Well, that was decidedly odd

I've been burning the candle at both ends, by working long days, doing errands and going to appointments with friends and for myself, visiting my mom (who was transferred to the rehabilitation centre within the nursing home my grandmother used to be in, closer to their home but further away from me), and basically getting about 4-5 hours of broken sleep at a time. So it's probably no wonder that I haven't written much.

I came home about 6:30 or 7 tonight, had a quick bite to eat, and then laid down for a bit. I shot for an hour's nap; I got two, with Pandora in the background and my fan running (I was terribly hot). I'd been having some trouble breathing today, which is why I didn't go get my allergy shots today. Anyway, I slept well. Then I woke up, went to the bathroom, and then the kitchen, where I grabbed something to drink and some string cheese, and I had my glasses off (you know, you get used to your house and can do certain things, even if you're nearly blind without them). But I did notice the light in the aquarium was off, which was odd, because it was on when I got home, and I didn't turn it off. I have several LED bulbs in the aquarium hood--one might have gone out, but that is unlikely, as they're not old and LEDs last a long time. So I went and got my glasses, turned the light to the dining room on, and tried the light. Nothing. I looked around to see what could be amiss, and it turns out the large and one small, heavy pictures on the wall, maps of the world, had fallen off somehow, fortunately straight down, so they didn't hurt the aquarium (29 gallons of water and fish on the floor would not have been good), but they did unplug the light and the pump. So I've plugged those in and I'm going to check and make sure the pump is putting water through in a minute. But it was weird.

There are a few things I need to do this weekend:

1. Get up early tomorrow and go over to YKWIA's house by 8 am and get him up for an appointment.
2. Take him to said appointment.
3. Go get some of his medicine from the pharmacy.
4. Pick him back up.
5. Take him home.
6. Go to the library and return a book. Read off the small amount of fines I have (they've got a fine read-off through tomorrow).
7. Go to work and get some hours in, doing the extra work I agreed to do, which will help keep me from being as short from the holiday for Christmas day from Monday.
8. Come home and work on:
   1. A book review.
   2. The game notes.
   3. The house.
   4. Watch the ball drop at midnight.
   5. Pick up A at 2 am from work on New Year's Eve downtown, hopefully without getting struck by a drunk driver.
   6. Get over to YKWIA's at 9 am Sunday to clean house for the game.
   7. Play the game.
   8. Pick A up at midnight from work. At least I don't need to work Monday due to the holiday, unlike normal, when I struggle to get up in time on Mondays.
9. For Monday--I have physical therapy with YKWIA in the middle of the day. Otherwise, I'm going to try to work on my own house and try to get caught up on my rest.

So, yeah, still busy, and starting the year off just as hectically. Oh, well. Anyway, I hope you all have a good New Year. 2016 has been pretty sucky--here's hoping that 2017 will be much better. Granted, I'm scheduled for a lay-off, but I might do better in the long run.

This is an excellent video

With Simon Sinek about Millennials and the challenges they face in the workplace. It was recommended to me by a coworker.  Apparently it was the day for video recommendations,  as another coworker suggested the Doc Vader videos such as Doc Vader vs.  the Hospital Administrator.  The author,  who also does music video parodies,  is a physician who uploads under the channel name ZDoggMD,  a character played by Zubin Damania, MD.

Just a quick note before bedtime

My mom's doing better.  She's still at UK hospital but in a step-down unit,  where yesterday she was talking,  eating,  and even walked a bit and sat up in a chair.  Today when I was over there I couldn't wake her,  and neither could the nurse practitioner,  so she ordered more medicine to help with the symptoms,  which include extreme sleepiness. Basically,  they're trying to find the right balance between her meds,  lab levels,  and symptoms. She may need some extra PT at a rehabilitation centre nearer to her hometown before getting to go home.  But she's been clear and with it and relatively easy to understand.  I've been over every day from Thursday to today,  except for Saturday,  when we were cooking for Sunday's Christmas dinner.  Sunday we got together for that,  and YKWIA and I went to a late-night showing of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Then we got A from work. Monday night I made latkes for Chanukah. Today it was back to work,  then visiting my mom, helping YKWIA with his house,  and then watching another episode of 'Shadowhunters'.  I think we have two left,  which is good,  as they expire off Hulu on the 31st of December.

Okay,  so much for something brief.  Have a good night.

Checking in

So,  as you can probably surmise from my lack of posts,  I've been very busy.

Monday I found out that everything was fine in terms of my gynaecological health,  and I took a friend to the doctor,  so I went in at 6 am so I could at least work half a day and still go to the two appointments.

Tuesday I worked from 7:45 am to 4:00, and had my counseling session.  I've been under a lot of stress lately,  and he  advised concentrating on maintaining the house and dealing tooth the stress rather than de-hoarding,  so I wouldn't get discouraged.

Wednesday I had PT after working from 6:15 to 4. While I was there,  my stepfather called to tell me my mom was in the hospital again,  this time at UK.  I got out of PT and took care of some things I'd promised to do,  and by the time I was finished it was 9, I was hurting quite a bit,  and was driving on empty, and I figured she was getting settled,  so I went home and went to bed early in the morning,  as I was getting up by 4:30 am.

Thursday I worked from 6:15 to 5, and I was tired,  but I went and visited my mom,  and she was doing pretty well in the ICU.

Today we were off for Christmas Eve,  which,  of course, is on the weekend this year.  I got the 32 hours I needed in this week,  and I have enough PTO for today.  I had a CT scan of my head and one of my lower back at Lexington Clinic first thing this morning,  and my doctor's office called me to let me know both scans were normal. I also went to the grocery,  the ATM,  the library to pick up a hold and pay a small fine,  and I got my allergy shots.  Then I came  home and treated for a bit.  I went to Gabriel Brothers and found 3 Lane Bryant bras for $5, rather than the normal $35. I also found a soft blanket for a friend's who needs his furnace replaced.  Important safety tip: when your friends gives you a smoke detector that doubles as a carbon monoxide detector, do not automatically take out the battery,  thinking it's your cooking.  The CO was being detected and was causing the alarm to go off.  But considering it was going off without a fire present,  the CO turned out to be an issue. After that,  I went home to relax for awhile. I visited with my stepfather and mom.  She was doing even better today. I could understand her and she was joking with John.  The resident said that the ammonia issue is a side effect of the procedure done last year to take care of the tumors she had on her liver at the time.  It was a necessary procedure but it cuts off some of the smaller blood vessels and affects the filtration by the liver.  The key,  he said,  was making sure she she took the lactolose like she should.  He's thinking she'll be an inpatient for at least a few days,  but moved out of the ICU. He thinks she should have some PT there before going back home and they will see about home health.  She's been in and out of the hospital,  so this could help build her strength.  But she's doing much better than she did at Danville's hospital, and I think they are more attentive at UK. She's still sick,  but at least UK seemed more optimistic than Danville,  which was ready to call on hospice and urged my stepfather to do a 'do not resecuitate'  order.  After that I went to YKWIA and he fed me and we watched two episodes of 'Shadowhunters',  which is expiring off his Hulu subscription by the end of the month.  Now I'm home.  It's been a productive day.

Tomorrow I have some things to do for YKWIA,  will visit my mom, and help cook for Sunday.  Sunday there is no game,  but A will come over and we'll all celebrate Christmas.

Monday I'm off for Christmas,  so we're doing Chanukah that night and I'll be making latkes.  Then it's back to long days, as my PTO will run out for Monday, 

It's back to work on Tuesday.  Here's to having a de-stressed holiday.

That's it.  Good night!

Good news on the health front

So I went to my post-op appointment and everything was benign, and while I could take hormones to keep things on a more even keel,  I chose to just let things continue as is unless my symptoms get worse. There was no sign of cancer or hyperplasia.  Instead it was termed 'dysfunction of the uterine lining',  meaning the uterine wall swings between being too thick or too thin. Basically that's a fancy term for a side-effect of perimenopause,  like I hoped,  although given my risk factors it was good to check everything out. So,  no hysterectomy or progesterone IUD required. I'm breathing a sigh of relief tonight.

Watched two things this weekend

Twice,  actually -- once with YKWIA on Saturday,  the second with him and Brenda today.  The first was the movie Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, based on the quirky novel of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith that blends Jane Austen's classic work with horror. It was a fun movie.  Regency costumes are beautiful,  and whoever did the costumes for this did an excellent job,  not only capturing the period look,  but making them serviceable for concealing a number of daggers and other weapons while looking sexy,  too. This garnered approval from the two history people and one professional costumer,  all of whom play in or run a game where they regularly keep various weapons on their characters' persons.

The second thing was an episode of 'Black Mirror', from season 3, episode 1, called "Nosedive",  in which there is a society where an individual's worth is their social media rating (which affects everything from your credit to getting housing to being able to even enter a building to go to work).  This leads to a superficial and desperate populace continually trying to please and appease everyone around them. The main character is invited to a wedding,  and things collapse in the attempt to get there. All of the show's episodes show,  in 'Twilight Zone'-like fashion,  some horrific aspect of our modern technological world and what it could lead to. This was the first episode I've seen,  but I definitely want to set more.  It definitely leaves a disturbing  image of what could be afterwards,  and gets you to think about the downside to technology afterwards.

Okay,  A should be calling for a ride in a few minutes, and I must get up early. I should go.  Good night.

The good, the bad, and the weird, respectively...

1) I have a new job to apply for,  this one at the University of Kentucky Law Library.  It's a digital librarian position.

2) I didn't get either of the part-time positions I interviewed for, but I'm moving on and trying not to take the rejection hard.

3) At the employee social tonight I asked the bartender for a Diet Pepsi, watched him put something in it and assumed it was some sort of syrup,  then tasted it and realised it was bourbon. Needless to say,  as I was driving,  dislike alcohol, and can't even drink a half a glass of wine without getting drunk,  I didn't drink any further. When asked, the bartender insisted there was nothing in it. I guess he was on autopilot and didn't realise what he did.  But that could have been bad.

Yay!

Got the opportunity today to make some extra money at work,  including overtime and on weekends,  doing data entry.  Couldn't happen at a better time... Have I mentioned I love my workplace?

This quote just popped up

In my inbox:

  “The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.”

― Charles R. Swindoll

Feeling a bit better tonight,  and this is very true.

Speaking of mood

One of the applications I have on my phone is called Daylio.  It's a mood tracker  and I've used it for 100 days in a row as of today.  It is simple and allows you to rate the day using faces and icons for activities. It will back up to Google Drive,  too,  so I didn't lose anything when I changed phones.  I've found that overall I have good days,  although today was just  'meh'. Anyway,  if this is something you're interested in tracking,  I highly recommend it.

Feeling a little blah tonight

2016 has been a very sucky year for me and my loved ones.  2017's got a lot of changes lined up which in the long run might be for the better,  but which will most likely be difficult and painful.  I'm already stressed out over several aspects of my life and over things going on in my friends' and family's lives.  But I'm going to try to keep on keeping on,  and hope that things might,  no matter how surprisingly,  get better.  I have to trust it will.  So I'm going to do all I can to make things okay and try to let go of the things I have no control over.

Well, it certainly wasn't the best

interview I've ever done,  but it was by no means the worst,  either.  (That distinction belongs to the old Lexington Community College,  where I not only had to deal with using a laptop and wireless mouse for the first time,  but I actually was late because I ran out of gas on the way.)

I did get a little vaguer in my examples as time wore on, as it became harder to remember specific, certain situations in customer service that I'd handled, but I thought we had a good rapport. I really hope this goes to the next level,  and not just because I need a job.  I want this job because I want to work with this clientele and with the librarians and other personnel there.  Everyone was so welcoming,  too.

At least I did calm down before going in.  About an hour and half before my appointment I was in a very nervous state,  and I was freaking because I'd left my medicine at home and didn't feel I'd be at my clearest.  But I decided  that really,  the interview was going to be conducted by fellow librarians,  who are generally nice people,  and likely will not bite or growl at me. So I just remembered to breathe and went in very calm.

Tomorrow I'll send out my thank yous. Please keep your fingers crossed for me and think good thoughts.

Feeling pretty well post-procedure

I had gotten rest on Thursday to the point that,  coupled with too much caffeine,  I didn't sleep much that night. So at 5:45 am I stopped trying and got ready,  went by the gas station and bank,  got breakfast at McDonald's,  and went on into work at about 6:45. I had just a little cramping and spotting this morning,  for which I took ibuprofen,  but then was feeling better in the afternoon,  so I didn't take anymore.  I haven't bled anymore,  either. I worked 9 1/2 hours,  then went home,  took an old flash drive and transferred the files from it,  deleted them from it,  and then put a friend's resume in two formats on it.  I then took it over to him along with some hard copies.  He's going to take it to the library and learn to upload them in job applications. Yes,  I could shown him,  but it makes him more independent to have a stranger do so. Also I got a call from the hospital checking on me,  which was good.

I went by the bank and deposited a cheque,  took him to the grocery,  returned a book to the library,  and we went back with a huge bag of dog food that he carried in.  My other friend chided me for carrying in a bag with light bulbs,  sandwich bags,  and hand soap because it might hurt my womb.  I assured him it was light and I was fine.  I couldn't handle the dog food,  of course,  but this was really light.  :)

Then I took A home and sat with him in the car,  practically making him call AT&T because he's had a Go flip phone for months, set his voicemail up when he first got it,  promptly forgot his PIN,  and hasn't been able to get his voicemails since. He's trying to get a job,  so this isn't good.  He talked with the guy,  we reset the PIN,  I got his voicemail set up again,  and he now knows the new PIN and how to get and delete them.

Then I came on home,  ate a sandwich,  and got a little nauseous and realised my main symptoms now are gas and bloating.  I think they may put gas up inside you during the procedure,  judging from a quick search on D&C with those symptoms. It's apparently common.  I went ahead and laid down,  hoping it would pass,  about 9:30 pm.  I didn't realise quite how tired I was. I woke up around 1 am because the water was running down in my CPAP (it smells odd when it does,  as it's basically a hot plate running out of water,  so it's got a slight burning smell then).  I unplugged the tree and the star lights,  hunted down a AAA battery for my thermometer/humidity gauge/alarm combo,  finally finding one in a pen light I wasn't using,  and took my insulin.  So I'm ready to go back to bed now,  but thought I'd post an update.  All told it was a good,  if busy,  day.  Tomorrow I plan to work on the game notes, get my rent taken care of,  go to the library to research for my interview Monday,  and then head over to YKWIA's and spend some time with him.

Have a good night,  and a nice weekend.

I went outside

To take the trash out (don't frown,  it was light,  and I'm saving the recyclables for later),  and this is a picture of the tree and star lights from outside.  Very pretty.

Interesting science news

A Mummy's DNA May Help Solve The Mystery Of The Origins Of Smallpox

The surprise find of smallpox DNA in a child mummy from the 17th century could help scientists start to trace the mysterious history of this notorious virus.

Smallpox currently only exists in secure freezers, after a global vaccination campaign eradicated the virus in the late 1970s. But much about this killer remains unknown, including its origins.

Now scientists have the oldest complete set of smallpox genes, after they went hunting for viral DNA in a sample of skin from a mummified young child, probably a boy, that was found in a crypt underneath a Lithuanian church.

I never got my smallpox vaccine. I was sick when it was scheduled and when I came back, they weren't giving them anymore here in the US, as we were on the road to eradication. But I'm the only person my age I've met who didn't have one.

Mix of Graphene With ‘Silly Putty’ Yields Extremely Sensitive Sensor

Mixing graphene—a material made of single-atom-thick layers of carbon—with homemade “Silly Putty” produces a sensor so sensitive that it can detect the tiny footsteps of spiders, according to new research.

The uses could be endless, but include wearable health trackers.

Well, he had a good run

John Glenn, courtesy NASA, pictured for his second space flight on October 29, 1998, on Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-95

John Glenn, First American to Orbit the Earth, Dies at 95

In addition to his military career (including WWII combat flights), pioneering orbit, political service, and return to space in the shuttle Discovery, he was married to his high school sweetheart, who survives him, for a staggering 73 years. My thoughts go out to Anna Glenn, their children, and grandchildren, and other family in this difficult time.

How to get absolutely insane blood sugar readings on a blood stick

I was dreaming a vivid dream of a group of five waifs in a hospital with a traditional Celtic harp, something you might see on the Hallmark channel, and I came awake suddenly. It was after 1 pm, so I thought I should probably go ahead and eat something. I poured some soda into a glass and took the bag from Kroger with the bread, peanut butter, and no-sugar-added spreadable fruit inside and took it over to the computer, at which time I discovered the lid of the fruit had popped off and it had oozed into the bag and over the other things. I got a few sticky places on my hand, but didn't think much about it, made the sandwich, set everything else aside to deal with later, and went to take my blood sugar. It read 'HI'. It never reads 'HI'. I've been 460 before in real life, but this seemed very odd. Then I took it again and in a different finger and it it said '467'. But I didn't feel high. So I washed my hands, changed the lancet, and retook it. '177', a little high, but I hadn't taken any insulin yet today, either, and I'd had that one no-sugar-added Klondike bar. It sounded much more correct. So I'm getting ready to take all of my meds, and it doesn't look like I'm heading for a sugar coma. Lesson of the day: always wash your hands before taking a glucose reading. :)

I'm home, I'm fine

I feel like someone scraped my insides out.  Oh,  yeah--they did.  Brenda took me to get meds and a little food at Kroger. I just took the super ibuprofen and I'm going to take a nap.  I feel well otherwise,  walked through the store,  and I don't feel loopy  really. I've called YKWIA,  texted A,  and called one of the women at work to let them know I was okay.  I get the results of my biopsy on the 19th. Okay, I guess that's enough for now.  I'll write later.

I guess I'm ready for this procedure

Brenda should be here in a few minutes. I've showered, packed a light bag with wallet, phone, CPAP masque, and eyeglasses case, dressed in the easiest clothes I can think of to get back on, and checked my blood sugar (151, which isn't bad for the morning). I'm hungry, achy, etc. (I haven't taken any pain reliever as a precaution because ibuprofen can cause bleeding). I got up at 2 am to put the pill up my vagina, so hopefully my cervix is softening as I write, although I had some difficulty (there's no applicator or anything, and it is, for all intents and purposes, just a tablet, not an actual cream or true vaginal suppository). I'm a little nervous, but not as bad as I was yesterday afternoon. It's a minor procedure (hysteroscopy, biopsy, and D&C), after all. And yes, things can happen. And the results could mean anything from no action, to an IUD with progesterone, to a full-blown hysterectomy, but that's a worry for another day.

So in the meantime, I'm sitting with the Yule tree lit up, the star lights going, and I'm just waiting to go.

I'll try to write later, hopefully when I'm not TOO loopy. :) Take care.

Gee

There are 445 applications,  512 pictures,  and 2206 songs on my phone.  Wow.  Of course,  the music and pictures are on a MicroSD card,  not the phone's internal storage, which is an advantage of having an Android phone. When I got the new phone  I just had to transfer the physical card rather than the files. But still...maybe that's a little excessive?  But I do use most of it regularly. The latest application is called Serial Reader,  which delivers classic stories by daily 20 minute readings for free.  I've started with 'The Yellow Wallpaper'  by Charlotte Perkins Gilman,  niece of Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Listening to Pentatonix and trying to get into some Yuletide cheer...

Well, the tree is up and the lights are on, and after a short break, so are the ornaments. I have given my yearly accidental blood offering--it never fails, I pinch my hand putting on the branches at some point. I suspect it's because I'm a pagan celebrating Yule with an artificial tree. I prefer a live one, but this was given to me, works nicely, and I can't afford a live tree that will just die quickly, and seems a shame to cut a live tree. :) Happy Yuletide, or Solstice, or Christmas, or Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you may celebrate, if any. May the light shine in you, and in your life, as the long darkness gives way to the slow return of the sun.

Sadness and joy

Well, my mom is doing pretty poorly. The upshot is that without being on the list for a liver transplant, she'll continue to be in and out of the hospital at best, slip into a coma and die at worst, and if she can't get on it, we need to think about bringing in hospice and letting nature take its course. Due to her health issues and age, she's probably not going to be put on that list. My stepfather was going to call the University of Kentucky today and see if they can see her or at least take a look at some of her tests and see if there's any hope. It's kind of late tonight, so I'll check with him tomorrow to see what happened.

I spent from about 10 am to 7 pm with my mom yesterday, mostly alone. I fed her lunch and dinner (they'd just left breakfast next to her like she was capable of eating on her own). She was confused early in the day, got better after a treatment, and I'm pretty certain she eventually recognised me, and her speech was much clearer by the end of the day and she wasn't struggling so much to be understood by that time. Over the course of the day I helped the nursing staff move her up in her bed and held her as they cleaned her up, etc. It's so sad to see her like this. My stepfather is really having a difficult time taking it all in, how much she's gone downhill in a short period of time.

Once I got home, I was exhausted emotionally and physically. I laid down and I don't remember falling asleep; I was just gone one minute and then heard my phone go off when A called for a ride home from work about two hours later. I don't know how my stepfather has the strength to deal with this (and so much more) on a daily basis. I was thankful he came and took me down there and brought me back up. I needed to see her, and she needed to see me. In a moment of clarity we exchanged 'I love you's. But the experience has clouded most of that evening and today for me.

I did have one bright bit of happiness today, though. I got a call just as I was leaving work and it was the Lexington Public Library calling about a part-time position of Library Associate in the Kentucky Room at Central Library. We set up a time to talk and she called back, asking me some questions and then set up an interview for next week! An interview! Oh, Lisa, please don't flub this! I'm really excited about the prospect of working with the public in genealogy and historical research, drawing from my history background and library training. It's part-time, with a schedule that would work with my current one (I might need to tweak my schedule by about a half hour to an hour, but both of my bosses are flexible and I'm sure would be alright with it). There are actually two positions, the only difference being that one works on Wednesday nights and the other on Thursdays. Please keep your fingers crossed for me! It would mean money coming in before the job loss and then having something part-time, at least, when it happens, and it would be great experience and a foot in the door into public librarianship. I'm really looking forward to the interview, although I have to find something suitable to wear--most of my interviewing clothes are better for summer.

So that's good, anyway. Wish me luck. I'll sign off for now, but I'm going to try to get back on a regular schedule of writing. In the meantime, just in case that's it for tonight, hope you had a good weekend and have a wonderful night.

My stepfather

is coming up this morning to take me to visit my mom. So I'm listening to Pandora, I'm pretty much ready to go, I've got the dishwasher going, and am just waiting. I need to take my meds, so I'll do that. I send him my address via text to remind him, as it's been awhile since he's been here. I suspect it's going to be a difficult day. But I'm glad I'm getting to go down there. I'll check in later.

This is probably almost twenty-five years old

But it is probably the last photo I had taken with my mom. We've both changed a lot since then. Please keep her in your thoughts,  if you would. 

It's been almost a week since I've posted

I think this is the longest I've gone in years.  But now I'm hot and up in the middle of the night and not sleeping at all,  so it seemed a good time to check in.

Almost every aspect of my life is going well this week.  I found another job to apply for.  I helped a friend through a difficult week.  I was productive at work and managed to work extra to offset an appointment without using PTO. Brenda is back in the area and can give me a ride Thursday to my procedure. I'm a little nervous about having it,  but I'm relieved she'll be there.

But I look around the house and I can tell--stress has been insidious. I'm not to the tipping point yet,  but I'm close. And there's one main reason. I've been sad and worried about my mother,  and unable to get to her.  I have a message in to my  stepfather to see if there is a way he could come get me either day this weekend so I can see her for a few hours.  It's not looking good.  It may be my last chance. With the car like it is right now,  I could easily get stranded if I try to go on my own.  I don't have enough money to fix it or to rent a car. I looked into it,  as well as a transport service between Danville and Lexington. Thirty-five miles has never seemed so long a way. I feel like a failure. My mother and I are not close like we used to be,  and there is a lot of baggage from the past.  But I just want to see her and say goodbye. Hopefully I'll hear back from John tomorrow.

:(

Maybe I shouldn't have put this reminder

On my phone,  but it counts down and shows on a widget how many days to an event.  I have this many (124) until I lose my job at Shriners Hospitals for Children, reaching the milestone of 20 years of service a short time before I am laid off.  But I thought it might encourage me in my job search and work on library decommissioning in the meantime,  so I wouldn't put things off.

It's the last of a long weekend

and it was a very pleasant day. I went over and cleaned my friend's house, and although I brought my laundry over, he wanted to hold off on that so he could take a shower, which didn't materialise before I left, so I'm going to do mine and his tomorrow evening after physical therapy, if I can. I left the clothes over there. I'm still good on clean clothes, after all, although sadly, my belt that I've had for something like 30 years old (and is technically three sizes too small, but it's one of those braided leather belts, so they stretch and can be put through the braid) is finally fraying to the point where I don't think jeans or my belted pants are an option. I found one in my size, non-braided, but with a double tang, for $9 at Amazon, so I ordered it. It's not eligible for two-day shipping through Prime, but the shipping was free if I waited till December 2nd through 8th. So my old belt just has to last till then, hopefully. I haven't been able to find anything suitable locally for less than $30 or $40, so I'm hoping this will work.

I also have a wallet case coming for the new phone and a fast-charging car charger, since the S7 has that capability, and I'd rather use a Samsung charger than a third-party one. But both were less than $10 each, so I thought I did alright.

I went out just a little while ago, feeling the need to stretch my legs, and I went to Rite Aid to get a sharps container (well, two, really, but they only had one out on the shelf). I also got toilet paper and some paper towels, because I hadn't gotten them in awhile and only had toilet paper because YKWIA had given me some.

I texted my stepfather about my mom today but haven't heard back. I guess no news is good news. I'll call tomorrow if I don't hear from him.

I got home about 6 or 7 this evening and have just kind of relaxed. I did fall asleep for about an hour, but got up and completed my goals for steps and activity level by going out. Tonight I have to get A at midnight, and then I need to go in just a little bit early at work because I have a 5:20 pm appointment with PT, and I have to pick up YKWIA on the way, which is a lot to do when you normally get off work 20 minutes before the appointment. I'm doing much better pain-wise; right now I'd say my pain is about a 3, and that's at the end of the day. I actually took my heating pad back over to YKWIA's so he could use it, as I haven't been. I'm moving much better as a result, which is good, because I have some materials on my table at work that really need to be moved, and I've been avoiding it until the flareup subsides. I also want to work on the house some, weeding books, this week, and maybe put up the holiday tree sometime, maybe into next weekend. I definitely want to get it up before my procedure, so I don't have to fool with it then.

Okay, I guess I could go look at the news for a bit--A is supposed to call me in a half-hour or so. Just from what I've gleaned from notifications on my phone, it sounds like Trump is tweeting madly as usual. It amazes me that anyone his age could act the way he does and not get a stern talking-to by an aide or publicist. But I guess when you have that much money, people tell you whatever you want to hear, which disturbs me in terms of the coming four years. Throwing a tantrum every time someone does or says something you don't like is not a way to 'lead the free world', and he's going to have to grow a much thicker skin to succeed as president. I mean, look at all Obama has put up with for eight years. But the man has dignity, which is something I think Trump will never have.

I've been recuperating from Thanksgiving

We put so much effort into the meal, and it turned out great, but I think we all (or at least the two people making the meal) had to relax a little over the next couple of days to fully recharge. I simply do not understand how people make Thanksgiving happen and then go out for Black Friday (or even on Thursday) and shop like mad. I don't do that. One, I do not have the stamina (if it's shop till you drop, I'd drop easily enough, at least after three days of Thanksgiving preparations), and two, I hate crowds. Absolutely. Especially crowds behaving badly. So my Friday morning was a matter of sleeping in, and then I went about 1 pm and picked a friend up and took him somewhere, and then returned home and relaxed. About 5:30 pm, I was having trouble with my phone, a two-and-a-half-year-old Samsung Galaxy S5 (the battery was finally starting to give out--it wasn't charging well, might even have been overcharging, and when trying to get into it at full charge, or sometimes at other times, the screen was flashing green, and then nothing; it was also turning itself off at 17%). I was considering going out to Batteries Plus and checking out the new batteries, but I stopped by T-Mobile instead, thinking they could at least verify what I thought was happening. They're in the same area anyway, maybe a few yards from one another.

Turns out T-Mobile was having a trade-in special to upgrade to a Samsung Galaxy S7 or iphone 7 for Black Friday. With the credit from my phone, which was in very good shape otherwise (just missing that stupid charging door, which had fallen off a mere two weeks or so ago), I just had to pay $8 down and will have to add $5 to my phone bill for awhile. Not bad, really. The majority was given as a credit on my next bill, the rest as a credit for the equipment charge, hence the $5 per month rather than the usual $15 or $20. I went ahead and had them put a screen protector on and got a couple of cases while I was there. They added that to the the equipment charge, bringing up to just over $5, and I paid another $6 or so out-of-pocket. Not bad for a $684 phone plus about $60 worth of accessories, really. So even though I don't 'do' Black Friday, I saved quite a bit.

They transferred some things (pictures, contacts, etc.) from one phone to the other, transferred my microSD card (which the S6 did not support, which is why I didn't upgrade before--there's a little tool that you use to open the drawer, actually, which was a little odd), and then they wiped the old phone while I looked on. The whole process took a little under an hour. They didn't go ahead and transfer applications, because I had over 400, but I went into the 'my app' area of Google Play and got the ones I wanted back, then got a couple I have through Samsung, and some from Amazon that had been on the old one. So a lot of last night was geeking about and setting up my new phone.

Today I went over early to YKWIA's because he had a vet appointment, so we loaded up the dogs and went up the road to the clinic. They got a great check up, he picked up some heartworm/flea medicine, and we brought them back. We hung out, watched a little 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' ('The Magnificent Ferengi', a great episode), and some other videos, took a nap at one point, and then I got a call from the hospital in the town where my mom lives that she'd been brought in by the EMS and they needed permission to treat. I gave it, then tried to find my step-father, as they said no one was there with her and they couldn't reach him. I even had the police there do a wellness check on him, as his health isn't great, and I thought maybe someone else had called the rescue squad and he didn't know what was going on. But they told me he had been the one to call, so we figured he was probably there and the hospital hadn't realised it.

I went to the store to pick up some things for both YKWIA and myself and to get more containers for the soup and salad I forgot the other day for myself and A. We loaded up the containers and I went on home. John, my step-dad, called me, and he'd been at the hospital the whole time and didn't know why they'd called me. We talked and he let me know how things had been going. He'd come on home, so she was doing pretty well for now. She has some chronic health issues that require regular treatments, and the University of Kentucky didn't do them over Thanksgiving, so she missed one, and it caused a flare-up. They just have to get her levels back down and she should be okay (for now). But she'd been in the hospital just two weeks ago, for the same thing, so that's troubling. Last year she spent most of the holiday season in the hospital, so it seems to get worse this time of year. I'm going to play it by ear and once the car is fixed this week, I may be able to go down and see her.

Later, the hospital called back, and was asking questions about her medicine, and I pointed out that her husband would know more about that than I; I live in a different city entirely, after all. I mean, I was nice about it, but it's like they're ignoring him or something. Then she said (this was about 9:30 pm), oh, do you think he'd still be up at this time--I hate calling people this late. And I'm thinking, well, you called me. I guess I'm still in the category of young enough that I wouldn't be in bed by 9:30, which is funny, because I was. :) Anyway, I'm glad they did call me. John's good about letting me know when she's having issues, but still. And it would just have delayed her treatment for them to hunt him down, even though according to him, he was sitting in the room with her.

I just got back from giving A a ride home (he gets off work at 1 am on Saturday). He's ecstatic over the University of Kentucky's win over the University of Louisville in football tonight. I don't really get the whole sports thing, really. I gave him his food, saw him to his home, and came on back. Now I think I'll head on to bed. Good night.

I think that counts as crashing

I came home, put the food away, did my little blog and Facebook entries, and proceeded to go into the other room, get into my p.j.s, and went straight to bed. I woke up feeling a little uncomfortable (my back, neck, shoulders, and arm are feeling much better, but my feet are really stiff--and I didn't stand as much as the others). I got up to take my medicine, brush my teeth, etc., and had a couple of things from out of the refrigerator. All in all, the hard work we've put in over the last few days, from slicing squash in two with hacksaws to whipping cream and sugar into stiff peaks, was so worth it. Things have been very difficult for all three of us this year, and so it was nice to come together for a good meal. We didn't do the salad or the gougers; we decided we could do those another day. For reasons I can't go into, difficult reasons, YKWIA decided to go all-out this year after all, when originally it was supposed to be scaled back. It was uncertain we were going to be able to pull it off, actually, and while I contributed a lot of work to the endeavour, I really didn't help with the finances, because I couldn't. Every spare dime I can drum up right now is going to the car repairs next week, and they're going to help me with it because I give them rides everywhere--otherwise it would have had to be put off, something that would not have been good considering the car needs a brake job and a new ball joint.

But it all worked out. It was a good day. It was almost like old times. I'm going to have to take some ibuprofen tonight (for reasons I won't go into, I may need to drive tonight, so I can't take the relaxants). I'm sore. Poor YKWIA laid down while we did the clean up. It really takes a lot out of him. I do a lot of the prep work, but he's the main cook, keeps all the recipes straight, orders them in terms of staging, etc. Plus he'd had a few 'sippy, sippy' moments as we cooked, and a small glass of wine at the table (A and I do not drink--I was driving, anyway, and I can't drink half a glass of wine without going under the table, plus I never really developed a taste for alcohol of any sort, and about the only thing I enjoy drinking is mead, which is very sweet, as it's made from honey).

Okay, I'm going to take my meds, brush my teeth, and try to go back to bed. I'm off tomorrow (yay). Good night.

Success!

It was three to four days in the making, but here is what our Thanksgiving feast looked like (completely vegetarian--the round roast slices on the plates are Quorn, which tastes like turkey but is made from mushroom protein). We also had rolls, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and pearl onions, green beans with shallots, stuffed butterkin squash, pumpkin soup, cranberry port sauce, pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream, and for drinks we had homemade lemonade and ice tea, with our host having a bit of wine as well. I'm thankful that we were able to spend good company together and for the leftovers that I'll eat for the next few days. :) Hope those of you who celebrate were surrounded by love ones and good food. Have a very happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Home again after 1 am

We cooked from 5 pm to 12:15 am with one break during which we watched 'Ugly Betty'.  I am pooped.  I am going to bed,  as I have to get A and ice and get them over to YKWIA's by 9 am. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate it.  Good night.

Tonight

We went to Good Foods Co-op and three Kroger stores,  hunting for ingredients for Thanksgiving.  Then we made pumpkin soup,  a vegetable dip (not for dipping veggies,  but rather made from veggies to put on crackers). YKWIA also made fish cakes for us to eat tonight.  I just got home.  At least it's a little earlier than last time.

Tomorrow is a run to Costco and Fresh Market,  and then we'll toast hazelnuts,  make cranberry sauce with port,  a pie, and put together an apple salad.  That leaves nine of the fourteen dishes to make on Thanksgiving.

Okay,  I'm going to go to bed.  Good night.

I found out the other day

That my phone will take panoramic photos.  This is one of my library at work.  It's small,  but it's home.  I will so miss it.  It's hard to believe that I have to dismantle it over the next four months. :(

It's after 1 am

And I just got home.  I went in early this morning to work,  got off work early as a result,  went across town to get some medicine for a friend and myself,  came back across town to go to my appointment,  which went well,  went to YKWIA's,  visited awhile,  took some food to another friend,  took YKWIA to Kroger for Thanksgiving shopping,  helped him out away groceries,  and watched the last episode of 'Little Britain'  with him.  I'm pooped,  and sore -- especially my feet.  I took some ibuprofen just now,  and some tizanidine, along with my other nightly meds. Here's hoping that helps. Now I'm in my pyjamas and while I haven't put the sheets back on the bed,  I'm just going to sleep tonight with a blanket and sort about the bed linens later.  Good night.

I have been up a half an hour

and in that time I've gotten my laundry together, including stripping the bed, packed my book bag with all the stuff I'm taking with me, checked my phone notifications, opened the blinds, got the last of the bread with some honey, got some caffeine, and in a minute I'm going to take my medicine and after that hop in the shower. All in all, I'm doing much better than yesterday, especially as I went to bed at 3:38 am, or at least that's the last I saw the time. Oh, I also removed an application I'd tried on my phone. I thought it was supposed to gently wake you up with light, and maybe it does that, but when the actual alarm happens, it sends light in a pulsating pattern through the flash, and it's practically seizure-inducing. It's called Glimmer; it's a nice concept but it's definitely not for me. I don't have epilepsy, but I get headaches around pulsing light, like copiers (which is why I always close the cover) and strobes. It is one of the reasons I've never been into clubbing. (That and I don't drink, and have social anxiety. Okay, there's lots of reasons for me to stay out of clubs.) :)

It looks like it'll be a bright, happy, if cold day (46 for the high). I'll be inside most of the time, though, except to take the trash and litter out and dump the mop bucket. If I can get all my work done, and we can watch the movie, then maybe I'll be home before or a little after dark, and can work on more books. That reminds me, I should take books over to YKWIA's, but I need another box, or it'll be too heavy to put them all in there. Hmmm...maybe I can temporarily put them into the grey totes I have. That's a thought. Ideally, I should just bring him to my place, I know, but I don't think that's going to happen. I know he'd rather me bring them to him. I wish we could do Thanksgiving over here in a way (his oven needs adjusting, which is putting the cooking time and temperature off), but I think my place is just too small to cook ten dishes for three people. Even using my table in the dining area (which is also where the microwave is) would not really work, I don't think, but I'd give it a try in a pinch. I have a kitchen island in the kitchen with a drop leaf, but it's hard for more than one person to work in there at a time with that leaf up, and the leaf goes towards the oven. Also, he hates cooking on electric. But we'll see. And I might get more pierogis for Thanksgiving, as A hasn't had any yet. The four cheese ones are still over there, but the feta/spinach ones are excellent.

Okay, I've eaten and had some caffeine. Time for meds and shower. Have a great day!!!

I feel a little like Goldilocks

The last time I bought a toothbrush, I accidentally got 'medium' and well, I have sensitive teeth, and it's kind of harsh. Then the dental hygienist gave me one that was 'sensitive' that is so soft, the bristles are starting to bow after a very short time. Enter the brush my dental insurer (Aetna) gave us at our benefits meeting last month, all packaged up with a travel cover, and it's just right, 'soft' without being too soft, and it's got one of those doo-hickeys on the other side for your tongue (funny, I just brush my tongue). Anyway, I'm all ready for bed; brushed, flossed (yay for Habitica), medicine taken. I've had a lot of caffeine, so I'm not sure how long it'll take to sleep, but I feel good. Even my arm, shoulder, neck thing isn't hurting much, just a twinge. I realised, looking at the calendar, that I didn't make an appointment with my physical therapist on this upcoming short week, but it may be okay. I think I'm almost back to normal. We'll see, anyway. And I have it the next week, so if I start hurting there's that, or I'm sure he could try to work me in if needed this week. Of course, I have an appointment after work on Monday, and YKWIA has one on Wednesday, so I'm not sure how that will work. But if I feel as well as I am right now, I'll be back to my old self.

I got on the computer to look at feeding dried brine shrimp to goldfish. You can, but they're rich, so they're not everyday foods. I'm almost out of their regular food, so the shrimp might help it last awhile longer, especially if I crumble it up fine. I want to get pellets next time for the goldfish food, as they're better than flakes and don't make as much mess. I have Betta pellets, but I don't know if those will work. I guess I can Google that as well. [The answer is not really--Bettas eat a lot of protein, as carnivores, and goldfish are omnivores. It won't hurt for a feeding or two, but it shouldn't be done regularly.] If I recall, goldfish have fairly small mouths, although they're just a fancy carp, so I might have to cut the pellets with my fingernail. I just have to get through three more days, though. Also, I'm having a bit of a toilet paper crisis (how appropriate, given my earlier post). Tomorrow I will have to ask YKWIA for some; it the meantime I still have those supposedly flushable cloths made by Cottonelle (they really shouldn't be flushed, you should see what they do in the sewers) to tide me over.

I hope I get one of these jobs I've applied for so that I won't be going down to the wire like this on a regular basis. Most of my next cheque is going to the car repair, even with my friends' help. But hey, even though it's 15 years old, it just passed 62,000 miles, so it's doing pretty well, and I'd like to keep it that way. :)

Okay, it's 2 am. I'd like to get over to YKWIA's for laundry, housecleaning, and the movie Ant-Man from Netflix by 9 am if possible. That may also be a 'we'll see' sort of thing. :) Anyway, have a good night. Hope your weekend is going well.

Well, the closet so far is a success

There were gaming and older books from the early- to mid-twentieth century in there.  Roughly two-thirds of them are now in an overflowing box to be taken to YKWIA's and,  if he's not interested in them,  to the Lexington Public Library.  That leaves some comics to go through and a shelf of collectible cards,  including a complete set of 'X-Files' cards from 1996 that can be sold to a collectibles store or put on eBay. All in all,  I think it was successful.  The gaming books were the hardest to part with,  but I was brutal,  and really asked myself which I might ever really need.  The other books were easier....Will I ever read The Five Little Peppers?  I kept a few, like Black Beauty,  which I adore and might read again happily.  But Nancy Drew and the Boxcar Children went.

The idea is to,  after the closet books are taken care of, begin weeding other shelves to make room for those books.  The shelves in the closets,  which are metal, can then be taken out  and either be put to better use or gotten rid of.  I may use them for plants in the living room,  if I can put them so they don't actually block the windows. Or they may go in the walk-in closet for small items that can survive if the ceiling,  where the air conditioner pan is,  leaks. We'll see.

So I've read,  listened to music,  relaxed,  made bread,  and worked on the books.  I've also been online a bit,  blogging and going on Facebook and Habitica.  I'm going to try to contribute in Habitica by answering questions and the like for newer folks. I've joined guilds for people interested in contributing to the site.

Okay,  I think I'll do a little more reading--lighter stuff this time. I am also charging my tablet after finally finding the cord during an intensive search.  :)  One of these days my house will be as organised for myself as much as I organise other people's collections.

Today is World Toilet Day

That might bring a smile to your lips. Sounds silly to you, even, maybe. It's serious. Well, except for the poo haiku, below.

With thanks to Fred King, who forwarded this yesterday to the MEDLIB-L list from the USAID list:

World Toilet Day

Today, 1 in 3 of the world's 7.4 billion people do not have access to a toilet. In recognition of World Toilet Day, tomorrow, we call attention to what a significant issue this is around the world. A lack of toilets in health facilities and at home is a major cause of illness and poor health outcomes, including diarrhea. Women and children are affected disproportionately by inadequate access to sanitation services. Without adequate access to them, women and girls are liable to miss school or work during menstruation or may be put at an increased risk of sexual assault. Investments in sanitation can help prevent childhood diarrhea, which is a major cause of under-5 mortality.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its partners work to save lives and advance development through improvements in sanitation access and use. USAID invests in sustainable sanitation improvements for schools, health centers, hospitals, and households to enhance public health and unleash greater economic potential in partner communities around the world.

Since Fiscal Year 2014, USAID and its partners have helped 4.3 million people gain access to improved sanitation.

Learn more:

* Learn more about USAID's water, sanitation, and hygiene efforts. https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/global-health/maternal-and-child-health/technical-areas/water-sanitation-hygiene-wash

* Listen to a podcast by Cheryl Hicks on World Toilet Day 2016. (and)
* Read about our new partnership with Toilet Board Coalition. https://medium.com/usaid-global-waters/world-toilet-day-2016-usaid-announces-partnership-with-toilet-board-coalition-a57c38f48994#.ffpr1i2co

* Read our Response to the Global Sanitation Challenge: More Than Just Toilets [PDF, 523KB]. https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/E3-1SanitationReport_FY15.pdf

* Read DefeatDD's 2017 poo haiku winners. http://www.defeatdd.org/blog/defeatdd%E2%80%99s-2017-poo-haiku-calendar-poo-ets

Well, today's been pretty much a bust

Mainly because I've been moving slowly with the temperature change and I've had no caffeine to speak of. I didn't even get up and take a proper shower till about 3 pm. I've gone out now and spent $3.54 of the last $3.74 I had on caffeinated soda, so I can get through the weekend. I really should break myself of this stuff, or at least learn to drink coffee.

So except for some music listening, I've done practically nothing of what I should. I'm usually better motivated than this. On the other hand, I'm not going to beat myself up about anything. Brenda is in North Carolina, so the notes do not have to be finished tonight. I think I can go to the library the day after Thanksgiving and do my research (although I will have to take that book by the book drop tonight or tomorrow morning, as it's due). Reading I can still do. The closet I can work on this weekend, before my session on Monday. So it'll all work out.

Being home, resting, and watching the autumn colour out my front window, the birds, the folks walking their dogs, all reminds me of the three months I was off with my ankle break four years ago. It's hard to believe it's been that long since I was hit by the car. It's the longest continuous time I have ever been at my home. I tend to find reasons to be out of it. You'd think I'd be comfortable alone and at home by now. I am much better, though, very much so. But I still tend to stay over-long with friends as much as I can so I don't face a silent apartment. I always feel lonely here, I guess.

I found out the other day the downside of questing with a party on Habitica. Someone didn't do their dailies, and the entire party took so much damage that I lost all my health (although it did let me revive), a level of experience, all my gold, and a special item. None of us were pleased. I nearly left the party over it. But I stayed, and things have been better. I have discovered that I'm probably the oldest member of the party--there's a 25-year-old Dutch student, and an eleven-year-old who has something like three accounts and has a lot of levels that I think he finagled somehow, rather than building up over time. But hey. To each his own. I'm at level 109 after almost a year. It would have been 110--I'm almost back to that, at least. I've found all the regular pets, plus two special ones, have made all the regular pets mounts, and found them again. There is a key you can purchase in the shop that will let all your beasts and mounts go, and you can start collecting them in your stable again. I'm considering it. The achievement stays, but I'd get to use the eggs, hatching potions, and food I find to start over with that. There is also an orb that can, for free, start you out in another class after level 100 is achieved, so you can work towards going through all the classes (mage, rogue, warrior, and healer). I think I'll wait till my anniversary, which is in December, for that.

I've nearly completed the Earthsea and Greek reading challenges. I'm only 1% through Aristotle, but once I get through his complete works, and hopefully can do that before the end of December, then I'll have completed that. I'm working my way through The Other Wind now, and the bonus is Tales from Earthsea. So, it's coming along.

Okay, Sabbath ends shortly. I think I'll read some Aristotle now that I have woken up and it's nice and quiet, in case YKWIA calls after dark. Actually, I'll probably call and check on him. Hopefully he had a nice, quiet day. I suspect he has been more productive. But you know, I rarely have an entire 'day off', so I'm not going to feel guilty about not doing much. And there's always tonight. But first, there's Aristotle.

PS I did look to see how much the bread yeast was, and it was on sale, but for $4.99 a jar, or $4.49 for 10 packages. Too rich for me. Maybe I can borrow some from YKWIA to get me through till Wednesday. Because we normally would get paid on Thursday, which is Thanksgiving, we should be paid on Wednesday this week. Here's hoping.

I had a rare sleep-in today

It's turned very cold, just in the 40s, and I did get up early this morning and turn the heat on, although I must say, my little apartment stays pretty warm, as it hasn't kicked on yet. It's hard to believe that yesterday was sandals and open windows.

YKWIA is supposed to e-mail me if he needs me for anything (he can't call, it's Sabbath), and so I slept-in, then listened to some music in the bedroom, and now I'm up making lunch (farfalle and Italian tomato sauce), and baking my last loaf of bread, this time oatmeal bread. That'll take a couple of hours at the most. I'm thinking about going to the library and doing some research from their system to make sure I understand all their databases, etc., in case I get called about one of the positions I applied for. I also need to go return a book, and maybe take a few others back.

Other things I'd like to do today:

1. Work on the game notes and get them out of the way.
2. Work on the closet.
3. Read.

That's it. That and the library. I'll also need to pick A up tonight at 1 am, and maybe after Sabbath (after sunset) I'll hear from YKWIA, so my plan is to do those during the day. At least the sun is breaking form the clouds, so maybe there will be more light in here to work by and I won't have to turn lights on all over the place.

Note

The part that says it will be 32 degrees colder tomorrow than today.  It's 62 degrees at 10:30 pm. It was supposed to be 78 today,  and I wore sandals and Capris comfortably today.  Not so much tomorrow.  And I think Sunday will be cold as well.  I will probably ache tomorrow with that sort of drop.  I'm not really looking forward to it.

There's an hour-and-a-half of my life I will never get back

So I took a fairly short nap (for me) and got up about 8:30 pm, deciding that I was in the mood to watch television, something that almost never happens when I'm by myself. I like watching things with friends, but not so much alone. Well, I don't have cable for that reason, just a little digital antenna, but I do have a Smart TV that can connect via Wi-Fi to Netflix and other services. I mostly use it for Pandora.

So I go into Samsung's Smart Hub, which updates, then into Netflix, and it won't sign in, because I'd changed my password since the last time I was on, and it wasn't giving me the option to re-sign in. I got out of the application, out of Smart Hub, went back in, and it did let me sign in. Then I thought to myself, I'm a Prime member again with Amazon (on a monthly basis), why don't I set up Amazon Video, too, since that was something I never really got into. So my hell began.

See, the password for that had also changed, so I went to put in the e-mail address and new password, to no avail, as it kept giving an unexpected error. That's what it said--an unexpected error has occurred when you tried to sign on. Sigh. So I poked around the Amazon website, as I was given an error when I tried to go back, an error that didn't show up in their code list. I finally deregistered the TV, tried to register it again, but when I chose that option, no code was given, just a spinning circle followed by nothing changing. So after trying this a few times, I called Amazon. Treyshawn was very, very helpful. [I mean that literally, not sarcastically. I say that because tone is not possible on a blog, He was very professional and kept me calm when I was getting a bit frustrated]. He had me turn off and unplug the TV, then had me put it back on again, and he walked me through the steps I'd done, and that didn't work for him either, so he did some checking and apparently it is a known issue on their end. So he set up a followup where they will e-mail me when the situation is resolved. So there is no Amazon Video possible on my TV at the present, but at least I wasn't doing anything wrong, and he reassured me that I can actually operate technology competently. I asked if it were just a Samsung problem, and it is, so the Roku in the bedroom should work fine. I proceeded to set up both Netflix and Amazon Video on that box, so I can at least watch either in the bedroom now. I've gotten pretty decent at putting things in via a remote control tonight.

Sadly, I spent so much time trying to set things up, that frankly, I'm not in the mood to watch now, and I think I'll read instead. Books never fail me. Even my Kindle, which can lose power and I'm sure have other issues, seems pretty reliable. So, it's back to either Aristotle (which might be nice in the quiet of the evening) or The Other Wind, which I began earlier today. Have a great weekend. I think I'll sign off for now.

PS The pesto bread was good, but it occurred to me that perhaps I'd made a mistake in trying it, given that you can't really eat peanut butter or jam or honey on it, and I have only enough yeast to last for one more loaf. So I've had bread, and only bread, tonight. :( There's not much else in the house. I even had to borrow $10 from YKWIA tonight because I was on my gas light and wanted to make it home. Oh, well, this too shall pass. Good night.

I've got the bread making, too

And I'm trying a different type than normal--Italian wheat with pesto. I happened to have an Italian pesto sauce left over from Kroger's 'Taste of Italy' promotion. All the bread has in it is white and wheat flour, water, salt, pesto, yeast, and sugar, so I had everything. I definitely only have enough yeast for one more loaf, though. :( The pesto has both cashews and pine nuts, along with garlic, basil, and olive oil, of course. I still have some basmati rice; I made too much. Now I have to figure out something that will go with it, as I don't have any more Indian food.

Okay, I've eaten. It was wonderful. The bread should be ready in a little less than a couple of hours. I've taken the half-tablet of my muscle relaxant I'm supposed to, and I'm going to do some reading. I'm feeling pretty decent--much better than the beginning of the day, which was kind of rough. Just in case I don't write any more, I hope you have a good night.

Mmm...

Not bad for a pouch of ready-made,  microwavable goodness and packaged naan.

Wow

My internet connexion is running slow as molasses. I can't tell if it's the connexion, actually, or the computer, but hopefully I can get a post written.

I applied for each of the two part-time jobs at the public library today, tweaking my résumé [I seem to be doing that constantly] and writing a cover letter. The jobs are identical, and in the same area, except for the schedule, so I went ahead and wrote one cover letter to cover both, but applied for each separately, so that I would be considered for both. It occurred to me after I applied that I had agreed tentatively to be a resource person for an upcoming Family-to-Family class sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, but that had been with the understanding that if I got a job, I might have to drop out, so I think it'll be okay. Only one of the positions is on Wednesday evenings, at least. The other varies on Thursday. The application period closes on November 25th, so I should hear something within a couple of weeks after that.

I am home, straight from work (for a change). I started out by unloading the dishwasher and loading it, and then washing the plastics and a few of the other dishes that suggest hand washing, like my cookware. I discovered that, while my left sink works fine, the right is clogged, and the switch for the garbage disposer (which I use only rarely) does nothing. So, I called, expecting to get a recording at the leasing office, got the agent, and put in a work order request that they'll do tomorrow. But at least I could wash my dishes.

So, after that I washed some basmati rice and I'm letting it soak for 30 minutes, which is what the directions say--I've never done that before, and instead I've just cooked it like regular rice. I have some Navratan Korma from Kitchens of India that is ready-made that can go with it, and there's small naan I got awhile back that once thawed can go in the toaster, so I have a nice Indian meal planned. Navratan Korma is a dish of vegetables cooked with cashews and Indian cottage cheese in a curry sauce. It looks very yummy.

While the rice is soaking, I've got the windows up, I've watered the houseplants, and I'm listening to the Evanescence station on Pandora on the television. I think I'll read after I eat, at least for awhile. I'm slowly working my way through Aristotle's Ethics, and I have The Other Wind by Ursula K LeGuin checked out from the library on my Kindle, as well. Part of me wants to take a nap, but the last two nights that's turned into sleeping for hours instead of just a quick nap. So, I'm going to resist. I have an empty box, and I think I'm going to start some of the weeding of books in the closet, which is my assignment for therapy. I see my counselor again Monday, so that will work. I could work on the game notes, but it's not especially imperative that I get them done yet--Brenda's out of the state for the next couple of weeks. I do hope she can get back before my procedure, which is three weeks away, as she is my driver, but I'll understand if she has to stay. I'm not sure whom else I can get, though, as most of my close friends do not drive. One time when I had a colonoscopy and she had a conflict, she had her husband drive me. Maybe that would work. I don't know. Considering it's a female issue, I'd feel a little more comfortable with her as my 'responsible adult' to give me information they pass on while I'm loopy from the medicine. But we'll see. Anyway, I've got plenty to do at home tonight. The trash and recyclables are fine, at least. I have the happy star fairy lights on and a scent warmer for scented wax as well. It's very dark already; it's hard to believe it's only 6 pm.

Okay, I'm going to check the rice. The timer hasn't gone off yet, but I suspect it will very soon (and there it goes as I type). :) I also plan on making some bread tonight, after the measuring cups and spoons dry. I'm getting low on yeast, but I think I have enough for a loaf or two, still. Hopefully I can stretch it out. I don't get paid for another week, have a fairly empty cupboard, and I'm low on gas in the car. I may have to borrow a bit from my friends whom I drive everywhere to get through to next week on the latter.

The last two days

I have come home about 8 pm,  gotten ready for bed,  and fallen to sleep,  then was up at 1 am.  Yesterday,  in fact,  I baked bread and boiled eggs in the middle of the night,  and I have been eating on that bounty all day.

Tonight I was at least able to take my medicine that relaxes my neck.  Yesterday I had to be up at 5 am,  so I didn't take them at 1 or 2 since they make me loopy.  As a result,  I've hurt a little all day.  So that wasn't good at all.

The meeting at KMLA was a success.  I've got some interest in my journals,  which need to be decommissioned.  I really got got along well with the librarian who drove us up there; we chatted the whole way up and back,  and she offered help with the physical aspects of packing and breaking up the library,  since I'm on my own for that. People were,  of course,  sympathetic to my situation.  I've known about this for awhile,  and had announced it back some time ago,  but now that it's a reality,  it seems more pressing,  of course.

This morning I got an Indeed alert of a part-time job at the Central Library in the Kentucky Room,  the history centre where people study genealogy and other aspects of Kentucky's past.  I looked into it,  and there are actually two positions.  They are associate positions,  not full professional librarian ones,  but the pay is better than that of some positions I've seen advertised in surrounding counties requiring a Master's degree. Also,  I checked with their human resources department to see if my library degree would,  according to some policy,  disqualify me somehow from consideration, (I saw no reason to waste their time if this were the case), but they just care if the minimum requirements (in this case a Bachelor's degree)  are met.  The only difference between the two positions is the hours, one on Wednesdays,  one on Thursdays.  Otherwise,  they are the same,  working Monday,  Tuesday,  and every other weekend.  I should apply for each position separately to be considered for both,  according to the woman I spoke with.  That would up my chances.  It's a great place to work,  I have a degree in history and a background in preservation and cataloguing,  and it would help with expenses,  allow me to save money before the job loss,  have some money coming in afterwards, and maybe,  just maybe,  get my foot in the door in terms of full-time employment.  So my plan is to apply to both tomorrow.  I don't think it requires certification,  but I'm going to send in my application for that as soon as I get paid,  and that may help.

Wish me luck!

Tomorrow

I'm going to Louisville for my very last Kentucky Medical Library Association meeting.  Here's to a great trip,  good company,  and fond memories. I'm going up with the new librarian from St. Joseph Hospital and her intern, so I don't have to drive (which is good,  as the car needs some major work,  which my friends (whom I drive all over the place) are going to help me with). Yay!

I'm really happy that there are people making this sort of message in the music world these days...

Feeling kind of blah today

I've mostly been cleaning YKWIA's house, even though there was no game, and doing my laundry. He's been working very diligently on a project on the computer, so we didn't really spend much time together today. When I finished, I went on home. I'm aching in general, my neck, shoulder, and arm is hurting, and I'm feeling a little oversensitive emotionally, maybe due to my hormones.

So I came home and immediately started putting flour and other ingredients into the bread machine for oat bread, scrambled some eggs, and made some hot chocolate. I feel a little better. There's not much in the house, other than pasta, crackers, peanut butter, and that sort of thing, but it hit the spot. When the bread is finished I'll have some peanut butter and jam on it. It should be ready by 8 pm.

I talked to my mom today. She'd just been discharged from the hospital, and her little dog, Sassy, seemed to be enjoying her being back home. It was hard to understand her and be understood, but I gather than in addition to the other things she seems to have broken her shoulder, although I don't know how. I'll check with my stepfather and see what's going on. But she clearly said something about a broken shoulder, and that they were seeing a specialist tomorrow.

The bread machine has stopped its kneading, which means it's safe to leave rising and baking (my machine 'walks' a bit, and I'm always afraid it'll go off the kitchen island if I don't keep an eye on it). I think I'm going to go put some music on and lie down for a bit. I just realised I have a headache, too. I think some ibuprofen is in order. I'll try to write later. Hopefully I'll feel better then. I have to get A tonight from work at midnight, so I can't take the muscle relaxants yet, so ibuprofen will have to do. But I think just lying down and stretching out should help.

I didn't go to Danville today

Mainly because with the issues with the car,  I didn't want to take a chance breaking down away from home.  The car made an awful sound earlier as I turned,  for example.  That might have been the ball joint,  which along with the rear brakes,  needs replacing. My car is also running rough if the defroster or heat is on. Apparently everything's breaking down at once.

I did call my mom at the hospital,  but no one answered. I'll try again tomorrow morning.

We're not playing the game for a few weeks.  Brenda's mom is having issues, too,  and she's going to go visit her for a few weeks out of state.  She'll try to get back in time to take me to my procedure in early December.

I finished Tehanu today, and I checked The Other Wind out from the library on my Kindle,  and I also put Tales from Earthsea on hold,  since the library only has the collection of short stories in print form.

Okay,  I'm headed to bed.  Have a good night.

Um...

Hillary Clinton blames FBI Director Comey for Election Loss

Okay,  it certainly didn't help,  and I think he had no legitimate reason to time it that way, but I think that Clinton has no one but herself to blame for the loss.  One,  the email fiasco was absolutely a stupid thing to do,  regardless of whether it was criminal or not.  Two,  she didn't really campaign well,  often just letting Trump run his mouth (and let's face it,  his worst opponent was not Clinton, but himself, but you couldn't count on that to win), and she allowed a very negative view of her stand in the mind of voters.  Calling Trump voters 'deplorables'  just galvanised them.  She underperformed with the people whom President Obama won over, including groups in traditionally Democrat strongholds.  A lot of people either voted for Trump, a third party, or stayed home,  because they openly disliked her. It's unfortunate that,  at the end of the day,  this election wasn't really based on issues so much as it was an unpopularity contest.  While I disliked Trump far more,  I did not like Clinton,  and resented feeling like I had to vote for her to vote against Trump,  especially given things like how the DNC favoured her over my candidate,  Bernie Sanders,  and the media's role was terrible, too.

Hopefully we'll have better candidates,  next time. To be honest,  I think the bar was pretty damn low in the general election.  But any new candidates should take this year as a cautionary tale and learn what not to do. 

Well

I took a nap,  and while it took awhile, I finally relaxed a bit.  Then I got up,  ate something,  took my evening medicine,  did all my dailies on my Habitica task list,  took out the trash and recyclables (one bag each),  washed the plastic dishes,  loaded the dishwasher and am running the load now,  and downloaded the audio files from the game recording onto the computer so I can do the notes. All in all,  that's pretty productive,  I think.

Things I want to do this weekend:

1) Get my rent in.
2) Take a friend to an appointment.
3) Pick up my friends from there.
4) Go visit my mom.
5) Do the game notes.
6) Put away the laundry from last weekend.
7) Put the dirty laundry in the hamper.
8) Start on the closet.
9) Do laundry.
10) Prepare for the game.
11) Play the game.
12) Pick up a friend Sunday night.

I don't have to pick up A from work on Saturday because he switched with someone and worked election day instead.  He is working tonight,  though,  so I can't take my meds that help work my neck until after I get him at midnight,  as they make me loopy,  being mild muscle relaxants.

Okay,  I think I'll listen to Pandora for awhile and maybe read for awhile.  In addition to the Earthsea Cycle,  I'm making my way through ancient Greek classics,  and the only thing I have left is the complete works of Aristotle. So, while it won't be light reading,  it should be edifying. Perhaps I should do it in short chunks.

Alright,  good night.  I'm not sure if I'll write anymore tonight,  so I'll sign off for now.  And hopefully stop hicoughing. That's so annoying,  especially when you're sliding your finger across a virtual keyboard.

I think

I need a quiet night alone. I'm not feeling the greatest. Not sick or anything, but I feel stressed. I was going to get my rent situated today, but realised only late this afternoon that the banks were closed for Veterans' Day, so I'll have to go tomorrow before I take a friend to an appointment. My stepfather just texted me to tell me my mom is in the hospital. :( I'm hurting a little, and where I didn't have a period last month, I'm making up for it now, so I just feel cranky, bloated, and generally and overall blah.

Breathe.

I have to get A tonight from work at 12, but otherwise I'm free for the evening. I'm going to try to do some reading (I'm reading Ursula K. LeGuin's Tehanu. I read the first three books of the Earthsea Cycle years ago, but I'm trying to finish it out.) I should work on the notes tonight, too, as I may be driving to Danville to see my mom after my friends' appointment. And there's the closet to tackle this weekend as part of my therapy.

But for right now, I'm going to lie down and take a short nap with some music on, and try to relax.

I need to get off the phone

Quickly and go to bed.  The muscle relaxer makes it hard to focus and swipe the correct letters. I've nearly dropped the phone, several times. I was on Habitica and Goodreads and was not really making much sense.  Now it is seriously time for bed.  Good night. Oops,  there went the phone.  At least I grabbed the charging cord before if for the carpet.  This morning I dropped my wallet and my phone pad out and feel on the asphalt face down,  but didn't break, miraculously,  and I was cold sober.  If I had let my insurance lapse when I paid it off,  it might have been an issue. Now,  I'm sitting in my living room loopy as hell. Off to bed. Good night!

PS This post took almost an hour to compose, because I kept hitting the wrong button, opening or closing applications, and dropping or nearly doing so throughout all that. Wow. These things are more powerful than I thought; they're just 12 mg. But I think they're really helping with my neck; I can almost feel my hands again, and my left arm only hurts after an entire day now; it doesn't hurt at all when I wake up. Okay, I can't touch type on the keyboard well, either. I'll just go to sleep.

I've somewhat recovered from Election Day

Both in physical terms (I went to bed about 2 am that night, and got a grand total of four hours' sleep, so I was pretty tired yesterday) and emotionally. I'm not really upset Hillary Clinton lost--I never cared for her candidacy, or how the Democratic National Committee behaved, for that matter, and I was a Bernie Sanders supporter. I, too, am angry about the failure of the two-party system to provide decent candidates. I know a woman will be president, after all, and never got behind Hillary Clinton being that woman. I thought it was silly of people to vote for her simply because of her gender. But I have to admit, I fear a Trump presidency even more, and was terribly upset (although not particularly surprised, actually) that he won. I knew there was a good chance. A very wise friend had pronounced a sooth that Hillary Clinton would never be president. He also taught me a long time ago that our democracy is flawed and that Trump's candidacy and election were totally understandable, especially in an environment where 'reality' TV is considered entertainment, celebrity is valued over hard work and intelligence, money rules, and a good part of the country has been simmering for some time ready to rise up and boil over. People will study how this happened; I'm not sure you can put it simply in terms of white vs. other or rural vs. cosmopolitan. As someone who studied history pretty thoroughly, I know it's never as easy as that. It will certainly be one for historians to write books about, that's for sure. Oddly enough, I was the one, not A (who was always a Hillary supporter (even against President Obama) and was absolutely convinced she would win), who took this the hardest. YKWIA actually hugged me last night, in my funk. He said 'I wish I could tell you it will get better, but we both know it won't. It'll be a long eight years.' 'Eight!' I said, 'Please tell me it'll be four.' He said, 'No, people will be so entertained by Trump that they'll vote for him again.' He refers to the state of America now as 'Trumplandia'. But it's not just the Trump win. Our entire government is now in the hands of one party, a small number of people with a great amount of power, I'm not sure that is a good idea, whether Democrat or Republican, and even the Kentucky state House, which has been Democrat for 90 years and may have been the only one in the South to be Democrat, went Republican, and we have a conservative governor whose first actions included shutting down the most successful state exchange for insurance in the country. YKWIA also said I was reacting, or even overreacting, unexpectedly. I think part of it was that I'm facing the uncertainty of losing my job in just four-and-a-half months, and now I have no safety net at all, in terms of things like health insurance. If the Affordable Care Act is repealed, I will most certainly not qualify for any, as I have diabetes and am on insulin, at least any that I can afford. Of course, the plan was always to get a job before that happens, but at least I had a backup plan. Well, Plan B just went out the window. So I'll have to make sure I waste no opportunity and find another position, one with benefit--soon.

Then there's this

These screenshots from the app Daylio on my phone pretty much sum up today.  Well,  add some anger in the mix,  too.

I can't begin to tell you how I feel tonight, but here's a glimpse into my mindset...

Tonight is the 78th anniversary of Kristallnacht. At a time when my beloved country has elected a candidate who was openly endorsed by white supremacists--who are now celebrating a Trump victory--I pray that the divisive language of the campaign in the end means nothing, but as a student of history, I am concerned. Today in Philadelphia, shop windows were broken and Nazi slogans and swastikas were spray painted. Here, in America, in 2016, on the very day this man was declared the winner of a contentious election cycle. Coincidence? Maybe. There will always be those who hate. But I know a lot of people feel a lot less safe in today's America vs. yesterday's, are stressed over whether they will lose healthcare, experience newly infused discrimination and hate, and what the next four years (please let it be just four years) will mean for our country. His supporters speak of a country 'taken back' and 'united'. But sadly, that does not seem to be the case. Unless we all learn to live together and embrace our diversity, it will never happen.The thing is, America was always great, we are stronger together, and our motto is rightly 'united we stand'. I hope people remember that, because if we crumble in our resolve to be the nation which our Founding Fathers created, there are so very many horrific things that can happen.

Well, that was silly

I was going around turning out the lights,  including the star-lights,  which blink,  and after I'd turned those off and set the fish tank to the blue 'moon' light,  there was still this blinking glow,  and I thought,  is there something outside doing that?

Then I did the same in the bedroom,  and there it was again,  this eerie light flashing.  It was then that I finally figured out that it was the Bluetooth indicator on my headphones.  Sigh.  I wonder about myself,  sometimes.  But in my defence,  it's on the back of the headphones,  and I don't notice it,  except apparently in total darkness.

After work today I had a very good therapy session,  spent some time with YKWIA,  and then I came home and worked on an application for a fourth job opening,  and I got the materials hammered out,  so I can apply online tomorrow. I have checked and triple checked my grammar and spelling.  I'd made a couple of mistakes on the UK CV and had decided I had no chance with that one,  but one of my references told me she'd been contacted by them,  so that is a good sign. So there are applications that have been submitted to the state,  UK,  the local community college,  and tomorrow I'll apply to the public library. I think I'm doing what I can, considering we're at five months till  layoff and counting.

Okay,  I'm making bread but I'll let the machine do its thing (it turns off automatically),  I'll sleep for a little over so hour,  take it out,  and then go back to sleep,  then get up early tomorrow and vote.  That's the plan,  anyway,  with an emphasis on the voting part.  At least it's light outside again for awhile. Good night.  And remember to vote!