, hmmm?) I've been listening to the radio and eating. Time to do something else. Good night if I don't write any more tonight.

Kudos to the library staff at the Enoch Pratt Free Library system in Baltimore

Baltimore Libraries Stay Open Through Riots, Because ‘The Community Needs Us’: All library locations, including those at the epicenter of the riots, are welcoming patrons today.

You can find more than books at the Baltimore public library today, as all branches remain open and fully staffed in the wake of protests and riots that have rocked the city.

With a state of emergency declared and schools closed citywide Tuesday morning, the Enoch Pratt Free Library has chosen to stay open, providing a hub of comfort and community to all Baltimore neighborhoods, including the ones most affected by the mayhem.

“It’s at times like this that the community needs us,” library Director of Communications Roswell Encina told MTV News. “That’s what the library has always been there for, from crises like this to a recession to the aftermath of severe weather. The library has been there. It happened in Ferguson; it’s happening here.”

The latest on the quake in Nepal

More than 1,800 dead as magnitude-7.8 quake rocks Nepal

A powerful earthquake — the country's worst in 80 years — rocked mountainous Nepal on Saturday, killing more than 1,800 people and leveling buildings and centuries-old temples. Dozens if not hundreds remained trapped under mounds of rubble.

Hospitals in the capital of Katmandu were so crowded that many of the injured were treated outside in the open, according to local media. The magnitude-7.8 quake, which shook a wide swath of northern India, Bangladesh, Tibet and Pakistan, also triggered avalanches in the Himalayas, killing at least 10 people on Mount Everest.

Nepal police said at least 1,805 people were killed. Given the scale of the destruction, the death toll was expected to rise. An emergency Cabinet meeting designated 29 districts as crisis zones, the Home Affairs Ministry said.

Got to sit down for a bit

So I am washing a full load of dishes. There are maybe three things that couldn't go into the dishwasher because they're plastic, but otherwise they'll be done soon. I cleaned the toilet, screwed the seat back on with a penny (nickels work best, but pennies will do in a pinch), and then sprayed down the tub and shower with Kaboom! cleaner with Oxi-Clean. I prefer natural cleaners, but my tub is really bad with soap scum and mildew if I don't use something strong. If you know of a good alternative, let me know. I've scrubbed it down as best as I can (the whole thing needs resurfacing and recaulking, really). I've inhaled a bit too much cleaner and I'm breathing kind of hard, so I'm going to sit for awhile.

While going through pictures for the Throwback Thursday post the other day, I came across the following pictures of my dearly-departed animals: I miss them so much. Somehow, the goldfish and betta just don't give the same love and loyalty.  In addition, there is a video on YouTube posted by my ex-husband in memory of his cat, who was the sister of my Spock, and many of the pictures and videos show Spock as a young cat.  I'll go ahead and link to it, here, if you're interested.  It may make my ex a little unhappy, as we don't have anything to do with one another, but frankly, I shot some of that video and took some of the pictures, so I feel justified in linking to it.  I have to admit, watching Spock (and his sister) chase the flash light (he loved that) made me cry when I watched it.  When we divorced, I was forced to find a cat for Spock, who was inconsolable without his sister and rode around on my shoulder when I was home and howled constantly when I wasn't, according to my friend, who lived upstairs. Enter Buns, who was about six months old.  They became pretty chummy.

Buns was a male with a rare agouti coat; normally that's a female thing.  Cerys came to me via the Lexington Humane Society when she was eight months old.  She was a most loving and wonderful dog; I'm not sure I could have been more blessed.  She isn't a puppy in this picture--she was full grown, 35 lbs of Black Lab mix. If I could have cloned her I could have made millions.  Darius came up to me when he was about a year old, and I let him in. We realised later that he was my friend's cat's litter mate who had gotten out as a kitten.  Like his brother, who loved 'his' dog, mine adored Cerys and took every opportunity to lie next to her, or on her, whenever possible.  He was a ghost cat, otherwise, and disappeared when people were over.  But the last couple of years of his life he became more friendly and even a sort of lap cat.  Still, I'm glad he went before Cerys, as she was long-suffering on the point, but he would have been devastated.

Buns died first, at age 13. I had to put him down after a cancer caused horrible sores that would bleed and never heal.  My old vet kept telling me it was allergies, but I'm pretty sure that it was not.  Nothing we tried helped, and he was suffering, so I put him down.  Spock died in my arms of congestive heart failure at 17, naturally, one night after being pretty healthy up to that point. As he'd gotten older, his spot that looked like the Star Trek symbol, which had inspired his name (pointed ears, get it?) had faded to nothing.  He had one green eye and one blue one, was dumb as a rock, and the sweetest cat I ever seen.  Darius had intestinal issues that finally led me to have to put him down at age 15.  Cerys...oh, sweet Cerys.  She was 16 and had been having some possible dementia and other issues, and I came home one night and found her in the bathroom unable to get up, lying in her own excrement and confused.  I cleaned her up, carried her throughout the rest of the weekend, took her to my friends' and she lay in a little hole in the ground dug by one of their dogs.  The other dogs would not go near her, not ever her little friend.  First thing Monday I took her in and had her put down.  The vet agreed with me that she'd had a stroke, and perhaps had been having a series of them.  She could barely walk, if at all.  It was time.   But it's so hard.  I love animals, and loved having mine, but they are a lot of work as they age, and I'm just not ready for anything beyond the fish, even with all the benefits. Sometimes I think of getting a kitten, and then think better of it.  In the meantime, I am an auntie to other animals, and that works pretty well.  But I still miss these guys.

Buns (1991-2004)

Cerys (1991-2007)

Darius (1991-2006)

Spock (1988-2005)

Buns and Spock together

There was one more animal I'd had as an adult, other than the hamsters we raised before we got the cats.  He was a beagle or beagle/basset cross named Basil, whom I found while walking Cerys one day, and whom I finally found a home for a couple of years later.  He never really fit into the family, was really bad about housebreaking accidents, and neither YKWIA or Cerys liked him.  I finally found a family to take him who probably still curse me for it, but I hope he had a happy rest of his life.

Okay, enough nostalgia.  My posts have mostly been about sad things today, even though I haven't been particularly sad.  Funny how that goes sometimes.

I talked with my friend a little while ago

and they've decided to have a quiet evening at home, which means the same for me, and I do have a lot to do around here that I've been avoiding, because, well, I do that. So instead of avoiding things, the first thing I did once I got going was to revisit my shoes. See, I've been having terrible pain in my feet, probably plantar fasciitis, and I'd tried changing from my diabetic orthotics to a foam insert I got at my podiatrist's with more cushion, and then today I got some gel inserts at the store. The thing is, I'm used to taking the insole out and putting orthotics in, so I put in the inserts after taking out the foam and they were very flat and uncomfortable (I have fallen arches and need arch support). So I put the cushion inserts back inside, which provide a higher arch, and trimmed the gel inserts down just a bit to the absolute edge of size 7, and put those in over top--and they feel pretty supported and cushioned. I'll leave them in for a few days and see if I can tell any difference in my foot pain.

Then I tackled the car, which wasn't very bad or anything (I'm cleaner about my car and office than I am about my apartment), but I had an empty laundry cart in the trunk along with my winter coat and various accouterments, so I emptied out the winter things and some other things to save into the laundry cart, took out a bag and got some recyclables put in there, put the tiny amount of trash in a grocery bag I had out there, and checked the spare for the first time since I've been driving the car (for over two years) to see that there is one, and a jack, and that it's inflated. I also took some wipes I had in the trunk and wiped down the steering wheel and dashboard, cleaned the inside of the windshield with Invisible Glass (I had a lot of spots from where my windshield froze last month on the inside, and when it was scraped and melted, streaked. It should be easier to see in the sun now.) For good measure, I took some lavender essential oil spray and gave the whole interior a good spray, as I had a damp dog in the car earlier today who peed (fortunately on the provided blanket I'd put on my rear seat). I put the regular air freshener, which had fallen off the air vent, back up. So all looks good.

For my efforts I was rewarded with a copy of my current car registration, which made it back to the trunk when I was cleaning last time, but (fortunately) not into the trash. I think I must have thought it was expired, but hadn't had the time to really read it at the time, so I'd just stuck it back with a few things to go through. It is now nestled in my glove box with my proof of insurance. Considering I have to renew it next week, this is great--it'll save me $6 I would have had to pay extra. I'm glad I did all that when I did, as it's now starting to get darker--I think it's going to storm soon. Now, I think it's time to tackle the apartment, starting with the dishes. I am out of spoons, so it is definitely time. I'm going to go put on some music to cover up the beat coming from upstairs somewhere and get to it. Hope you're having a good weekend!

I was very sorry to see the horrible tragedy unfolding in Nepal

due to an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale. My thoughts and prayers are with those affected.

Nepal quake kills more than 1,000 and spreads terror on Everest: Hundreds die in Kathmandu rubble, while avalanches on Everest trap tourists and climbers

More than a thousand people were killed by a powerful earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday. The earthquake – which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale – wrecked houses, levelled centuries-old temples and triggered avalanches on Mount Everest. At least 18 people were killed on the mountain, and hundreds of tourists and guides are now trapped or buried in snow and ice there as rescue parties struggle to reach them.

One climber, Alex Gavan, tweeted that he had to run for his life after an avalanche struck Everest’s base camp and reported that many had died and many more were badly injured. He appealed for urgent help to save those hurt. Mohan Krishna Sapkota, a government official, also appealed for help for Nepal. “We are facing a tremendous crisis here and it is hard to even assess what the death toll and the extent of damage could be,” he said.

I follow the Lost and Found Pets of Lexington, KY Facebook page, and this was just amazing

Two years after being lost, and 1,700 miles later, Tilly has been reunited with her family. Behold the power of a microchip, social media, and a bunch of people who care!

And I dearly love this

Listening to songs from the '60s and '70s

with happy music, but sad lyrics of loss, including 'Seasons in the Sun', 'Cat's in the Cradle', 'American Pie', the 'Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald', and 'One Tin Soldier'.

Finally, sun!

After a rainy day of going to the vet and to the grocery store, I am home and have put the geraniums back out on the window ledge, where they are soaking up the newly-arrived sunshine. Earlier today, while over at my friends' house, I watched a somewhat contentious episode of 'The Vicar of Dibley', which tried to bring attention to poverty, as well as dealing with Geraldine's 40th birthday, and followed up with 'The Bishop of Dibley', a one-off for charity on Red Nose Day, which put Jim's tendency to stutter out 'no' to good (or rather, bad) use. I mention the poverty episode as being contentious, as apparently some found it either too liberal, some heavy-handed, perhaps violating impartiality rules at the BBC, or just plain annoying. I really do like the show, although the entire village are insane, save perhaps David Horton, and Geraldine herself, but even she has her moments, and they all belong in an episode of 'Midsomer Murders', I think. They would give the police aneurysms.

The plan is to watch 'Salem' today, but when we got back from the grocery, YKWIA was napping and I realised I did not have my medicine, so I just came on home and will go back over later if and when they call me. In the meantime, I think I may have a nap myself, and then maybe work on the living room.

No, Juliette!

Okay, 'Grimm' tonight was not only very, very good, but the ending was heart-breaking. And next week looks to be even better!

PS If you don't mind spoilers, and you missed the episode, here is a recap: Grimm "Iron Hans" Review: Hell Hath No Fury Like a Hexenbiest Scorned. I agree that the ending's events are going to help stir things up with the show, and bring back uncertainty. I won't discuss it here, since I don't want to spoil anything. But it made my heart sick to watch.

Strange

You would not think that taking allergy eye drops would have a side effect of an almost instant bitter taste in your mouth,  but lo,  that is one of my reactions (albeit short-lived,  thankfully) to my Optivar,  as confirmed on drugs.com.  I'd expect something like that happening with a nasal spray,  but eye drops?

#ThrowbackThursday

My mom, my dad's mom, her dog Noodles, and I all visiting back when I was in high school, probably Christmas of 1982 or '83.

For YKWIA

Adorable Baby Goat Headbutts Huge Dog. Her Reaction? Awww!!

It’s always tough for the older kids to have to deal with integrating a new baby into their world, and the same is true for animals. The older pets that have been in the house longer have their established routine, they get all the table scraps, and they get to relax whenever and whereever they want. So having a new baby in the house can be a hard thing to get used to.

Don’t tell that, though, to the incredibly patient and loving komondor pooch named Duchess in this hilariously adorable video. The fluffy white dog just wants to hang out, relax, and maybe catch a few Z’s, but the family’s tiny Nigerian dwarf goat Peppa Lass is not having it.

Yep--here it is

Did an ancient nuclear war kill life on Mars? Conspiracy theorists claim to see a 'mushroom cloud' on the red planet

*shakes head*

Having some toast

with butter and blackberry spreadable fruit. I made some scrambled eggs over toast for YKWIA tonight, and it just looked great. I haven't had toast in awhile. In fact, for years I did not own a toaster, and I usually use it for bagels. But toasted bread is nice, too.

I came in pretty late last night, so I didn't blog. Wednesday morning I had an endocrinology appointment, then I went to a webcast on data management at UK in the afternoon, and took my friend to an appointment. We watched some syndicated 'Big Bang Theory' and then 'iZombie'. We are convinced that the latter will be cancelled because, well, we both like it, and that often happens to the shows we like. But it's pretty fun.

Today I had a visit from an outreach librarian with the Greater Midwest Region of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine's office in Chicago. We met for about an hour and a half, and it was very nice. She was down for a conference and when I was up in Chicago we'd made arrangements for her to stop by. After work, I ran over to the pharmacy and then over to my friends' house, where I took one to get something he needed from the store. We visited for quite a while.

Tomorrow I have to be at work by 7:30 am, then I have to iron out an issue for a friend during lunch, and then I'll get off work early for my allergy shot. 'Grimm' is on tomorrow night.

Saturday is a trip to an appointment and a grocery run. Sunday will (hopefully) be the game, assuming Brenda is feeling better. At least I already have the game notes finished.

Okay, I think I'll check the news. YKWIA was telling me about a scientist who is asserting that Mars' condition is the result of a nuclear attack and that we are the Martians' descendants. Um...oh, dear. I should probably go look for myself. If I don't blog any more tonight (and I can tell it's almost time till sleep becomes imperative), have a good night.

Happier fish

They have enough water to swim to their hearts' content. Yay!

I read this today, and it really resonated with me

BODY IMAGE AND DATING

Except that I take it an extra step--I am so terrified by dating that I have been known to put 70 lbs of weight on when someone asked me out. For me, fat isn't just something that makes dating difficult, it's something I've chosen to gain, albeit unconsciously, in some vain attempt to keep people at arm's length. Of course, there are people who are attracted to fat girls. I have some internalised fat phobia, so I guess I didn't think that one through. But the thing is, I recognise what I've done now. I am just at a loss as to where to go from there. I would like to have a relationship at some point, but my last and only relationship had me in a triunity with two gay men, with my self-esteem in the basement, and very near a nervous breakdown. That ended 23 years ago. I've dated about three times since then, briefly. One I did pretty well with because I was the one in control, but it never panned out and was pretty much limited to a physical relationship, with a woman. One single date was a guy who was so hung up on the girl who'd dumped him that he went home afterwards and cried on a friend's couch because he could never replace her. The other was a co-worker that I really hit it off with, and then I found out he was 17 years my junior (with grey hair). I was prepared to ignore that when he regaled me with the time he got angry when his folks got rid of some of his stuff and he rammed his car into a car his dad had been driving, and threw a crowbar at the garage door, damaging it. No siree. I have a very firm rule to not date people with anger issues. So so much for that. The time I gained 70 lbs was when a woman had been taking me out and I didn't realise she was actually interested in dating until she came out and asked, and she was the smothering type and I'd had that before, and couldn't bear to be smothered again. So I did the 'it's not you, it's me' speech, ran away, and ate half the state of Kentucky.

Anyway, dating/forming relationships is one of the things my counselor and I plan on working on. I just entered therapy with her. She's a psychologist, and I'm hoping things go better with her than the social workers in the past. They tend to focus on things that don't matter in the long run--and just let me ramble without suggestions or actual therapy. I'm hoping this new therapist is different. I have appointments to see her in May, Wish me luck on that! In the meantime, I need to work on my body image and self-esteem on my own.

Okay, I have an endocrinologist appointment early tomorrow, I'd better day good night, now.

PS I got my first of a series of allergy shots today. With the exception of itching all over, and I guess part of that could have been psychosomatic, I did fine. The plan is to go on Tuesdays and Friday and then I can stay the 30 minutes I"m required to and then go home or wherever.

I loved today's Google 'doodle'

81st Anniversary of the Loch Ness Monster's most famous photograph



(Of course, the doodle is animated; this is only a screen shot. Go to the link above to see it in action.)

Mission accomplished: happy fish

I filled up both tanks, scraped off the algae off the large one, re-connected the filter and heater, pulled out some of the Java moss, which can be invasive, and generally made the fish much happier. I used both the water conditioner and one for slime coat. I cleaned some of the filter out, while leaving the other sections intact so there'd be good nitrogen-eating bacteria. Now both tanks are bubbling happily and the fish are swimming in their new space. I've washed my arms all the way up past my elbows (fish tanks can harbour germs, of course), and now I think I"m ready to go on to bed. Good night for real this time. :)

My schedule tomorrow will be starting one hour earlier

So that I can leave work and go get my first allergy shot of this series. My Epi-Pen is in my bag (just in case), although I don't foresee any issues, and hopefully there won't be any. I'm going to go in on Tuesdays and Fridays whenever possible. They are right across the street from where I live, practically, so it should be pretty convenient.

Tonight I got some rest, but didn't do any of the stuff I should have. That's typical for me on Mondays. My weekends are often busier than my weekdays, and I usually crash once I get home on Monday. But I'm surfacing for some blackberries and yoghurt, and to get some water in me. I had two big 32-oz mugs full of water earlier today, but haven't had anything since I got home.

So I think I'll do a couple of things before going back to bed, notably filling the fish tanks. I've been meaning to do it for awhile and the large one is down lower than half. I have just a few goldfish in there, but I'm being a very bad fish mom. So I'll at least lug some water back and forth first. Good night.

Home after a long day

We didn't play the game today because Brenda wasn't feeling well.  The rain had me aching as well,  so I was about a half an hour late getting over there,  but then Brenda called while I was waking up the gamesmaster,  so it all worked out. I visited with both A and YKWIA over the course of the day,  did laundry, and watched several videos,  mostly the last of the season of 'A Different World' with YKWIA.  Then I went ahead and cleaned house and fixed him dinner.  We watched the last two episodes of the show.  I enjoyed it.  He worked in some things on the computer related to the game and there was  quite a storm that came up.  Although I planned to stay to watch 'Salem',  I was just too pooped. So he'll record it and I'll watch later,  which is great because it really does get better with every episode - - it is really well done. I came on home,  as the rain had abated a bit,  but it got pretty heavy once I got home.  I got my bags and laundry inside,  then got into a comfy sleep shirt,  did my nightly routine,  and now I'm ready for bed,  even though it's not 10 pm yet. I think I'll turn in early though.  Good night.

It's supposed to be a glorious day, weather-wise

Sunny, 62 degrees at present but supposed to climb to 80. This morning, in the hour I've been up, I have:

1. Filled up my medicine reminder box
2. Tweaked the application on my phone that reminds me to take my medicine to update new medication and which doctors prescribe them
3. Taken all my meds
4. Tested my blood sugar
5. Weighed myself--eek!
6. Put various things into S Health, the application that keeps track of my steps, food, exercise, etc.
7. Eaten some yoghurt and blackberries for breakfast
8. Drunk a full glass of water
9. Perused the news

I am now ready to go take a shower, get dressed, feed the fish, and go out into the bright sunshiny day. I'm going to take the laptop over to my friends' house in case there's any time to work on game notes. The grocery run is the only thing I think that's on the agenda right now otherwise, and maybe catching up on the 'Salem' episode from last week if they haven't watched it already. I may go on a walk with A, as he's offered to go with me. We'll see. I'll wear my sandals but bring my walking shoes, too. I'll wait till tomorrow to do laundry over there.

Okay, time to get ready!

Almost too tired to blog tonight

1. 'Grimm' was very good tonight. I think Juliette is losing her freaking mind.
2. I start allergy shots next week; my phials are in. This means I will be adjusting my workday schedule slightly so I can go in and leave early two days a week, get my shots, stick around for 30 minutes at the allergist's, and then go on about my business.
3. A panicked when a bee flew into the car earlier today. He almost sat in my lap. Fortunately we were at the gas station at the time and I wasn't actually driving. And I got gas with the Kroger points for $1.99 a gallon. It cost $29 to fill a car from having the gas light on to full. Of course, the gas went up about 40 cents overnight, so if it hadn't of done that, it would have been even cheaper.

That's it for now. Good night.

Have you seen this?

It's a simple way to find an Android phone. :) While the ability to find a phone has been available using Android Device Manager for awhile, this is a way to just Google 'find my phone' in the search box and then ring your phone if you want, with a couple of stipulations. You have to have the latest Google application on your phone (mine updated today, for example), must be logged into the same Google account while searching. Pressing the ring option will ring the phone at full volume for quite some time until you can find it, if it's in your house. Cool, hmm? Of course the iPhone has its own ways to do this, as described in the article. I checked the process with mine and it was accurate within 62 feet. It gave options to ring, lock, and erase the phone.

How to use Google to find your lost Android phone

Awwww....

Cool!

I love A Wrinkle in Time!

A New ‘Wrinkle in Time’: Madeleine L’Engle’s ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ has sold 14 million copies since its publication in 1962. Now, a never-before-seen passage cut from an early draft is shedding surprising light on the author’s political philosophy

Many readers, then and now, have understood the book’s dark planet Camazotz—a regimented place in which mothers in unison call their children in for dinner—to represent the Soviet Union. But the passage discovered by L’Engle’s granddaughter presents a more nuanced worldview.

In it, Meg has just made a narrow escape from Camazotz. As Meg’s father massages her limbs, which are frozen from a jarring trip through space and time, she asks: “But Father, how did the Black Thing—how did it capture Camazotz?” Her father proceeds to lay out the political philosophy behind the book in much starker terms than are apparent in the final version.

He says that yes, totalitarianism can lead to this kind of evil. (The author calls out examples by name, including Hitler, Mussolini and Khrushchev.) But it can also happen in a democracy that places too much value on security, Mr. Murry says. “Security is a most seductive thing,” he tells his daughter. “I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the greatest evil there is.”

Ms. Voiklis said she wanted readers to know the book wasn’t a simple allegory of communism. Instead, it’s about the risk of any country—including a democracy—placing too much value on security. The tension between safety and personal freedom is an idea that resonates in today’s politics.

I think it's time to re-read this classic. I have all the books in the series in paperback, and I'm not sure I've read An Acceptable Time or Many Waters yet, just the three 'main' ones. It's time to revisit Madeleine L'Engle's work.

I really need to stop eating at the computer

I just vacuumed out the keyboard with a little device I probably bought twenty years ago, then took alcohol swabs and cleaned the ergonomic keyboard I have at home thoroughly, and also the mouse. I got a lot of crumbs out of the keys, some schmutz, and generally got to see how icky the stuff that came off on the swabs was. It was getting to the point where my keys were sticking and kind of gross to try to type on. Now the keyboard is much happier. It's kind of weird because in addition to being curved for an ergonomic fit, it has buttons for things like the calculator, back, forward, to bring up the Internet or mail programs, or even zoom in. I don't use those special buttons much, but they are useful.

So what I wound up doing tonight was getting some rest (I didn't really nap, I just got off my feet and spent a little time under the fan relaxing). Then I went to Kroger and got some very healthy things like veggies, fruit, orange juice, cheese, and Morningstar Farms products. Most everything was on sale, so I scooted in at a fairly low price (not the $29 mentioned in the earlier article, but still, less than I normally spend). I'm trying to save as much as I can for bills.

I dropped some creamer off at my friends' house (half-and-half is a staple there), then came on home and put all the groceries away. A wants me to do some political research, and I couldn't stand the thought of typing on the dirty keyboard much longer, so I went ahead and cleaned it. Part of the problem is it's too high to go under my desk on the drawer, so it's always exposed to anything that I'm doing. But on further examination I've found that the front piece that makes it so high actually comes off, and so when the that's removed and the legs are put down, the whole thing does, in fact, slide under the drawer. Eureka! I think it's more comfortable for it not to be elevated as well. Thank you Microsoft for allowing it to be customised. And I still have the wrist rest and all the special buttons. Silly that I never really looked at the bottom (I only did because I noticed a tag saying there was a health warning under there) to see that the front piece had tabs and slid off. Instead I've been, if I wanted to slide the drawer in, propping the keyboard vertically on the floor against the computer tower/print stand.

I got some Vitamin D while I was at the store. I'm supposed to take 2000 IUs as directed by my doctor, since I'm deficient in Vitamin D (apparently many people are, as I know several people who have been on it or told to take it). So I got some of that because I'd been out for awhile, and went to put the tablets into my pill bottle with the rest of them, and they're not tablets, but tiny capsules, akin to Vitamin E, but smaller. This is going to be fun to juggle in the morning. On the other hand, they go down much easier, I'm sure. That makes a total of seven injections of three different medicines, thirteen pills (eleven medicines), an inhaler, allergy eye drops, a chewable multi-vitamin, and a nasal spray that I"m taking, although the inhaler is as needed. In the summer months I add another couple of pills since my ankles swell in hot weather. Oh, and an Epi-Pen when I start my allergy shots in a week or so. Plus diabetic supplies such as glucose meter, test strips, lancets, pen needles, etc. Thank God for health insurance (which covers everything but the vitamins), and also cell phone applications that will tell you when to take all this stuff. This is one reason I'm so concerned about the loss of my job when the hospital downsizes to an ambulatory medical centre in two years, and also why, if I don't find a decent job by then with benefits, I am happy that Obamacare is an option, because in the old days they would have just denied me health insurance due to my pre-existing conditions.

Okay, I suppose I should go do that research A wants me to do. He wants to know more about the candidates running for Kentucky offices before the primary in May. I should educate myself, too, so we'll just kill two birds with one stone there.

I thought this article was interesting

What $29 A Week For Food Looks Like For Actual Low-Income People (And Not Gwyneth Paltrow)

That rounds out to $28 and is about what I’d spend at my local discount store. That adds up to 17,710 calories, or 2530 calories a day. Which is about as much as I’d need to be sustained, and frankly, isn’t that unhealthy of a menu — it includes plenty of healthy fats and proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. I know how to do that mental calculus, balancing between what I need to be able to get through the physical motions of my life and how much I can actually spend, because I lived it.

That being said, I lived it not in a food desert. I lived it in a suburb that was safe. I lived it with a car, even if it was a car that was on its last legs. I lived it on a little more than minimum wage, which is better than what people who qualify for SNAP benefits can say. And yes, the point of the Food Bank Challenge is to bring attention to the fact that Congress has cut SNAP benefits, and if Gwyneth Paltrow’s insane 1000-calorie-per-day diet brings attention to that fact, then all the better.

The author discusses the nutrition vs. money issue, getting the best amount of calories and nutrition for very little money, and the challenges of living in a food desert.

I would so vote for Elizabeth Warren if she ran

Hillary Clinton Praises Elizabeth Warren as Celebs Urge Her to Enter the Presidential Race

I had a good day overall

but forgot to take my insulin at lunchtime, which made my blood sugar go way up and I felt v-e-r-y tired. Once I realised what I'd done, I checked my blood glucose, which was pretty high, took some insulin, got up and walked around, came back, turned my fan on, and put some peppy music on, and shortly thereafter I was able to concentrate enough to do my data entry. So every now and again I still do an oops on that, even with my phone telling me when to take my medicine. Now it's much better and I'm just having a light dinner of a peanut butter sandwich with spreadable fruit and some chips (and yes, I'm taking my insulin right now).

I feel a little more energised than normal after a day at work, so I think it may be a good day to work on the house for a bit. It's 70 degrees and trying to decide on sun or clouds, but at least for the first time in days it isn't actually raining. I think I'll put the windows up and air things out a bit.

Things I need to do:
1. Fill the large fish tank
2. Do dishes
3. Straigten up the living room
4. Clean the bathroom

That's pretty much it for now. I think that's doable. But first, since I'm still eating, I'm going to check for anything to blog about. :)

Postscript

I hope that last post didn't sound too whiny. I'm not asking for money or lamenting on my lack of it, just stating my situation and the feelings I have about it. I know things will eventually get better, if I just wait it out. Life has taught me that. And I could be in a lot dire straits. I have a former co-worker who is two weeks younger than me who just found out the other day that she has stage 4 cancer and it is in her colon, lymph nodes, liver, and neck, if I remember the details right. She's devastated. She hasn't worked for a month and a half and has a $900 copay for chemotherapy she's trying to raise through GoFundMe. That was before this latest news, so I don't know if they're still doing the chemo, but really, if you have some extra cash, if anyone needs help, this wonderful lady does. She's the hardest worker I've ever met, and I'm so sorry she's having to go through this. She had cervical cancer years ago, and now she has a very uphill battle to face. Things like this really put things into perspective. So no, my problems will eventually sort out. I wish I could help her, in fact. I'm tempted to call up the former friend and ask him to contribute in my name. :) He worked with her, too, after all.

Up paying bills

I get paid on Thursdays, but the money usually hits my account about 11:30 the night before. My account has been in horrible shape of late, as a bill went through that the bank paid but I didn't have sufficient funds for. Thankfully, it was paid, as it was my car insurance, but I haven't been able to pay anything for about a week, and I'm woefully behind in all sorts of ways. Between the trip (I'm still waiting on a reimbursement cheque from the college) and the brakes (although thankfully those weren't extremely expensive) and the choice to at least pay my rent on time, I've been behind. So I sat down around midnight and paid my cell phone, electricity, and broadband bills. A couple of bills come out automatically in a day. Tomorrow I'll sit down and look at what else I can pay, and try to get as much taken care of as possible. If you happen to be a creditor reading this, I really am trying to get everything taken care of. And I am looking for a full-time library job that would pay better than my library/data entry combination. At the rate I'm going, I've been seriously considering trying to get a part-time job on top of my 40 hours I work at the hospital. Of course, I would be in better shape if a 'friend' who borrowed money from me had ever even made any attempt to pay me what he owes me. During the time when I (uncharacteristically) had money after the accident where I was hit with the car, I had a friend in dire straits who continually hit me up for money for him and his family, saying he would pay me back as soon as possible. Being the gullible and soft-hearted person I am, I believed him. (The fact that I had just had a scary experience that could have been deadly and was in pain and on medication at least part of that time didn't really help. He literally asked for money within a few days after I was hit.) Anyway, he took advantage of that friendship, and borrowed quite a bit of money, enough that if I sued him, it would be out of small claims court. Whenever I've tried to talk to him about it, he tries to guilt me into thinking I'm a bad person for wanting my money back, and says I only talk to him to bring it up anymore. Sadly, our friendship, such as it was, and I thought it was greater than it was, suffered. On the other hand, I've never successfully confronted him or his wife on the issue. But I now understand why no one in his family would help him, especially when he got stranded in South Carolina during an impromptu visit to the beach without cash after the vow renewal they put together the same year they were borrowing from me for rent and Christmas presents for the kids, and for that matter, part of the vow renewal. In his defence, he did repay me for getting them back from being stranded, but that's the only payment on the total I received after months of panicked 'I hate to ask you, but....' I really do feel used and totally gullible for believing that he was a good friend. On the other hand, I recognise that I was so desperate for friendship that I was willing to give money that I would need later to someone even against my better judgement. So it was a perfect storm of problems. But beyond the money, I was a really good friend to him, and was very supportive when he was struggling with illness and transitioning from working to disability, and I really deserved better from him. And I resent the guilt he tried to lay on me. I hope he at least has the good graces to feel a little guilt when he thinks of me, but I doubt it. I suspect I am one in a long line of people he's done this to, given his family's response. And that's sad. Still, it makes me appreciate the friends I do have who don't leech off of me, and when they do have me pick up something for them or whatever, they actually pay me back.

Well that's enough of that. I should head on to bed. Things will get better with time, I hope.

This is absolutely adorable

A certain little Miss is feeling much better this afternoon and is now enjoying a little flap after her bottle.No more syringe feeding and we have graduated to a bottle and teat.If she keeps going at this rate, I'm going to have to give her a name and soon! Happy, flappy bat dancing today and fingers crossed that her slow but steady improvement continues. <3

Posted by Batzilla the Bat on Monday, January 19, 2015

Sadly, from reading the page, Miss Charlotte died at 5 weeks old after her liver became enlarged and uric acid deposits built up in her body. They had found her in a gutter, nursed her with goat's milk in syringes, and cared for her so well. I had no idea there were bat rescues out there. (Well, there are rescues for many types of animals, so I shouldn't be surprised.) But it really pulled at my heartstrings. This is for YKWIA, who loves bats of all kinds. If for some reason the video doesn't work, here's the link to the page, Batzilla the Bat, which has many pictures and videos of Miss Charlotte, and this particular video can be viewed publicly, without an account, on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=603392009794134. I'm not sure, I think she was a black flying fox.

Home tonight

I took my books in this morning on the way to work, had a very productive day at work, then went to a doctor's appointment and he was happy to see that the increase in medicine dosage had helped. I see him again in six weeks. Right as I went to leave a friend called and asked for a ride home from work, so I stopped by there and got him. It took me ten minutes just to get out of the Beaumont area, another few minutes to go through the double crossover, and then finally I got to him, took him home, and then had to take an alternative route home because of major backups, a way I don't use often and I got a little lost, but it was still probably quicker than in would have been if I'd sat in traffic. Now I'm home, with the evening news on, and it's kind of nice to have a free Wednesday for now. If my application is accepted and I go through the training, I may be helping teach the same class I took this the last three months or more during the summer. (At least we won't have to worry about snow days). There are eleven sessions, once a week. I'm excited by the possibility. It's a volunteer position, but that's fine. I think it's a very helpful class and I think it can be a godsend for the students who take it.

I've also recently applied for a job at a neighbouring county's public library. Wish me luck! The application window closed Friday, so hopefully I'll hear something soon.

Wow. I just saw a video on the news of a man calmly describing the F-4 tornado that was bearing down on him while he was out driving. He was totally unflappable. He wasn't a storm chaser, I don't think, just someone out driving, and I must admit he was much calmer than I would have been, I'm sure.

Okay, I think it's time to get away from the computer for a bit. I may write later, but it not, have a good night.

Found it!

It was under the laptop bag in the bedroom. Now I can take it to the library tomorrow before work, before they open, so that I don't get charged for another day. And when I get paid on Thursday I'll pay the fine. Pesky book on woodland gardening, I tell you.

By the way, someone in my general vicinity is apparently a fan of HP Lovecraft as well, for whenever I go onto the laptop, like I am now, one of the Wi-Fi connexions that pops up says 'Miskatonic'. I wish I knew which neighbour it was. I wonder if they ever heard of the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game. Ach, well. Not all of us can be mystical ninjas and witches fighting off venomous serpent men in the Amazon. :) Good night!

It was a good day

I went in early to work today to prepare for a site visit from a representative of the state organisation connected with our early literacy project. That went well. Then I took care of both the library and revenue cycle jobs. After work I took a friend on an errand and stopped by the grocery so we could both get a few things. We hung out for awhile, he introduced to Kathy Griffin--whom I'd only seen at New Year's with Anderson Cooper. Then we watched 'iZombie' (Seattle is apparently overrun by zombies lurking everywhere), and I came on home.

Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment after work, instead of class, which ended last week. Then I think I'll come home and work on some stuff here. Thursday I'm not sure exactly what I'll do, other than pay lots of bills, since it's pay day, and then Friday is 'Grimm'. So I'm not currently as crunched this week as normal. So I should have some time to fill the large fish tank (yeah, still haven't done that), straighten up some, and most importantly, I've temporarily misplaced a library book and it's overdue, so I must find it. I know it's in the house, anyway. Bad librarian; no cookie! But when you have as many books as I have (I'd say I have about 3,000 or so), one book lurking amongst other books can be overlooked. Hmmm...I think I may know where it is. Perhaps I should go check now....

I don't usually mind spiders

In fact,  I have a religious proscription against killing them,  often see them as messengers of the Divine,  and will take them outside when I find then,  or let them be.  But when finding a two-inch by one-inch or bigger spider in your bed,  even I tend to jump.  I tried to at least take some paper and guide it over to the plants in the bedroom,  but it disappeared under the mattress somewhere.  This does not fill me with happiness.  While I like bugs of many sorts in general,  I do draw the line at them crawling over me in the night.  Of course,  YKWIA will probably read this with glee,  as he thinks my coddling spiders is insane,  and that pretty much the only good spider is a dead one.

We are almost finished with this

Call of Cthulhu adventure,  which is a very tiny book,  but it's taken awhile.  We've broken the innocents out of their prison and are on the run through the Amazonian rain forest,  being hunted by degenerate snake-men with spears.  In addition to the four hero/ines,  there is an unflappable stewardess who can translate for everyone,  a six-year-old girl,  a virgin impregnated with serpent-men sperm,  a mechanic,  a man without limbs,  and a man who has had basically a lobotomy. We have to get the innocents to safety,  walking miles through dense jungle,  and carrying those who otherwise couldn't make it.  What fun!

Seriously,  though,  I am enjoying the game.  I am a glutton for punishment, apparently.

Okay,  I should go on to bed.  It is quite late. Good night.

Up briefly

I got home about 5:30 this afternoon, after taking A to his appointment and to the grocery, watching the missing episode of 'Grimm' with YKWIA, and going by the grocery myself. In fact, I'd been to Chinoe Kroger three times in one day, twice for them (a bread and milk run, then the regular one) and for me (YKWIA gave me $5, and I used it for bread, mil, and chips, to go with the cereal and peanut butter I had.) The last time I went I thought the $5 bill was in my shirt pocket, so I left everything else in the car. I got to the U-Scan and discovered the paper in my pocket was a receipt from earlier, and that the bill was out in my phone case, so I had to leave everything and run out. I came home, put up the windows, ate, and then promptly went to bed for a nap that turned out to last till now, about 1 am. I need to close the windows (it's a bit nippy in here now), take some medicine, and get some water down, as I'm very thirsty. I need to set my CPAP humidifier back up, as I do have distilled water now. Then I'm going to head back to bed again, as I have an early morning in preparations for the game, and then there will be the game, and then 'Salem' late, at 10 pm. So I'll sign off for now. Good night.

I've been pretty busy the last few days, hence the barest of blogging

Sorry about that. Here's a synopsis of my week:

1. Monday--I went to my new therapist's office and was told that the psychiatrist's office (up a floor, but the same practice) had apparently not finalised my appointment, and the therapist wasn't in until later that day. Made an appointment for 4 pm, came back then, and then they realised the office upstairs had not sent any paperwork down, so she had to interview me without benefit of the doctor's notes. She went ahead and tested me for ADHD (I have been diagnosed with that before, and was on medicine for awhile, but those medical records were shredded the last time I came to this practice...it's not looking good in terms of efficiency, is it? But the doctor and psychologist seem to know their stuff and both asked very good questions. I've set up two appointments for May and am on standby on the cancellation list for late April--they have a couple of other women going on maternity leave and so she is taking on a bigger caseload and it is difficult to get in until May.
2. Tuesday--I had my allergies re-tested for the first time in about fifteen years. I still have the marks on my arm and back from where I reacted, and the marker even stayed on for about two days. I came out pretty much the same as before, except I didn't react to horses this time. They didn't test for food allergies. I'd been told I was allergic to wheat, eggs, and milk back in the day, but she said that if I didn't have any trouble eating them then I wasn't really allergic. She prescribed a different antihistamine for me, since the Claritin wasn't covering all of my symptoms, and she gave me a sample of an eye drop I can put in five minutes before my contacts that will help with the eye issues from my allergies. And, I am now the proud owner of an Epi-Pen, not because I have severe enough allergies for the things I reacted to, but rather because I'm going to start allergy shots again in about two weeks and they want me to keep one with me on shot days, as well as hanging out for about half an hour at their office after each shot. Last time I took them, I had no Epi-Pen, and after the first shot, I was able to have our employee health nurse give them to me, so they just sent me my vials as needed. My allergist did say I could do that again if it was alright with the hospital, since they have a crash cart, etc., should I have a reaction, but I checked and that's been discontinued, for obvious liability issues, I'm sure. So I will need to go into the office. Fortunately I live nearby. So I may have to adjust my schedule slightly and leave early a couple of days a week and come in a little earlier or stay late to make up for it, but that's okay with me.
3. Wednesday--I went to my last class, and we had a potluck and took a group picture. I'm on Instagram, in one half of a photo posted by the organisation. The second-to-the-last class we filled out evaluation forms and volunteer forms, and I'd said I would be willing to be trained to teach the course. I spoke with one of our co-leaders, who is with the organisation, and she said she would forward the application to me and serve as a reference. If I'm accepted, they'll pay for a hotel room in Louisville for an intensive weekend course on teaching the class. The next class starts June 3rd; the training is June 6th and 7th, but she said that if I was willing, I could start out in this one since the training was so close. So I may be teaching a class in the summer.
4. Thursday--I applied for a job at the Jessamine County Public Library. I so hope I get a call from them. I've been there before; it's a very nice facility and I felt comfortable with the people there the last time I interviewed. Nicholasville is nearby, just south of Fayette County by a few miles, so it would be easy to get to, although I'd be going against traffic. For me, it would be best to go down Man O' War and then onto US 27, thereby bypassing Nicholasville Road in Lexington for the most part. I did manage a small blog post, but never made it back like I'd hoped.
5. Today--I applied to teach the class. They had a very interesting application full of detailed instructions like not putting dashes or periods in the phone number, or checking a box above the text, etc. I think they were checking to see if you could fill it out with attention to detail. There were a few in-depth questions and an introduction to be written and attached. I sent in in and got an acknowledgement that they would be contacting me closer to time. Wish me luck. The only concern I have is that I have to go to Louisville, which means driving on the Interstate, something I haven't done in years and am somewhat anxious about, but I told the co-leader that I would do it, so I will. Afterwards I went over to YKWIA's and we watched this week's 'Grimm'. We still haven't seen last week's, but maybe we can do that tomorrow.

Tomorrow I take A to an appointment and to the grocery, probably twice for the latter, as they are out of bread and milk, and need that before we go to the appointment. So I need to get over there by about 8:30. I'm going to head on to bed now; I just wanted to catch up with my blogging. I'm listening to Loreena McKennitt and have the fan blowing on me. All is quiet otherwise. It's time to turn the fish tank lights off, brush my teeth, and crawl into bed. Good night.

Hot

It's after 10:30 at night and still 72 degrees outside,  and I am lying on the bed in front of the fan trying to cool off.  I wasn't too warm at my friends' house,  where YKWIA and I watched the 'Grimm' from two weeks ago that we missed, but they had the windows open and there was a breeze.  But my apartment is stuffy,  and while I could open the windows here,  I can't sleep with them open,  as I am on the ground floor and have no dogs to alert me to trouble.  So I'm left with the fan.  But I seem to be cooling off,  finally.  Yay!  I just don't want to turn in the air conditioning prematurely,  as the electric bills have been pretty big over the winter.

Okay,  I'm going to listen to some relaxing music for awhile and then try to return to the  blog and update,  since I missed a few days.  But just in case I fall asleep,  good night.

We didn't play the game today

but I did finish the notes early this morning, worked on my Sunday housework list at my friends' house, then came home and rested for awhile before heading back for 'Salem' tonight, which was excellent. It was a very good season opener, with Lucy Lawless and Stuart Townsend joining the cast.

Tomorrow I go to work and then mid-morning I have an appointment with a therapist. Tuesday I have my allergies tested for the first time in about 15 years. I won't say that being off my allergy medicine in the meantime has been miserable, but it has been unpleasant and annoying. I hadn't realised how bad my allergies still were without the Claritin. I'd thought that it wasn't doing much any more. It's not taking care of them completely, of course, but it has been knocking them down somewhat. I've been sneezing, itching, and my eyes and nose leak constantly. I'll be glad when the testing is over and I can try an anti-histamine again.

Well, it's midnight. I should probably go on to bed so I can get up for work in the morning. Good night.

Love and war

This is very tender.

‘Sleep Well My Love’: A Gay Soldier’s Love Letter From WWII

The happiness when told we were going home — and the misery when we learned that we would not be going together. Fond goodbyes on a secluded beach beneath the star-studded velvet of an African night, and the tears that would not be stopped as I stood atop the sea-wall and watched your convoy disappear over the horizon.

We vowed we’d be together again “back home,” but fate knew better — you never got there. And so, Dave, I hope that where ever you are these memories are as precious to you as they are to me.

We watched the last two episodes of 'Hart of Dixie' that were on Netflix today

That's it for for now, until they get the rest on the streaming service. My understanding is that the show may not be returning next year, and if so I will be sad to see the camera turn away from the town of Bluebell. It's not my normal sort of show at all [I tend to go for ones with a supernatural element to them], but I must admit that it's the only one in a long time that I wake up, take a shower, and while the water's falling on me, I wonder how the crazy people and their relationships are doing.

By the time we'd gotten around to maybe watching 'Grimm', though, I was winding down for the evening and not really up to watching anything else tonight. About two or three hours of video will do it for me; I can't really binge watch well. Plus, I have game notes to do. I feel a nap coming on first, though, after I get something to eat. I've been sleepy most of the day, and a little achy with the cooler weather brought on by so much rain lately. It was sunny today, at least, though,

I started out this morning feeling pretty rested and well

although I've been sitting outside in the sun (albeit in cooler weather) watching A expand a flower bed with a spade to even up the two in the front yeard on either side of the porch. Sitting in the sun made me a little sleepy, though, and it was relaxing sitting there and talking with him about various things. Once he started the cleanup process, I took the spade and transplanted a solitary crocus from the lawn to the flower bed with the other ones. It always gets mown down and then you can't find it again to move it, and they haven't had to mow yet this year, so it seemed a plan.

I came in to wash my hands, and decided to stay in for awhile. The dogs are whining because A is still out there and they like it when their daddy is inside. One of the cats is running back and forth and meowing, begging the other one to play with him. YKWIA apparently came to bed awfully late, so even though it's noon, I haven't tried to wake him. I should be working on the game notes, and I will, but for now I thought I'd come online and do a little writing.

Today I paid my rent, came over here and visited, and I've eaten breakfast and lunch and have taken my meds. I brought the birthday cake a co-worker made for me to share with A and YKWIA. A had a piece for breakfast. :) It's a yummy chocolate cake with chocolate chips in it and chocolate frosting, with those little ball-like sprinkles. It's very chocolate-y. Today's plans are going to the grocery store, watching two episodes of 'Grimm' and maybe 'iZombie', and just hanging out and spending some time together. A is going to watch the Final Four games tonight, especially Kentucky vs. Wisconsin. I'll hopefully be back home by then and working on the notes if I haven't gotten them done by then.

Okay, I think I"ll go sit in a chair and rest my eyes for a bit. I won't go to sleep, but maybe it will help me be less sleepy. I shouldn't feel tired (I wasn't the one using the spade to dig, for example), but I am for some reason. Granted, I didn't go to bed until later than normal last night, but I did sleep well. So I don't get it. (And no, I haven't had any cake yet today to mess with my blood sugar.)

Okay?....

Personality Quiz: To Which British Era Do You Belong?

Congratulations! You belong in the Neolithic Era

OK, so you're a little bit behind the times, and maybe you're not going to be the first in the queue the next time a new smartphone is released, but you're at one with your environment, you're very adaptable, an excellent survivor, and my word you make nice porridge.

You're also someone that likes to trust their instincts and feelings and you like to keep things simple. You're not an over-thinker, but that doesn't mean you can be easily fooled, and if you find yourself in a sticky situation, you're more than capable of developing the right set of tools to extricate yourself.

Don't be afraid of thinking big, everyone has a Stonehenge inside them; all you need to do is gather the right people around you and get started.

Up working on the house early

I've been straightening up the dining and living areas. I've about done what I can in just 45 minutes. I should start getting ready soon, but it looks much better. I'm afraid it was a bit of a wreck. I've already eaten breakfast and taken my medicine, something I don't usually do until I'm checking my e-mail first thing in the morning at work. I've already walked over a thousand steps, and it isn't even 7:30. I've had all this energy (although I did have trouble falling to sleep last night), which when you're bipolar is a worrisome thing, as it could mean you're going into a manic or hypomanic episode, but really, I think I'm okay--I just got a lot of exercise yesterday and as a result have some energy for a change. My appetite is suppressed, as well. Yesterday I had the two egg and cheese biscuits, the spinach and mushroom étouffée at Gumbo Ya Ya, a couple of string cheese sticks, a tiny bit of ice cream (hey, it was my birthday), and a fake sausage and egg biscuit. This morning I had another fake sausage and egg biscuit; usually I have two, but I didn't want any more.

We've continued to have thunderstorms all night; apparently there's quite a bit of flooding in the area, as the ground was very dry and the rain came down so fast. Not so good for the opening day at Keeneland. I took a 30 second video of the rain and thunderstorm yesterday, our first real day of thunder. I posted it on Facebook; I'll see if I can get it on YouTube and post it here, just for fun.

Today I need to catch up at work from yesterday, but it was a low census day, so I don't think it'll be too bad. I'm hoping to leave a little early (the place will be deserted early for Good Friday, I expect). One of my co-workers is making me a cake so we can all have some for lunch. Then I have to remember it's Friday so I take a friend to an appointment this evening. 'Grimm' is tonight, but we haven't seen the last one, and I'm not sure we'll be able to before the new one with his appointment, so we may need to record it and put it off till tomorrow.

Okay, I should start getting ready for work. It's barely light outside due to the clouds and storm. Hope you have a very good day, and a lovely weekend. If you celebrate Easter (I don't, but I can wish others well), I hope you enjoy it.

Time to close the windows

turn out the lights, put on the fan, and head on to bed. It was a somewhat unconventional birthday, but a good one nonetheless. Here's to 48 years so far. It's back to work tomorrow. Good night.

Listening to:

Great story, great song, beautiful performance

I saw this at YKWIA's the other day. It takes your breath away, and her bravery, given her anxiety and depression, makes it even better. You can hear the emotion in her performance. I find it inspiring.

Whew, I just keep plugging along

although I think I'll call it a night soon. I talked to YKWIA on the phone for a long time, then took the trash and recyclables out, washed dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and swept the kitchen and bath. So the kitchen, at least, looks very inviting, which considering that is where I re-potted the plants, I think I did pretty well.

Also, I set a record, higher than in Chicago, in terms of steps taken, by taking the trash and recyclables out and washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. I am satisfied. And tired. Now my phone battery is down to 9% so I'm going to plug it in, so no more steps will be counted. But I must say my back and feet, while they do hurt, are doing better than when I was on my trip. Maybe if I keep doing this, or at least what I can reasonably do each day, they'll get stronger.

Kind of pooped

I got over to the auto repair place around 2:30. As soon as I got off the bus it rained, but by the time I got down Industry Road, it was sunny, although lightning in the distance. I decided to go to Gumbo Ya Ya for lunch, seeing as I wanted somewhere cheap and tasty, and I just wasn't in the mood for anything heavier, like salmon and baked potato from Texas Roadhouse. I hadn't eaten since about 8:30 this morning, and was quite hungry. I had a large spinach and mushroom étouffée, two pieces of French garlic bread, a drink, and a praline, all for $11. Not too bad, hmmm?

As soon as I got home, I decided to move the geraniums at least temporarily outside (it's not supposed to get to freezing in the near future, but it's close over the weekend, so I may bring them in at night). I cleaned off the dead parts, turned the pots so the greenery would grow the other direction (they've been pressed up on the other side of the window). I added some dirt and watered them thoroughly, so hopefully they'll stay in place even with the wind.



So I've had the brakes fixed, had my birthday lunch, and started the re-potting process. I need to clean the house and do the other re-potting, go to the grocery store, fill the fish tank, etc. But for right now, I'm going to take it easy. I have already walked 9,444 steps, which is 4.58 miles. I need a break!

Great news!

The brake pads were just glazed and needed a little sanding, which was much cheaper than I thought it would be. Now to get back there on the bus in the rain. :)

Having just come in drenched from a thunderstorm, this made me incredibly happy

My very own Google Doodle, presumably because I'm signed in to my Google account on Chrome. :)



I went this morning and got some $1 bills for the bus, got some gas, stopped by McDonald's for a couple of egg and cheese biscuits, and then dropped my car off at Mitch's Auto on Industry Road. There were several cars they had for that day, so it will be awhile before they can get to mine. I walked over to Eastland Shopping Centre and the bus came just as I was coming up to the stop. The bus driver was one I knew and we talked for awhile. Then I got down to the transit centre and transferred to my route's bus, and it started raining just as we pulled out, then thundering and lightning. By the time I got to my stop, a very cold rain (what happened to getting into the 70s today?) was coming down. My little umbrella that fit into my bag tried valiantly to keep the rain off, but my feet got drenched and my blouse and pants were pretty damp by the time I got into my apartment. The wind was such that even with being careful, the umbrella went inside out once, but recovered. Now my shoes and socks are off, and I'm going to take a bit of a break before starting on the house, as I've already walked almost three miles today, and anyway, some of what I was going to do (the re-potting and taking the trash and recyclables out) involve the great outdoors, which isn't so great at the moment.

Tomorrow I'm off work for my birthday

These are the things I need/want to do:

1. Have my brakes inspected and fixed if need be.
2. Get some gas.
3. Work on the apartment:
   1. Take out the trash and recyclables.
   2. Do dishes, both the ones in the dishwasher and hand-wash ones.
   3. Clean the kitchen counters and stove.
   4. Clean the bathroom.
   5. Sweep and mop the kitchen and bath.
   6. Straighten up the living area, dining area, and bedroom.
   7. Vacuum the carpet.
4. Go out somewhere (nice, but cheap) for lunch.
5. Go to the grocery.
6. Re-pot some houseplants.
7. Watch some DVDs or maybe Netflix (I would go out to the movies, as I have free tickets, but there's not much I want to see, except maybe Home.
8. Fill the big aquarium up with water (I did do the small one, but the goldfish are still dealing with only having about 15 gallons of water).
9. Read John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things.

Class was great tonight; we had guest speakers and had great participation. There were some volunteer opportunities and an evaluation. I signed up for potential volunteering, including training to possibly teach a class. Next week we graduate and have our potluck, and discuss advocacy. So I'm kind of hyped up for that.

Okay, I think I'll spend some quiet time before bed listening to some soothing music. Good night.

Off to class

I stopped by the apartment briefly to bring some plants in that I brought from work that need to be re-potted. I don't think I could have carried one more thing--I had my purse, a small briefcase, a lunch bag, and five plants in bags or baskets in my arms. The idea is to re-pot them tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm about to leave for my second-to-the-last caregiving class. Next week we graduate and have a potluck, and discuss advocacy.

I'll try to write later. I really should go now, given the traffic, and the fact that it is all the way on the other side of town from me.