Today I participated in a web seminar on how to do podcasting put on by the
Greater Midwest Region of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. It was fun, I enjoyed it, and I know a lot more than I did (which was almost nothing) of what podcasting can do and how to make them. My only complaint is that being in an office with several other cubicles, I couldn't just put my phone on speaker but had to hold the receiver to my ear for an hour and a half. I'd rather use some sort of conferencing software that just played the audio over the computer that I could listen to via headphones.
One nice thing about the meeting was that none of us had to travel. In fact, the instructor was doing the presentation from home using an iPhone. Considering it was the Midwest Region (even though Kentucky is
really part of the South, it tends to get lumped into the Midwest often), people traded temps outside and one lady was somewhere where it was -35 degrees Fahrenheit. I so could not live there. I might be conflating but I think she was the one who walked to work and didn't see why they closed the schools. Those Midwesterners are a tough lot.
After work I took a couple of friends around for errands. Then one of them and I did what any sane person would do when it's 6 degrees outside--we took three dogs to
Incredipet, a local pet store with a dog wash area, and bathed them. Don't worry, they got good and dry between the towels and the drying cage (one really, really liked that, which is surprising, as she's the one that doesn't stay in place much, but she just kept going back in when we tried to get the others to). One whinged all the way to the store because it was dark and the aliens might get her. She's the only dog I've ever known who was afraid of the dark. The largest dog is usually hard to get up the ramp and into the sink, but she was a real trooper and surprisingly went right on up. When all was said and done (and they'd had treats as a reward), we went back to their home, and I was the one in wet clothes freezing in the weather, although it's amazing how warm a car can get with the heater on and three dogs in the backseat steaming up the windows. Yes, it was an adventure.
But now I'm home and ready for bed. I've caught up on news and on mail. My schedule changed for the store tomorrow so I will be working 10 hours rather than five, which sort of sucks, but hey, it's extra money, which I could really use.
Oh, I got my W2s from the hospital on Thursday. I hope the store's are on their way, although since I didn't file a new W4 until late in the year, I'll probably have to pay extra again this year rather than get a refund. I also got paid Thursday and I found out that with the raise and the higher flexible spending account deduction I pretty much evened out and I'm making just a few dollars less a pay period than I did last year. But I've got over $3,000 to use for medical expenses, so that will help.
Thursday I also paid my rent, and managed to get a break because neither I or the leasing agent can do math. I figured up the late fees twice and got two different amounts, so I called her for the official total before getting a money order, and she gave me the lower total. Later, she said not to worry about the extra five dollars I did owe since she made a mistake. Yay for getting to live indoors for less! And I didn't have to pay as much as I have the last two months, so maybe I can finally get caught up. We'll see.
Well, that's enough for now. I'm going on to bed and plan to get up fairly early to take care of some things around the house. I really need to do dishes and take out the trash, for example. Good night.