Using my eyes to read is a little painful

So I listened to chapter 19 of 'The Cave and the Light: Plato and Aristotle and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization'  by Arthur Herman (the one on Gallileo), and then followed that up by listening to Meteora by Linkin Park (right now it's 'Breaking the Habit'), an odd combination,  I admit. One's very cerebral,  one's pure emotion. They both have their place.

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.

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.

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.

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.

When I got home this evening

the first thing I did was fire up the laptop for the purpose of working on the game notes, as Brenda can play tomorrow after all. I have eaten, caught up on the news, checked Facebook, and now realise that I am actively avoiding doing them. So it'll probably be my standard late night typing frenzy again this weekend.

I'd brought the computer with me to my friends' house today, but with taking A to get his haircut, visiting with YKWIA, going to the grocery store, going by Gumbo Ya Ya's, and watching an episode of 'Lost Girl' and some YouTube videos, I never even opened it. I didn't seriously think I would, but sometimes it happens. For example, yesterday I got over there, and YKWIA let me in, then went to sleep before I even put my stuff down, having gone back to the bed. So I read some Aristotle he'd suggested (on the four causes) and some of Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris. A had been working late, so we woke YKWIA up when he got home. When I got home last night, I was pretty sleepy (yesterday was an early day at work), so I went on to bed myself.

I've been a little out of sorts all day. I love A, but he can chatter, and that annoyed me more than usual. The TV was way too loud for me. That sort of thing. I stopped at a stop light with A in the car and then started to go like it was a stop sign, with a car starting to go through the light from the other side. I stopped in time, but I was just not quite together today. Eating helped, but not entirely. I'm not sure what the deal is; I've felt like I was in a fog, and when we got home and went to eat, I checked my blood sugar and it was fine, so it wasn't that. I guess it was just an off day, and I think according to my calendar it's almost time for my menstrual cycle to start, so maybe that was part of it.

Okay, now I'm just delaying when I shouldn't. Those notes aren't going to transcribe themselves. :)