My Goodreads review for All These Ghosts, which was book #10 for the year (out of a goal of 15, so I'm ahead) Whoo!

All These Ghosts by Silas House
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful collection of poetry. I originally borrowed it from the library, then got it in audiobook form (narrated by the author), and then bought the book so I could own the text as well. I wanted both. I highly recommend both. Hearing the poems in his own voice, with his accent, made them leap from the page. I am a 9th-generation Kentuckian, although I am from the Bluegrass, not the Appalachians. But this volume filled me with pride for my people, especially 'Those Who Carry Us'. My favorite poem is 'For Those Who Have Loved Old Dogs'. As he reads it, his voice nearly breaks. You can tell he loves the dogs he has himself had. You feel a nearness to the author in the text, but in his voice even more so. The book is a wonderful collection of poems that make you feel, think, and wonder. They touch you just as poetry should. The audiobook is as if you had invited the author into your home, had him over for salmon cakes and beans, and by the fireplace, telling you stories afterwards.

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Twenty-seven

H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness for Beginning Readers by RJ Ivankovic
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I spent two years in real time playing weekly sessions of Beyond the Mountains of Madness, Chaosium's campaign based on HP Lovecraft's story 'At the Mountains of Madness'. I got this for myself and each remaining player who made it through that grueling adventure as a holiday present/badge of honour.

Its rhymes are sometimes a bit contrived, but they hit all the highlights of Lovecraft's story while referencing the later expedition of their campaign.

It is a delightful book, with lovely Seussian illustrations, and it still conveys the horror of Lovecraft's story although it is simplified in verse. I would highly recommend it, especially after reading Lovecraft's story or playing the Chaosium campaign. I will say as a group we were scarred by that adventure, and this brought back memories of what happened and beyond, particularly the musical tones heard in the distance...but I should not speak of such horrors.

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Full citation: H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness for Beginning Readers by RJ Ivankovic, 2024, Chaosium, 142 pp. ISBN: 978-1568824956

I love this. And despite the fact that it's set up as a children's picture book, it was 142 pages, so not just a tiny book.

I got the book review finished

I've packed a lunch (vegetarian chilli and applesauce--I know, it's getting a bit low, though; I think YKWIA will probably cook tomorrow, which is good, as we have quite a few fresh vegetables, but not a lot of ready-made stuff.  Although come to think of it, we do have veggie burgers and some other frozen food, which will be good for lunches this week.  I don't get paid until Thursday, and I'm afraid my finances are rather bleak at the moment for the first time in awhile.  That $5 an hour pay cut really hurt.  But I'm glad I have insurance.)

I took a shower just now so my hair will be dry in the cold of the morning.  I'm listening to a station on Amazon Music for Portugal. The Man, which has been very entertaining.

I've got the dogs at my feet.  I fed them earlier, then brought them in after only about 10 minutes due to the cold.  Unfortunately, I forgot to gate them so when they came in one ate the cat's remaining food.  So I had to give him a little more after gating them.  He's allergic to just about everything and is on a special hypo-allergenic food without grain or chicken.  I figured he was pretty hungry; he threw up this morning.  But as the vet said, a weekly hack up is better than daily, and in general, this food is working pretty well, although it's a $20 small bag.  So I'm sorry I accidentally let one of the dogs to get a treat.

YKWIA is reading again in his room.  He usually calls a friend on Monday nights, so I'm going to finish this up pretty quickly.  I'm just waiting for my hair to dry, really.  Once that happens, I can go on to bed.  The lack of caffeine is one thing, but all I've done is one and a half loads of laundry, so I'm not sure why I'm so tired.

The house is looking good.  My stuff is all in order. I temporarily 'lost' the book I was reviewing, which was amazing, as I have books in and on top of the bed's bookcase, but nowhere else, but I found it, thankfully.  It was pretty interesting; it was on makerspaces.  I made a discovery in the course of writing it: Google's definitions that they display whenever you put in 'define [word]) come from the Oxford Pocket Dictionary. So I was able to go to Oxford's website to get a good citation for the definition.  Merriam-Webster failed me, I'm afraid.  I guess the term is too new.

I finished the night at 1134 calories, which is 306 under what I should be for dieting.  I might have something else later, like some applesauce, but I'm really not hungry right now.  I only walked about 2,800 steps, but I never left the house beyond taking the recyclables to the containers outside.

I was on the Internet yesterday and found something about a prequel to His Dark Materials by Philip Pulman.  It's called La Belle Sauvage, the first of The Book of Dust trilogy.  I don't know how I missed it.  I've put it on hold at the Library, along with A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton.  I always said I'd read that series when she finished the alphabet.  Sadly, it looks like it will end at Y, but still.

Okay, I'm going to transfer some new music to my phone, and then I'll go ahead and head into my room and listen to some more music for a while, then go to sleep.  Hope you had a restful and happy new year.

It's been a quiet New Year's Day

I'm very sleepy as I haven't had any caffeine at all today. I should have saved some of the soda from this weekend.  I've already had a short nap and I'm still falling asleep.  But I've also been doing laundry, working on the computer, and I'm about to write a book review, which is due today.

It's 16 degrees Fahrenheit outside, very frigid. I just took the recyclables out and got my coat out of the car so it would be warm in the morning.  The taps are dripping to prevent the pipes from freezing.  It's 69.4 degrees in here and YKWIA is freezing (he's cold-natured), so he's left the work he was doing on the computer and is reading in his room under the blankets, the dog, the cat, and a Southwestern poncho.  Fortunately, I'm warm-natured, so I'm not doing so bad, but I would like to get back under the covers.

Last night was quiet, too.  I listened to some music and got up about 15 minutes before midnight.  I downloaded the official Times Square ball drop application on my phone, which seemed to be working for a change (it's frozen on me three years in a row), but when it got to a little over a minute left, the video froze, since I'm sure their servers were overwhelmed, so I didn't get to see the ball drop (we don't have TV, and YKWIA was working on something on the desktop).  So that was a little disappointing.

But the company was good.  We wished each other a happy new year's, and then I basically just went back to bed.  There were fireworks at midnight, but the little dog who is scared of them is getting deaf so she couldn't hear them inside the house, but I did let them out very briefly and she barked because she could hear them out there.  I brought them in; it was snowing, just enough to cover the ground.  And then I went to sleep, waking up to the dulcet tones of little dog barking because, well, she's older and her bladder is tiny.  I stayed in bed for awhile, got up, took all my medicine, took my blood sugar (including downloading the results to my phone), kept track of my food, weighed myself (I've gained a little back, but I'm still a stone under what I had been.)

Alright, I should go work on that book review.  This is the first of what I hope is a more prolific blogging run; it may not be every day, but I'm going to shoot for that.  I hope you're having a good year so far.  I've been really looking forward to saying goodbye to 2017 and I hope there are bright things on the horizon for you and yours.  Have a great day!

It's been a very wet Fourth so far

so I don't know if there will be fireworks tonight. I got up by 8:15 (but it was lovely to sleep in that much), and while I've been moving slowly, I have paid my bills through the first third of this month, except for two that come out automatically, and I've added that in my cheque register. I'm still coughing and snotty, but I feel better. I'm going to go over to YKWIA's in a couple of hours and we'll do something together. I haven't taken the trash out because the rain has been pouring, although I think it has eased up a little. So I think my next thing to do is work on the book review that's due tomorrow. It's a text on managing electronic resources, so hopefully, it will be a good read. I also need to check the Kentucky library job list--I think there's a job closing tomorrow with the state. I'm going to try to work on the books after spending some time with my friend.

Hope you're having a great and happy Fourth of July.

This afternoon I:

1. Corresponded with the company over the computer I sent back.
2. Signed an author agreement for a book review.
3. Applied for a job as an electronic resources coordinator in the county my dad grew up in (and I spent a good bit of my early life).
4. Got my job applications binder ready for tomorrow's review.
5. Ordered four macramé plant holders to suspend from the ceiling, three for the living room and one for the bedroom, to be sent to YKWIA's in the hopes that it will work better than sending things here.
6. Took A home so he could wash up and get ready for a meeting that I will also take him to and from tonight.
7. Picked up some medicine for a friend.

So not quite as productive this afternoon, but hey, it was important stuff, at least. I found today that I (almost) had no anxiety driving in rush-hour traffic, as my general stress level is down, despite the need to find a job soon. I think that's a good thing. I did manage to break a tumbler that was in the drainer when I went to get a saucer out, which amazes me, as the tumblers are thick and sturdy, but I managed not to hurt myself on it, either. A is going to call me about 6:40, and I pretty much just got home, so there's no point starting laundry quite yet. I think I'll have dinner and maybe do something fun for about an hour, rather than work on the apartment, then go get him, drop off that medicine, take him to his meeting, and come back and work on everything. If I have to wait on the laundry, I can--I plan on wearing a nice skirt and top tomorrow, and I have underwear and such to wear, at least in the morning, and I can probably change into my jeans, which aren't too bad, and a shirt for pulmonary rehab, so I'm fine at least until Wednesday. I might even wind up actually doing the laundry at YKWIA's, depending. I knew today wasn't good. But on the other hand, his washer has a hand-wash setting that is superior to the delicate we have on our washers in the laundry room. So we'll see. Tonight I'll focus on getting the rest of the bedroom in shape, straightening up just a bit, etc. I don't want to stay up too late, though, as I need to get up early for that review tomorrow. But that'll give me about four hours to work on things till bedtime. I'll also wash the few dishes that are in the sink (I've kept up with them, the trash, and recyclables really well the last couple of weeks).

And there was much rejoicing

Well, it took $601.43 total, but:

1. I have working rear brakes that are safe and happy...
2. My ball joints were fine (take that Tire Discounters, who tried to get me to pay for a replacement), but my ignition coil was causing all the engine misfiring, and that was fixed...
3. I got an oil change, which was overdue, and they threw in a new stopper, replacing the old one, which was threaded...and
4. My windshield wipers, which basically shredded, were replaced.

Tire Discounters quoted about $800 for the first two alone. Thanks Kenny and the folks at Mitch's Auto for the great service. I've gone there for years, and they're very straight-shooting and reasonable. And thank you to YKWIA and A, who helped out by paying half of the bill, since I give them rides quite often. And thank you to Jackie, from work, who came and got me and took me into work and then brought me back, so I didn't have to ride the bus and take time out from my workday. It drives like a new car. :)

After I got the car, I went over to YKWIA's, had dinner (it was very yummy) and took A to a meeting. Now I'm home, and I have my choice of:

1. Laundry,
2. Kitchen, or
3. Book review, or
4. Some sort of combination of the above.

I also told A I would do some checking on the computer for him. So there's definitely that. I also want to listen some more to my audiobook (I'm five chapters away from finishing). If I did laundry and went over to the facility here, I could listen and work on the computer, too, and even work on the book review, perhaps. On the other hand, the kitchen really needs help. So we'll see. Right now I'm going to change into comfy clothes and wind down a bit, without actually relaxing to the point of sleep. I'm thinking of putting on some peppy music. :)

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.

Have to sit down for a minute

Well, I've corralled just about every dish I own, and the ones that can go in the dishwasher are washing at the moment. I've put things away, gone through all the cabinets and drawers looking for the bottom piece of the blender carafe, without luck, and all I have left to do is do the plastic dishes, wipe down the horizontal surfaces, including counter tops, stove, and my wooden kitchen island, and take out the trash, since I filled it cleaning out the refrigerator.

It's a start, anyway. I'll try to work on the bathroom when I finish that. But right now, I'm going to water the plants with the water from my Brita pitcher (it recommends doing that for the first three fills, rather than drinking it, because the new filter needs to get all the carbon dust out of it), and then just kind of stretch out my back for maybe a half-hour. But then I should work on the book review. In fact, I should take one more look at the book while I'm resting.

Yay!

My second doctor's appointment got out in record time--an hour. I did get a not-quite-stern talking to about donating blood when one is on iron supplements, since the whole purpose is to conserve the iron in the blood, not give it all away. I didn't even think of that, to be honest. Afterwards, I went and got my allergy shots, and then I came on home. I just submitted my book review for a book on collaboration. I think I will take a break for a few minutes and then work on the house some. And I found a $1 bill, and I'm sorely tempted to go get a Mega Millions ticket, with an insane jackpot, even though I am very unlikely to get even one number to match.

So I'm off work today

mainly because I have a noon doctor's appointment and another at 2:30 pm, so that was going to take most of the day. I also have a book review due today, so I need to work on that. I don't have much PTO, but I had enough to cover yesterday and today. I'm feeling all achy and not quite with it this morning. My blood sugar's fine; I think all this rain and my allergies are causing some issues. But the sun is starting to peek out, at least.

Last night's fireworks were fun. We got a slight amount of rain while waiting for them to start, but things cleared up pretty well before dark. My legs really went to sleep in the chair I brought, one of those foldable ones that were given as an employee gift years ago. I will say, though, it held my weight, which was very good, and rather than being nylon, this is actually canvas. I don't think they make them quite like that anymore.

Every year (or practically every year, with a couple of exceptions) since I have worked at the hospital, I have enjoyed the Idle Hour Country Club's fireworks display. My workplace has a huge front lawn that slopes down to the street (it's on 29 acres of land), and people come and put out blankets and chairs to watch them. Most people park along the lane or along Richmond Road, but those of us who are employees are allowed to park in our lot with our badges. So it's an annual ritual for me, practically.

This is the last Fourth of July that I will be a Shriners employee. The hospital is moving over by the University of Kentucky as an ambulatory care centre, and neither of my jobs are going to the new facility. The current building will be sold, and there's uncertainty over whether the tradition of fireworks watching from the lawn will continue. And of course, I won't be parking in the lot anymore. So it was a little bittersweet. I took a video of the fireworks (but watched them away from the screen). It was fun, despite the damp and the legs falling to sleep.

My trouble began when I got back to the car; my seat belt had become twisted and locked in its channel--it wouldn't budge. I pulled at it and tried to free it for a good 30 minutes, there in the dark, enough time that most everyone had gone. I couldn't get it free, and I really needed to get home and go the bathroom, for one. So I did something for the first time in my life: I drove home without a seat belt on. Apparently my car will remind you by dinging every 30 seconds insistently. I felt very exposed. I didn't realise how much safer my seat belt makes me feel, and I didn't even consider the air bags--it was as if there was nothing between me and the window. I will occasionally not buckle up in the back seat, mainly in taxis, or in the front passenger seat if I was having trouble in someone else's car, but I buckled up even as a child religiously, and have always worn the belts while driving. It was nerve-wracking. Keep in mind I'm an anxious driver anyway. So I got home, and I decided to give it one more go before going in, and I was finally able to free it. I pulled so hard I actually got the loop it goes through shifted over a plastic part it shouldn't have gone over, and had to put it back, but it's working now. I was getting out of the car when YKWIA called, and we talked for awhile before I went to bed. It all worked out in the end. But I got very frustrated for awhile.

I've felt off a bit all weekend. It was my time of the month, for one. I got no sleep or maybe just a bit, which was interrupted by the power outage, Saturday night. It put a real kink into yesterday. I'm going to try ot make up a little today for my lack of activity then, but I simply won't have the same amount of time, with the two appointments, and the one with my GP will no doubt take awhile. I'm just getting lab results, but afternoon appointments tend to drag, and this is the first day after a holiday, so they'll be busy.

Okay, I should go take a shower and get some things done before I go. I did fill out all my paperwork, which took awhile, and I've called to make sure this new office doesn't require me to register down on the first floor like the sleep centre does. Have a good day!

Whew!

I just sent my review for an excellent book called Leading Libraries: How to Create a Service Culture by Wyoma vanDuinkerken and Wendi Arant Kaspar to my editor for review, barely making the deadline (well, technically, yes it was due today, but it would have been better if I'd gotten it in during business hours). But with the scheduling gig, life has been pretty hectic the last three weeks, plus stuff in my personal life (even the really happy things) have just made for a very busy bee. But it's submitted, yay. If accepted, it'll be my 33rd publication and (I think) 15th book review, as one is in process right now and should be published next month (I corrected the proofs a couple of weeks ago), and the others have all been published. Now this one is starting its way to publication.

Today was a little better in scheduling, as I actually was able to get away from the phone a bit and go get a drink or use the bathroom, whereas yesterday I was glued to the phone the whole three hours. Today was also about catching up on some things in the revenue cycle and library aspects of my job, too. I worked very steadily all day. After work, I went to the optometrist and had my eyes examined. I got a prescription for both glasses and contacts, although I'm using my vision benefit for the contacts, since that's what I wear most. That means I won't be able to get new glasses until this time next year, unless I pay for it myself. Maybe I'll increase my flexible spending account a bit to allow that, so I can get them earlier. This year the FSA worked pretty well--I have $59 left in my account, and a $40 bill from a doctor's office from before I met my out-of-pocket expenses, which I need to go ahead and pay. The other nice thing was that my vision has actually gotten a little better in one eye and remained unchanged in the other--we weakened my prescription a notch.

The practice I go to is Abel, Klecker, and Robbins, and they are associated with Pal Optical, so afterwards I went around to that side and asked about getting some eyeglass cleaner and also if they could check and adjust my glasses, which were slightly off, which they did. They also gave me the eyeglass cleaner and a cloth at no cost, as well as a case (I had my other pair of glasses with me, and my trial contacts in, and when he saw I didn't have an extra case for the other, I think the optician couldn't bear to have me just put the glasses in my bag without one). All this, and I wasn't actually getting new glasses with them right now. Of course, I'll go there for my glasses when I do get them--I have for years and they've always done a great job and had great customer service. And the eye doctor had given me a trial cleaning kit with new case and (dum, dum, dum) the little bottle of cleaning solution that is perfect for travelling, better than the so-called travel version, which goes quickly through airport screenings. This is good, as I'll be heading beck to Chicago in November, most likely.

And even though I've been home for two or so hours, I haven't taken the trial contacts out, so I could check them out. I've done a lot of reading and writing, and they seem to be making things clearer than they were. Road signs were also pretty clear as long as they weren't too far away. So I think I'll call in a day or two and order the contacts. I'll know for sure after I do my data entry tomorrow. They're bifocal (or more properly, multifocal) lenses, and they help with looking back and forth between the computer screen and the small print on my charge sheets.

Otherwise, I'm in comfy clothes; I am actually not feeling sleepy, though, so I think I might watch something. So, this is good night, I think. Have a great evening.

Listening to:

Kansas, Leftoverture, 'Carry on, My Wayward Son', 'The Wall'

I spent some time with a friend tonight watching a children's programme from Britain produced by Russell T. Davies, who used to be the person behind 'Doctor Who'. This is called 'Wizards vs. Aliens', and while it's a little, well, hokey, it's actually quite a bit fun. We also watched some YouTube videos together. I still need to watch the last episode of 'Grace and Frankie' as well.

Now I'm home, and I've been on the computer putting off a book review and looking over my notes for class on Wednesday, so I'll probably wind up doing those tomorrow. My co-teacher should be back from her trip to the Greek islands on Wednesday. :)

So I'm listening to some music, updating applications on my phone, and that sort of stuff. I think I'll go to bed pretty soon, though; tomorrow is one of my early days and I want to be to work by 7:30 am so I can get my allergy shots tomorrow. With the testing and stuff, I forgot to call the office about the leaking air conditioner. I'll do that tomorrow, and see if they've prepared my new lease to sign as well. Plus, I need to drop off a library book I couldn't renew tomorrow so it won't be late. :) Okay, I guess I'll say good night. Hope you had a good weekend and enjoy (for those folks in the US) a short week. I've got a three-day workweek this week. Yay! And yes, my neighbours are already shooting off fireworks, which I just don't get. It's not even July, after all.

Listening to

Kansas, Point of Know Return

Just got home from playing the game and discovered that my air conditioning is, in fact, leaking again, so I put a bucket in the spot that it's dripping on, and I'll have to call them tomorrow, which annoys me. That's less than a week after it was supposedly fixed, and the fifth time in ten years this has happened. Don't get me wrong, I like my apartment, my complex, etc. But I'll have to find another place for the big tub of Yule tree because it simply can't go in there; everything else I had in there won't ruin, but that would. Mind you, I hadn't even gotten the stuff back in there yet.

The game was good. We went right into it this time (last week we visited for a couple of hours first, and didn't actually do much). Today two of our characters were attacked by warlocks who tried to kill us and our children, but it all worked out. But both of us are tainted due to wounds by their daggers, and one of my other characters shares this because she is magically linked to the one injured, meaning she also received the injury and taint, miles away at her home. Ah, Call of Cthulhu, you have to love it. Our game master has drawn on the games Werewolf and Witchcraft for some of the stuff we saw today. There are several game systems adapted and integrated into our game, because our game master is just that good, and it's one reason we've been playing for so very long (24 years!), with such a rich story, various player and non-player characters, children, etc.

I drank too much soda today and sat too much; my feet have swollen, so I'm going to prop them up and let them rest on a couple of pillows until they go back to normal size. I also left some cream cheese over at my friends' house, which is unfortunate, as I would have liked to have had a bagel this evening. But I've eaten plenty in (fairly healthy) game snacks--cashews, string cheese, and berries.

I must remember not to go into work tomorrow; I'm off due to some cognitive testing I have to undergo. It lasts for 1 1/2 hours in the morning, then there's lunch, and then another 1 1/2 hours after lunch. We'll see how that comes out. I'm not sure what to expect. I need to double-check the time it starts; I think it's 10:30 am and ends at 2:30 pm. If the weather's nice, I might be able to go for a swim. It's supposed to be partly cloudy at the beginning of the day and then go into afternoon or evening thundershowers, so I'm not sure. But I can sleep in a bit tomorrow morning, at least. And I'll be across town near Beaumont, so I may see about going to Masala's Indian buffet for lunch, since I get a break. I also need to work on a book review before the end of the month, so tomorrow or Tuesday, and there's also some stuff to do over at my friends' house.

Okay, I've checked the news, I've done a few things here. I think I'll just get some rest and recharge the laptop and me as well. Good night.

There was no Cthulhu game today

so instead I helped a friend go ahead and clean house, then watched with him as the Kentucky Wildcats won the SEC men's basketball championship.  Later I spent time with another friend, watching a couple of episodes of 'Heart of Dixie', two seasons of the YouTube series 'Adult Wednesday Addams' (which was well done), plus a few more videos on YouTube.

All in all, it's been a busy week, and I'm ready to return to work and see how things fared there. There was a large clinic last Wednesday, and the lady who was my backup person for putting in the clinic charges had her last day on Friday, so I won't really know how it went, but she's supposed to have left the sheets for me so I can check them over.  I'm going to mail a card to the librarian who gave me a ride in Chicago, in appreciation of her kindness, and I also need to start reviewing a book for The Journal of Hospital Librarianship.

It's only 10 pm. I'm getting pretty sleepy, and my phone just buzzed to tell me it is time to go to sleep. I must still have the clock set early from when I had to check out before the meeting on Friday. I think I'll go on to bed all the same, though.  Good night.

Today I:

1. Did not manage to get to work early like I have been and as a result was really rushed.
2. Stayed in scheduling longer than I expected to cover someone who didn't go to lunch until right when I was supposed to leave.
3. Forgot to change jobs at the time clock in the middle of the day, so I'll have to have someone add that.
4. Accepted a quote for next year's electronic journals and got the ball rolling to be invoiced.
5. Proofed a book review.
6. Put up lights in my cubicle, as well as my moose family decorations, a snowman--and a Santa hat is now perched on the skeleton's head.
7. Talked with YKWIA about the joys of dog ownership.:)
8. Stopped by Speedway and used my points to get a $10 cash card, which I then used for gas.

Now, I've eaten dinner. Things I should do tonight:

1. Start the game notes (one of my characters got shot in the game; she got better, though--I wish we had special magical healing in the real world).
2. Straighten up the house.
3. Watch 'The Librarians', which should have recorded last night.
4. I also have books to return to the library, but I think I'll wait if I can to do that when I'm over by there Thursday for a doctor's appointment. Granted, the library is practically across the street, if you count the fact that it's also a quarter of a mile away. I think I have till then.

Despite having a very stressful and busy day yesterday, last night was rather pleasant, as was today

I talked to YKWIA on the phone for awhile, blogged for some time, listened to some music, organised my Kindle books (the newer ones, that is, as the older ones are already in categories) into the appropriate collections, updated my tablet's and phone's applications, and pulled out my old Nintendo gaming system and played Gauntlet and Tetris (the latter of which has the correct music, rather than the game on my phone). So my old TV in the bedroom (the one my grandmother gave me, and she died in 1993) now has a Roku box (which allows me to stream Netflix, Pandora, and Amazon Prime on it), an Atari 600 XL, and and Nintendo, all of which can be plugged in depending on what I need at the time. I would have the little DVD player back here, too (there's no cable connexion to the bedroom), but my DVD/VHS combo is having trouble with the door and I have the backup DVD out in the living room, the one I won at a function at work that's a little bit bigger than an actual disc. I need to send the DVD/VHS to be repaired, as it is under warranty. Must add that to my to do list.

Today at work was all about playing catch-up in the library with both the duties there and the data entry/revenue cycle duties. I had about fourteen things on my list to do, but got all but about five accomplished, and those were lower priority and can be tackled tomorrow. After work was also very busy. I:

1. Left work early (I was ahead on my time) and went to the bank for a cashier's cheque for my rent (and got there with ten minutes to spare!)
2. Went to the leasing office and paid my rent
3. Went by the library and got a book that was on hold for YKWIA to read
4. Grabbed some Taco Bell
5. Nearly ran over a bike rider who, in my defence, was
   • On the wrong side of the road
   • Was running against the light
   • Turning left as I turned right
   • Had no lights when it was quite dusk, nearly dark
   • Was dressed in dark clothing
   • And was only seen because of the motion and the reflectors, so thank goodness I didn't make a really sharp turn. I am all for sharing the road, but I expect them to follow standard rules, laws, and use some common sense, you know?
6. Came home and charged my phone while waiting for a call from A
7. Went and picked A up at work, as it was 27 degrees, and it would have taken him two hours to get home by bus, and he was already very late
8. Dropped off the book and watched a video with YKWIA
9. Went to Kroger and got a few groceries
10. Marvelled at both the snowflakes drifting down and also the fact that the Salvation Army bell-ringers are already out (I mean yes, it is two weeks till Thanksgiving, but still....)
11. Watched someone back hard into a truck in the parking lot and then leave quickly; at least the truck didn't appear damaged (I hope the little car was, as she didn't even bother to stop or look)
12. Came home and put away the groceries

So now I'm listening to Bastille and contemplating tomorrow. I have to finish my list at work, take a friend to an appointment, work on the game notes while I'm there (remember to take the laptop with me in the morning, note to self), and call my mom and make arrangements to visit around Thanksgiving (I'm doing Thanksgiving again this year with my friends here, but I thought I'd go visit her on that Friday and maybe stay overnight. Bless her, this will be her first Thanksgiving without her mother, who died this summer.)

I think I may read for awhile and then go on to bed. I'm thinking of starting a new feature here on this blog, reviewing books I own that I think are really neat and worthy of reading, whether they be children's picture books, juvenile/young adult books, adult fiction, or non-fiction. I've already picked out a few, one of each type that would be fun to do. Maybe I'll call it Rabid Reviews. Okay, that's silly. But I thought I should add some library to this librarian's blog. What do you think? I think I'll start tomorrow, and do it on Fridays, which will go well with the Unshelved comic's 'book talk' comics on Fridays as well.

Autumn's starting to go into full swing

It's 53 degrees outside after a high of 70-something on a rainy day, and tomorrow, while it's supposed to be sunny, won't be much higher than that, around 57 degrees Fahrenheit. It's windy and blustery. We haven't had rain in awhile, so the roads are slick with oil still.

I went over to a friend's to bring him creamer and fix him dinner. We watched an episode of 'Haven', one with a trouble where people were just incinerated. A particularly nasty one, that. YKWIA and I talked for some time and visited. Then I came on home.

Tomorrow the plan is to get up early, take some things back to the library, go pay my rent, and then come home and work on the house for awhile. A is going to help me get the things out of the car (some of which is theirs, old audio tapes I'm going to check). And we'll do the grocery run after that, once the car is clear. No really big plans other than visiting them and working on the stuff I need to.

But for now, I think I'm going to head on to bed. It's nearly midnight and I want to get up very early tomorrow morning, so I can work on the house, do the errands, and work on game notes and the book review that I still need to finish. Good night.

Taking a break

From straightening up the living room.  I have been steadily working for about an hour or so (previous to that I was fixing my Internet connexion). There's so much to do,  but I'm organising as I go.  I consolidated my meds,  for example.  They are usually kept in one place,  but I changed that so that now my inbox for mail and my bill keeper/important documents box is within easy access.

I think I'll have a little non-sleeping quiet time and then work on a book review that's overdue on the computer. I have to admit,  though,  I have been crafting Excel formulae a good portion of the day,  so I am not too keen about sitting down in front of the screen and writing.  I am on my phone,  now,  you see. Oh, well.  I have to finish. I'll try to write here later,  too.

Out in the lobby at a friend's appointment

I'm grateful that it's late enough that I don't have to miss work. A had called to see if I could give him a ride home, but it would really have meant cutting it close on getting to the appointment. I called to tell him that but there was no answer, so I'm afraid he'll have to make it home on the bus.

I brought the laptop originally because I thought I'd work on the game notes, and then I remembered that I have a book review due tonight. I did bring the book with me, but I'd like to have it handy, and the lobby lights are too dim in my corner to really refer to it easily. If I move, I can't charge my phone, which only has about 13% charge. So there you go. Meanwhile, I left the earphones out in the car and I've already gone out and in once to get the phone charger, and I don't want to annoy them back in the office, as the door chimes each time you open it. There's no one here, but I don't really want to play the game over the speakers, either. In other words, I'm finding excuses to put off both of them and just play on the computer instead.

Last night I went to bed early but the last four hours of supposed sleep-time were interrupted by cramping and nausea, courtesy of my impending period. As a result, I was really slow-moving today. But I eventually got going and did quite a bit today. I was also trying to help a co-worker with some Excel formulae. I don't use Excel that much, so it's a bit of a challenge. I know it involves IF, OR, and COUNTIF statements, but I'm thinking I have too many parentheses. After working on one cell for about an hour, I gave up, my brain turned to mush, and I'm thinking I'll look at it tomorrow again with fresh eyes, and maybe consult my over-1000 paged Kindle book on the subject. :)

It's hard to believe that it's October already, and although it's 7:38 pm, it's almost dark out there. I had to initial and date quite a few sheets today, and it was really hard to write '10/1'.

Okay, I think I'm going to move some files for the game over to Dropbox and then sign off. I'm using my phone's mobile hotspot, and I have 3.0 GB of data I can use for that (and unlimited on the phone itself), but I don't want to rack it up too quickly. Good night.