I'm feeling a little better today than I have in awhile

One of the challenges I took on through Habitica was to rate my emotions at least three times a day and then graph them every week, and at first I didn't take it very seriously, but I've been a little labile and more anxious of late, and when you have a mood disorder it really helps to pay attention to what's going on emotionally and what might be triggering it. I downloaded an application onto my phone called Daylio that allows you to pick from a scale of faces and what you were doing at the time (more than one, which is handy), and then it graphs the trends. It's free. I think it's helping.

I also, on a totally unrelated note, downloaded an application called Simple Metronome, not for any musical use, actually, but to read by. WHenever I read out loud in front of YKWIA, he says it sounds rushed and I trip over the words, because it's like my brain is moving quicker than my mouth. It's almost push of speech for reading. That's how I read in my head, for that matter, and I sometimes miss things because of that, as it's almost a skimming. When tested, I can focus and get the reading comprehension I need to, but if I'm not being tested, if I'm reading for pleasure, etc., then I just rush ahead. He pointed out that being a quick reader is not something to be particularly proud of; being a careful reader is better. This is an aspect of my attention-deficit disorder, we think. He suggested reading to a rhythm. I couldn't read and hit the beats at the same time, so he did the latter and I read out loud, and did much better. So he suggested I get a metronome to read by. So I got a nice simple one that allows you to change the rhythm and has a few different sounds, and it is helping.

In addition to work today, I went over to the University of Kentucky's Medical Library and took an hour-and-a-half webinar on Statistics for Librarians, sponsored by the Medical Library Association. I did well on the exercises and caught a few mistakes in the presentation (typos, mispeaking), and I really enjoyed it. It was very basic stuff, but I am terribly rusty, having just had two statistics classes in my life, years ago. The first was business and oeconomics statistics, which I hated, because the book was huge, I'm not good at oeconomics, and the teaching assistant's English was minimal, and it was a difficult class that needed some clarity of language. The whole book was word problems, which you would think I would do well in, as I'm very verbal, but actually I always did better with pure math equations and had trouble setting up world problems. I took this class because it fit my schedule better, which was a mistake--I think I wound up with a C. Later I took statistics for the humanities for my sociology degree, and that was better and more relevant, and so I understood and did better. But that, as I said, was years ago. I really enjoyed doing a class. I'm really thinking of taking a class on Coursera or watching some TED talks regularly. I feel I'm stagnating and just not mentally stimulated enough anymore.

It took 45 minutes to get back to work, with the walk to parking and then rush-hour traffic, but I came back and did my data entry so I wouldn't be behind because I said I would. I stayed till 5:30 pm, which gave me an extra half-hour, which is good, as I left a little early yesterday to take care of some things, when clinic was much slower. I also shelved a bunch of bound and unbound journals that were in the library today, and started pulling the book collection over two shelves over so I can integrate the newer books into the collection. I did stop after one shelving unit today because I was perspiring pretty heavily and didn't want to go to the class all stinky. Tomorrow I'll wear something not quite as dressy and cooler that I can really work in. I'd worn full-length pants and a button-up shirt today, with my Mary Janes and socks rather than sandals, mainly to look more professional for an academic setting--I am, after all, likely to apply for a job there if one comes up, so presentation can be important, even when you're not being interviewed. I'm lucky that my employer lets us wear Capris and sandals, so long as we're not working directly with patients or in a hazardous position, but I recognise that other institutions are more conservative. For example, I know the Lexington Public Library requires closed shoes, which makes sense, really. On the days I push around the book carts I tend to, so I don't hurt myself if I run over my foot with one. But I don't do that every day, just when I'm filling up the kids' books in the clinic, shelving, or adding books to the collection. Actually, Friday might be best to do the main shelf-moving, as I can wear jeans on Fridays. :)

I found out yesterday that one of my bosses is retiring soon, which made me sad, but I'm glad she's doing what's right for her. I don't know who my boss will be for the last three or four months, therefore.

Okay. I've eaten some burritos, listened to a Rob Thomas station on Pandora, blogged, spent some time with friends after work, and now I think I'm going to go do some reading. I'm trying to find some strategies to work on some issues, and so I've gotten some Kindle books and then also checked out a couple of physical books on the subject. That only really helps if you actually read the material, though. :)

I just crashed for three hours in the middle on the afternoon

and I feel a lot better. I've been busy of late, and while I have been getting rest (as opposed to last week), I guess I needed it. I hadn't had any caffeine all day, and that probably had something to do with it. But I'm good now. Here's what's been happening with my life:

Wednesdsday
1. We had our last class. It was great. I've learned so much teaching it, both from the material and from the participants. Part of the class is sharing our own experiences, and these are the real experts in dealing with things first hand.
2. We celebrated with a potluck of yummy, mostly vegetarian food (even the green beans and potatoes had no meat in them. The fried chicken and baked beans were the only things.)
3. We (the co=teachers) each got a card signed by the class, which was very sweet. Later, I read through everything on mine, and they were very nice. I have it posted on my bulletin board, along with the one my co-teacher gave me. I even kept the envelope because it was nicely decorated.
4. The other teacher and I also received two gifts: a DVD called Courageous that one of the students thought would be good for us to see, and a lovely fairy garden basket, each with symbols meant for us individually, each with plants and then tiny resin items, along with shells and driftwood set in an old dish. Mine had a lounge chair and umbrella with a pool. I've included a picture here. It's on my office desk, and I have to admit, when I went into the office on Friday (I brought it in on Thursday) and found it sitting there, it was a nice greeting. She learned to make them in a class at her local library. She also gave us little oral syringes to water the plants with. She had wrapped the DVD in butterfly paper with butterfly cutouts on the ribbon, and of course I love butterflies. She was happy to find out my middle name ('Eilir') means butterfly in Welsh.
5. After class I took went to my friends' house and made dinner for YKWIA We sat and watched an episode of 'Lost Girl', which I've been enjoying. But I got home at 12:30 am, and so Thursday morning I was still a bit tired.

Thursday
1. A busy day at work, with article requests and other things on the agenda meaning I worked very steadily through my library and data entry duties. I got several things that needed to be completed by Friday done, and felt like I'd been pretty productive.
2. I went to the library and gave in one book that was a bit late and paid the fine (yes, sometimes even librarians tend to keep the books too long, especially librarians, actually). I picked up an interlibrary loan and a hold, and some other books as well. I have a few I'd like to get from Central Library, and meant to go there today (Saturday), but didn't manage to, mainly because I left my friends' house, came home, and crashed.
3. I went to Target and got The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, which I have not yet seen (I never made it to the theatre on this one), on DVD with the gift card my co-teacher gave me in appreciation for teaching with her. spent the balance on groceries such as bread, macaroni and cheese, and spreadable fruit. Oh, and Oreos to throw a little fun into the mix. (She also gave me a Post-It notepad, seen in the picture, which is very useful, as the notes are much bigger than a traditional sticky note).
4. I 'napped'. Fortunately, I got bread at the store, because I didn't manage to stay awake long enough to bake it. I slept till almost 1 am (falling asleep around 8 or 9), tried to get up super-early on Friday, and wound up sleeping to 7 am. I think I was still working on a deficit from Wednesday night.

Friday
1. Another steady day at work. Since I'd slept so long and it was my early day, I forewent a shower (I wasn't particularly dirty), and washed up in the sink a little. My hair is the only problem when I (rarely) do this, because it is already fine and thin, and it just looks oily and flat if I don't wash it every day. So I was a little self-conscious there.
2. I got into my closet and went through a lot of books and filled up the children's books in the clinic that go with our early literacy project. I was very hot and sweaty by the time I was finished.
3. I stayed a little late at work, skipping my allergy shot, which I probably shouldn't have done, but I just felt like making up some time, and then I went over to my friends' house. I watched some more of 'Lost Girl' and visited.
4. I came home a little early, took a welcome shower, made some bread, watched an episode of 'Lost Girl' that we cannot watch together (it has spiders), and went on the bed.

Today
1. I got a call right after waking up that YKWIA needed something from the store (although it was not an emergency, it's just nothing goes much further without coffee, and there was no creamer), so I got ready, got over there, and then went and got it. I explained to him the plot points of the 'Lost Girl' I'd watched.
2. I took A to the store for the weekly grocery run. He gave me some money for gas, which was great, as my gas light came one today.
3. I watched 'Lost Girl' with YKWIA.
4. I couldn't seem to stay awake. I excused myself, stopped and got gas, came home, ate a piece of my bread, and went to sleep for three hours.
5. I got up and went online to do something for my friends.
6. Now I'd like to watch Mockingjay, but first I'm going to make something else to eat (macaroni and cheese) and start some bread going. A reminded me today that I had promised to make them some bread and also bring over some pasta and sauce I've had in the pantry for a nice meal. Whereas YKWIA rarely forgets anything, A rarely forgets anything related to food. :)

Hope your weekend is going well.

Red flashing lights and the distinctive sound of an ambulance backing up woke me up

It is outside my living room window right now. I'm not sure what's going on. Actually, it's not the most exciting thing so far tonight. I managed to slice open a small cut on my middle finger earlier. I now understand that saying, 'best thing since sliced bread'. Oh, and we got a notice yesterday that the cheques and money orders for rent at the leasing office were stolen over the weekend, so those who'd already paid have to stop cheques and re-request money orders. Fortunately, I'm broke at the moment, and hadn't paid yet.

Apparently the thunder brought rain as well. I'd been working on things in here, and then fallen asleep, and missed most of it. But it's quite wet outside.

There are a couple of things I really must do, including going over the lesson tomorrow (although most of it is guest speakers) and putting my medicine into their reminder box, but I think I'll get up early tomorrow and do that. I want to get to work about half and hour early, too.

Okay, good night.

Today's class

is about self-care. I was trying to do that today. But I got called for a ride, which meant I went over to my friends' house, and I wound up hurting someone's feelings because I wouldn't stay and keep him company. Now I feel like I'm a bad person. He is more important than the fire inspection or anything else. But I have to do things to make my life better, too. It's very confusing sometimes. And I didn't use the I-statements like we learned in the communications class, or express concern for him in some sort of reflective response. I just told him what I had to do and left it at that. I can sometimes be a bad friend. Now I feel terrible, but I can't repair anything right now, so I might as well clean the house. :(

So far today I have

1. Woken up and showered/gotten ready.
2. Put that CD in the book drop (but wrapped in a bag to cushion it/keep it together).
3. Eaten breakfast (at McDonald's--I know, it's bad for you, but I didn't have much here, and their egg and cheese biscuits are yummy; plus I was parched).
4. Updated my laptop in preparation for the upgrade to Windows 10 (it took 17 updates--it's not connected all the time like the desktop is). But it's not running the compatibility report yet to say whether it will work.
5. Searched for an inexpensive solution to the Windows 10 incompatibility I'm having with the desktop (I think I solved it, but it took going to both Office Depot and Best Buy, the latter of which came through).
6. Mailed my mom's birthday card. I was able to buy a single stamp at The Mailroom, but my God they charge 59 cents, so it's a 10-cent markup per stamp. I hate to think how much the books cost.
7. Received replies from my aunts about some pictures I sent them that I scanned in. They were from 1981, when we were all much younger. They were happy to get them.
8. Switched tonight's lesson from the giant teaching notebook to the working notebook, and mapped out which parts I do and which parts my co-teacher does. I still have to read it thoroughly, but it's a start.

Next on the list is to work on the house, but I am going to take a short break first. I have about five or six hours before I need to go over and pick A up for class. Fortunately, he's off work today, too, so we won't have to work around his schedule.

Yay! I'm off for two days!

Which means I:

1. get away from the office for a little while (I really had to drag myself to work today, which indicated it was time to get away, even for a short time, as I usually love being there.
2. can get the house in order before the fire department inspection on Thursday (which I didn't know would happen when it will when I asked of, but I knew it was looming)
3. can take care of some errands and make some phone calls
4. can prepare properly for class
5. can get my allergy shots properly this week
6. can go swimming in the pool
7. won't have to take time off to take a friend to an appointment
8. can blog more
9. might be able to install Windows 10 on my machines, depending on how the rollout goes

Things I want to do tomorrow before class:

1. Take a CD and some books to the library
2. Clean the apartment thoroughly
3. Water the plants, including the outside ones, one of which fell off its ledge yesterday, so I also need to sweep up the dirt
4. Prepare for class

So tired

It's been a long day,  about 16 hours or so of a doctor's appointment,  work,  and class.  The first was utterly frustrating.  I went to my psychiatrist expecting to discuss my test results showing I had attention-deficit disorder, and perhaps getting treated for it.  But he didn't have the report yet, which means either the psychologist hasn't finished writing it yet,  even though we discussed the results earlier this month and she knew when I was seeing the doctor,  or it never made it upstairs from the other office (the practice has two floors--the counselor and testing centre are on the first,  but the psychiatrist is on the second). I like both of the clinicians who oversee my care,  as they are competent and easy to discuss my issues with,  but their office organisation leaves something to be desired.

Years ago,  when my old psychiatrist was closing her office and I moved to theirs,  they accidentally shredded my medical records that had been sent over because they had my last name wrong. When I went back several years later,  they couldn't find my newer records from their practice.  My psychologist finally had her hands on them at our last visit, after I'd been going there for three months. And not once have the two floors communicated each one's notes to the other.  Really.  So this morning I was frustrated,  as all the doctor could do was give me refills on my other meds and tell me to cone back in two months,  meaning I wouldn't be treated for the ADHD until September at the earliest.  I complained about this to the woman at the checkout desk,  who said she could made me an appointment in a month instead.  I may have to come back in September,  too,  but at least we could address the other then.  So that helped. I must say,  I handle frustration much better than I used to.  Maybe I'm finally growing up.

Work was okay,  nothing exciting to report.  I did wear my bracing gloves today because my wrists and hands have been hurting. I really need to go to a hand specialist.  I've known the carpal tunnel has been back for awhile,  but haven't done anything about it.  I've even noticed a twitching in my thumb occasionally.  I don't know if that's a symptom- -I don't remember it before my carpal tunnel release surgeries.  But I should go have it checked out in any case.  Anyway,  the gloves did help.

Class was great.  It was our session on communication.  A really liked it, and he did really well. This one was mostly hands-on exercises,  without much lecture.  Next week's is about self-care.

Okay,  I've been writing with my phone,  swiping as I go. My hands are totally cramping now, so I'm going to go now.  Good night!

Class went really well tonight

So after work, I headed over to class because A was working late, and he couldn't make it. I got there early, did a few things on the phone, read a library book on my Kindle, that sort of thing. There was a lot of participation this time; this was the class on empathy. I disclosed my own diagnosis tonight, which I've been very careful about so far, but it was at an appropriate time, somewhat ironically about 'coming out' with mental illness. I always think of my co-teacher as the 'main' teacher and myself as the 'supporter', but people are coming up to me with questions during break and after class, and it feels nice that they feel comfortable doing that. It's hard to believe we only have four more sessions to go! Next week involves an interesting communication exercise, and I'm curious to see how people react to that.

After class I went over to my friends' house, to see if they needed anything, as YKWIA had indicated he'd like me to earlier, but the house was dark, they were obviously asleep, and so instead of rousing the dogs by knocking without a porch light on or anything, I called to see if they might be awake at all. There was no answer, so I went on, checking as I went to see that the bedroom light was also dark. I'll catch up with them later.

Tomorrow I'm going in to work early for a birthday breakfast. They have it twice a year, the administrator makes us omelets, and otherwise it's a free breakfast bar served by the directors. Although my birthday was in April, it falls in this particular breakfast. Unfortunately, I have a doctor's appointment (which fortunately isn't fasting) at 8:30 am, so I'm going to go into work, eat breakfast, go to my appointment, and then go back.

I'm feeling good about work lately. Today I sent my boss an interesting article on the use of codes during active shooter situations and using plain language, and she really appreciated it. I'd found it on Facebook last night as a link via The Joint Commission. Also, in my other job in the revenue cycle position, I've found several things lately in reconciliation that translate to quite a bit of money. So I'm feeling like I'm contributing. Despite that, I really need to step up my job search, as my job is not going to the new medical centre and it's going to take awhile to find one, particularly if I want to stay a librarian (which I do, if at all possible).

Okay, I'm home, I'm in comfy clothes, and I've had a couple of peanut butter sandwiches. I spent my last five dollars on menstrual pads, 79 cent marked-down bread, and fruit spread. Sigh. I do wish things would get better financially, but I don't see that happening. I have a quarter of a tank of gas in the car, too, and that's certainly not going to last a week till I get paid. :( Tomorrow I need to call and make arrangements for an extension on my electric bill, or it'll be shut off Friday.

Oh, well. I think it's time to finish getting ready for bed, take my contacts out, snuggle up in front of the fan, and hopefully have pleasant dreams, for the morning comes early. Good night!

Oy, vey, what a day!

I:

1. Got the results of my testing, got the names of a couple of authors to read, and it was suggested that I check out MENSA's resources for people who are gifted,  but who also have learning disabilities such as ADHD.
2. Exchanged some medicine at the pharmacy that had been wrong for the one needed.
3. Stopped at McDonald's for two cheese and egg biscuits.
4. Picked up a friend and drove him on an errand to a city 25 miles away.
5. Came back to Lexington.
6. Took him by Long John Silver's so he could get lunch.
7. Went to my ophthalmologist and had my eyes dilated, my pressure checked, and pictures of my optic nerve and retinal thickness taken. There was no sign of retinopathy or other issues from the diabetes, and my pressure is okay. I see him again in January, this time with a field of vision test.
8. Went home, ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
9. Got a friend from work and took him home.
10. Went to class and taught our module on medications.
11. Stopped by Taco Bell for dinner. Many traffic, street, and store lights were out. Not sure what caused the outage, but it doesn't seem to have happened here.
12. Came home.
13. Ate two plums. Now I'm ready to sleep.

Good night!

Today I:

1. Had a hard time waking up.
2. Forgot to put my dentures in (I retrieved them later).
3. Got criticised for my hair (back with a band that looks like braided hair) and an earring with a cuff that has a butterfly on it.
4. Got half a tank of gas, as I was on my gas light, which was good, as gas prices went up later in the day.
5. Took a friend to the doctor and laboratory.
6. Took him home.
7. Went to work.
8. Had a spicy grilled feta cheese sandwich and some fries at my desk.
9. Drove through a torrential downpour, with lots of water on the road, accidents, trees down, lights off, stalled cars, etc., but with minimal trouble, as I was just careful. I did almost hit someone who came out of an apartment complex across two lanes of traffic while I was coming up into the turn lane to the side of them, as I almost didn't see her in time, but it was all okay.
10. Went and got three medicines for two friends, plus mine, at the pharmacy.
11. Brought over the meds.
12. Got tickled. A lot.
13. Took a friend to the grocery store. Got plums, soda, and a pint of chocolate milk for myself. Failed to get fish food, and the goldfish are out of theirs.
14. Came home and got in before it started raining again.
15. Ate a plum and a can of lima beans for dinner.
16. Checked out Facebook, the news, and Google Play.

Tomorrow the plan is (I'm off from work):

1. Go to my psychologist at 8 in the morning to get the full results of my testing.
2. Go get my friend and take him to Frankfort for an errand.
3. Go to my ophthalmologist.
4. Go by the library and return two books I should have returned today.
5. Go by the pharmacy and exchange a medicine that was accidentally switched with another one that was needed.
6. Pick up a friend at work.
7. Take said friend home to eat some dinner himself, as well as feed his animals.
8. Take said friend to class.
9. Teach the Wednesday night class.
10. Take him home.
11. Check on my other friend.
12. Go home and crash.

I really should go over the material for class tonight. I may. Or I may just turn in early and hope to get it done while I'm waiting at various waiting rooms tomorrow. :)

Cool!

Lynda.com is here!

Holders of Lexington Public Library cards can now take courses at Lynda.com (a LinkedIn company) for free. From the Lexington Public Library's description at the above link:

Lynda.com helps anyone learn software, creative, and business skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Users receive unlimited access to a vast library of high quality, current, and engaging video tutorials taught by great teachers who are also working professionals.

Why Lynda.com?

• Access to 3,599 courses and 274,000 tutorials.
• New courses added every week to keep your skills up to date with the fast-changing pace of technology.
• Switch back and forth between devices without ever losing your place.
• The playlists feature lets you create and manage a list of courses you want to watch, and bookmarks tag specific videos for reference.
• Courses are presented in small chunks, so it’s easy to find quick answers to specific questions. You can also watch an entire course from end to end if you choose.
• Instructors are respected professionals in their fields, and passionate about sharing their expertise.
• Compelling videos use screenshots, narration, live action, smart boards, charts, graphics, and audio.
• Creative Inspirations series goes behind the scenes with creative professionals and industry veterans to show how extraordinary products, ventures, and careers come to be.
• Read along with closed-captioned transcripts—or search the text to quickly find information within a course.
• Earn certificates of completion for each course viewed, and show coworkers, friends, and potential employers what you’ve accomplished.

The link to get there is at the page above, or you can click here: http://www.lexpublib.org/sites/default/dbforward.php?dbname=43220 and save it to your browser favourites/bookmarks. Apparently library access is not available through their mobile application, so check out the caveat at the bottom of the announcement page on using it on a mobile device through the broweser. Hope you enjoy this! I've looked through it and there's a lot on Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, some on personal finance, lots of technology stuff.

And it is now raining cats and dogs. Time for a nap, caffeine be damned.

Yay!

1. My air conditioning is back on and working!
2. T-Mobile rolled out an over-the-air update for the Samsung Galaxy S5 to Android 5.1.1. :) My inner geek is happy.
3. Class was the best one so far since I started teaching it. I'm getting more comfortable.
4. I saw two deer running across a field near the hospital when we were outside after class.
5. I'm finally eating dinner (macaroni and cheese).
6. I get paid tonight (don't get excited, creditors; it's mostly allocated already)
7. I found out my stove hood light is actually a standard light bulb. I thought it was a smaller one, because it was clear glass and looked to be as old as the actual apartment buildings, which I think were built in the 1970s. :)

I did manage to slightly burn myself with boiling water (important safety tip, always pour the water away from you, not towards, which I know, but ignored).

Yay, I am home!

There were really no problems. I used Google Maps on my phone to get to my meeting this morning, and then get back on the Watterson Expressway and I-64 to get home. Once I reached Lexington, I decided to stop for dinner as a reward for doing so well, and the Google Maps application voice was increasingly insistent that I wasn't going the right way home. :) But I was much more relaxed on the trip home, even going past an accident on the on-ramp to I-64 and some major construction that had us at times at a standstill, and sometimes going maybe 20 miles an hour, tops. I even passed some on the way home, whereas last time I was really just trying to make sure no one merged into me.

The training was absolutely excellent. I am so stoked for class on Wednesday. I had a great roommate, met some really wonderful people, and received a tremendous amount of information (and my own teacher's handbook). I want to thank NAMI Kentucky for paying for my hotel for two nights plus meals (one of their people actually went and got me something yesterday for lunch since I didn't eat meat). The hotel staff were fine, the hotel was a little oddly set up (sink in the hall, bath having a toilet and bathtub/shower), but serviceable. I did very nearly leave a library book that had a white cover on the white sheet of the bed, and my shave gel and body wash were saved from the bathroom thanks to my roommates vigilance during walk-through.

So now I'm home with my suitcase, vanity case, laptop bag, CPAP bag, purse/tote bag, jug of distilled water, training manual and portfolio, cup of favours we had at our seats, and a muffin I grabbed that was left over from breakfast. It took three trips to get everything in. And while I'm not as exhausted as I thought I'd be, I am planning on getting some rest, take my contacts out, get into something comfy (I've already done the latter), and just chill. I considered going into the pool for a bit, as it's still open, but I really just want to enjoy being home and lounge around.

Overall, I did very well. The driving was a bit nerve-wracking at first, but it did get better, and actually I drove home on the interstate without my anxiety medication, because I left before I normally take it and didn't think about it at the time. I had never used the Google Maps application on my phone before for navigation, and didn't have to on Friday or Saturday, but this morning the only thing I did wrong was get off at the 15A exit rather than 15B off the Watterson onto Gardiner, but I just had to do a U-turn, which the woman in front of me did as well (she was in our group, the one who got the food for me yesterday) and we had done the same thing in my roommate's car yesterday, so I just went with the flow, and kept going, and made it with no trouble.

Okay, I have informed my friends that I am back, and I seem to be heading towards a small crash. Here's to taking my contacts out, setting up my CPAP, and crawling into bed for awhile, even though there's still plenty of sunshine left.

What an absolutely long day, but a good one

So my day started about 5:50 am. The seminar started at 7:15, and I was fortunate to ride over with my roommate and another attendee to the college campus where it is being held. Tomorrow, though, I'll have to go over on my own, as I'll have to check out of the hotel before I go to the meeting. Today we met till about 6:30 pm and then went to a restaurant, Buckhead Mountain Grill, on Bardstown Road, where I had a portabella mushroom sandwich and a sweet potato, plus rolls with cinnamon butter. It was excellent, and it was nice that the organisation was paying for our meals. One of the ladies even went and got me a fish sandwich from McDonald's when we were going to break for lunch this afternoon, because they'd ordered smoked turkey and ham sandwiches/boxed lunches from Panera, and there were no vegetarian or pescetarian options. But she called them and tomorrow there's a veggie sandwich that she's ordered for me. We had muffins and giant, yet sweet, oranges for breakfast. Tomorrow they're having muffins and bananas, but it'll be running from 8 am to 5 pm, so technically I should be able to eat at the breakfast bar at the hotel before leaving. We're going to get up early and get packed, then eat (the breakfast bar starts at 7 am), and then head over to the class. Then I'll go home from there after all is said and done.

It's been a day packed with all sorts of useful information. I've learned a lot. We went through various materials and several of the lessons. Tomorrow there's about eight lessons to go over, so it'll be pretty intense as well.

I really have enjoyed this experience so far. My classmates and teachers are all very pleasant and have a lot of experience that's proving useful.

Oh, and it was great that we got to the restaurant right before the Belmont Stakes started, and we got to watch American Pharoah win the Triple Crown. Yay!!!

Okay, I've got a bit of a headache, so I think I'll take some ibuprofen, drink some caffeine, and get some rest. I may write some more in a little while, but for now I just want to catch my breath. I'm in my sleep shirt and shorts, and got all comfy at least, as soon as I got in, and checked on my friends as well. So I'm ready for some quiet time.

I made it, yay!

I got onto the Interstate around 4 pm, after checking the oil and tyres, and putting a quart of oil in, and pretty much stayed behind tractor trailers that were doing between 60-65 mph (the speed limit is 70), and just let anyone who wanted to go around me do so. It worked out that, with one exception, I didn't even have to worry about people trying to merge into my lane. So all is well.

I did really well on the Interstate, although my hands are a bit cramped from holding the steering wheel for so long and so hard. :) I got off the Interstate at the correct exit, got to the next couple of streets, and only had trouble with the actual street for the hotel I'm in. I went down the wrong way and back and forth a couple of times, then decided there was a big white building on the other side of the road that might be the correct building, and it was. Yay! I checked in, but my keycard didn't work, either because it didn't take when they keyed it or because I put it next to the phone. So a nice lady in the next room who was going back down told them (I had all five bags and a jug of distilled water with me, so she thought she'd save me the trip), and she brought up the new one. I came in, put my stuff down, and plugged in my phone, which was kind of low on battery, and called YKWIA to report.

The quarters are nice. There are two double beds. The bath is just a bathtub/shower and toilet, with the sink out at the entrance to the room. It has a TV, microwave, mini-fridge, etc. The only thing so far I'm having issues with is that the outlet for my CPAP seems to be behind the actual bed. I waited until my roommate came in to choose beds, wanting her opinion. Now that I have mine (near the window), I can try to get behind the pillows and see if there's anything there. The clock is plugged up, so there must be something. The bedside lamp doesn't have any outlets. The desk lamp has two, one for the fridge and one free one, which is currently hosting my phone charger.

It's nice and cool in here, which is great. Even though I don't normally use my car air conditioner, I did on the way up because 1) it's very hot outside, and 2) it means less drag on the car at higher speeds. But I'm still sweaty from the trip.

I double-checked with one of our hosts and we're on our own for tonight, with the agenda starting at 7:15 am. My roommate did check in; she and another lady who she gave a ride to are out eating dinner right now. I'm going to check and see what's around here. I did see a Subway, but there might be something better. I wanted to charge the phone up a little and rest a bit, but I haven't eaten in almost 7 hours, so I'm getting a bit peckish.

At least the hotel does have free Wi-Fi. That's nice. So I can update here, although over the next couple of days, I'll have very little time to. Tomorrow has a very early start and could run twelve hours in terms of training; Sunday we'll be here at least until 4:30 or 5 pm.

Okay, I'm going to check out what's around here. The hotel serves breakfast, but not any other meals, so I'll have to go back out in the heat to find something. With that in mind, I'll check online and see what's around first.

Have a good weekend!

I am up exceedingly early

I'm going to break Internet protocol, and post things ahead of time about a short trip I am taking. I hope that does not mean bad things will happen, but this is really basically my diary, and given my driving anxiety, I need to write a bit here before I go.

First, the things I have to do before I go to work (and for once I won't use strikethrough on the list; suffice to say it all has to be accomplished:

1. Get some water in me; I'm very dry.
2. Switch from my backpack to my Chicago tote bag in terms of 'purses'.
3. Take a portfolio with various information on the training I'm doing related to the class I'm teaching.
4. Make sure I have the Kindle charger with me.
5. Fill up my medicine box, replenish my pen needles, get extra insulin together, and put in an extra phial of test strips.
6. Make sure I have my highlighter and plenty of pens, as well as the sticky notes for the training notebook they'll give me.
7. Get my clothes together for the weekend.
8. Bring three books, Pete Earley's Crazy, the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, and a book on mobile technologies in libraries that I have to review by month's end.
9. Take apart my CPAP and get it into its bag.
10. Charge my phone (I fell asleep without doing it.)
11. Charge my laptop.
12. Transfer the game recording over to the laptop so I can work on that if I have time this weekend.
13. Get ready.
14. Feed the fish.
15. Water the plants.
16. Put the toiletries into a bag.
17. Put the bags all together.
18. Make sure I have distilled water jug with me for the CPAP.
19. Program my destination into my phone
20. Return an interlibrary loan to the public library.

All in all, with my 'purse/tote', I have five bags, plus a water jug, but they're all small and portable. Fortunately there will be no plane rides with this, so I can take whatever I want.

The training is pretty intense: 7:15 am Saturday to 7 pm plus dinner; 8 am Sunday to 5 pm, with breaks about every two hours and meals provided.

I'm a little nervous about the drive, but not in full-blown panic, which is good. We'll see if that changes once I'm on the Interstate. But people have assured me that I-64 is much easier to handle than I-75, I should avoid most construction, and the plan is to leave work early enough to get a good start before rush hour traffic happens. Of course, once I get to Louisville, I'll be in rush hour traffic there, most likely, so I guess you pick your poison there. It's only about an hour and a half drive, straight up the Interstate to the hotel. The college where the training is a little further away from the hotel than I thought it would be, but it's a short jump on the Watterson Expressway from I-64, and while I could go the back roads, I've never actually driven in Louisville and it would probably be easier to keep to the major ones. In a way, I'm looking forward to the actual trip up there. I have a roommate at the hotel; I hope she's okay with my (very quiet) CPAP.

Okay, I have reached the point where I get ready for work. I haven'd decided whether to get my allergy shot before I leave town or not. I'm afraid I'll get bogged down with things if I try to run any errands or do anything before I go. I think I'll skip this time; I can double up next week. In fact, I may just pack up everything into the car before leaving for work and then drive straight from there to the Interstate. I think my CPAP would be okay in the car trunk. We'll see.

Teaching my first class

went really well tonight. We've got a great bunch of people. Here's to a wonderful summer of learning!

T minus five days and counting

Till I start teaching an eleven-week,  one-session-a-week class.  I'm starting to get a little nervous,  but I'm excited,  too.  This will be my first time doing this. Wish me luck!

Home and tired, ready for bed

I made a special trip to Danville this evening after work to visit my mom, who is in the hospital, and this greeted me as I pulled into my apartment complex afterwards. Pretty, yes?

Sorry I didn't write last night; my stepfather and I and a friend and I were exchanging phone calls regarding my mom, who is being a somewhat difficult patient, but otherwise I think should be doing better soon, or at least let's hope so. I brought her a pretty pink-and-yellow miniature rose to help cheer her up.

I did get word from the Kentucky NAMI group that I am officially accepted as a teacher for the Family-to-Family class and they've sent the agenda for the training, which is pretty intensive; essentially all eleven classes are covered, with additional information, in a two-day training. But I am excited. And even though driving up is still a little anxiety-producing, I did well in rush-hour traffic down a state road today, so that was good practice. The training is at Sullivan in Louisville, and that's where Brenda takes her son for his classes, so I think I'll ask her about the construction I've heard about.

I got a note on my door this evening from my leasing agent about expanded options for lease renewals that include an 18-month lease with only $5 increase in rent. I think I'll take that one. I've been here for 10 years and don't anticipate moving any time soon.

Okay, I've gotten home, I've alerted my friend that I'm back, have eaten a McDonald's double-filet-of-fish meal, and am a bit pooped. I have to get up at 6:30 in the morning because it's my allergy shot day and I go into work early. So I'm heading to bed, I think. Good night!

I couldn't stand it any more

I've been actually straightening up the house, removing the various detritus that has accumulated. I have two small bags of trash ready to go out, two of recyclables plus a full recyclables container, and a bag of grocery bags to put in the trunk of my car for the next time we go to Kroger. I've corralled some of the reusable and lunch bags, as well as a satchel and a backpack/purse. There are two piles to go through, one on the TV stand in front of the TV and one on the end table. I've deleted old voice mails from that phone. I've vacuumed the computer keyboard and wiped it down with alcohol prep pads. I've gotten all the dishes together and ready to put in the dishwasher. It had gotten pretty bad. I haven't touched the rest of the house. That's just the living room and part of the kitchen, though. But if I can work an hour or two every day, I think I can get everything back to normal pretty soon. Then I can vacuum, and maybe get the carpet cleaned, as I never took advantage of that service I got for free when I renewed my lease, and it's almost up again. :) They offer a free cleaning most years.

I'm kind of pooped now. I think I'm going to go take my purse into the bedroom and move everything back to my tote bag for tomorrow. I'd changed to the bright pink purse because I had on a floral skirt, bright pink camisole and blouse, and an off-white lacy shrug on today, and it matched better than the tote. But I love my 'Chicago' tote. I got it in the airport at O'Hare for less than $20. It's a faded green colour (yeah, no purple, I'm afraid, although there was blue and brown, and maybe pink). It zips up, has a large zippered pocket with phone holders on it, and side pockets for drinks, etc., and a metal tab for hanging my keys on. I particularly like that there is a pocket inside that can store things I must be able to get a hold of immediately, such as my Epi-Pen and my albuterol inhaler and spacer. :) Everything fits very nicely. I have two plastic bags, clear ones that held a traveling kit of airline-safe liquids. One has all my medicine and diabetic supplies. One of them has things like a comb, nail clippers, lip balm, microfiber cloth and glass cleaner, and contacts cleaner and case--those things that go rolling around in a bag easily. That way, I can just change them between purses and bags with no trouble.

Tomorrow I'm going to get a loaned text for the class I'll be teaching, so I can read through it before the training. I am glad it'll be Friday tomorrow. It'll be jeans day at work, for one. And 'Grimm' will be on that evening, which is the season finale.

Okay, I'm going to go work on transferring things, and then I'll probably head on to bed, as tomorrow is one of my early days, and I'll be getting up at 6 am. Have a good night!