Happy Valentine's Day

The Dark Origins Of Valentine's Day

This was shared by the University of Kentucky History Department on Facebook with the following comment: History Ruins Yet Another Holiday.

Heh Heh. Yep. I haven't celebrated Valentine's in years, but if you do, enjoy it (and maybe hold off on reading this till tomorrow).

When I feel overwhelmed

I often shut down,  curl up in a ball,  and sleep even I don't really need to. But on the other hand,  sometimes you just need to curl up in bed and process stuff. Tonight I got some discouraging news about my mom.  My house is a mess.  There's so much I should do. And yes,  I am going to go ahead and sleep--not nap, with some idea of getting up in an hour and do stuff,  but sleep, get rest, regroup and then get up very early tomorrow morning. Instead of going in to work early,  I'll work on the house,  try to improve what I can change,  and leave what I can't to Fate.

Tomorrow I have my counseling appointment,  so I have some incentive to work on the house.  But right now I have a headache,  I'm sad,  and I have been up since 5:30 am.  It's time to just call it a night,  I think.  Good night.

Here are those interesting articles:

This is so cool--over 20 volumes of an Assyrian dictionary, worked on since 1921, and it's also available for free online. :) The language geek in me just wants to squeal in delight:

Dictionary of dead language complete after 90 years

Almost 90 experts from around the world took part, diligently recording and cross referencing their work on what ended up being almost two million index cards.

The Chicago Assyrian Dictionary is 21 volumes long and is encyclopaedic in its range. Whole volumes are dedicated to a single letter, and it comes complete with extensive references to original source material throughout.

-and-

Archaeologists Unearth New Dead Sea Scrolls Cave

Archaeologists have unearthed a new cave associated with the famed Dead Sea Scrolls, filled with ancient storage jars and lids off the Judean cliffside, marking the first successful excavation of its kind in 60 years.

Until Wednesday, researchers assumed only 11 caves contained scrolls. But the discovery of a twelfth cave cements a longstanding belief among archaeologists that looters stole the artifacts in the mid-1900s, referencing pick ax heads found deep inside a tunnel at the new cave's rear as proof.

Hidden along the cave's walls, excavators found numerous broken jars and lids. Among the other findings were fragments of scroll wrappings, leather and string

So sad that it was looted. They were probably hidden away in private collections or possibly destroyed, and that is a tragedy in either case.

Oh, by the way, I took a quiz on Yiddish words and their meanings. It didn't turn out too badly, for a goy:

100% -- You Would Make Your Jewish Family Proud. Ay yay yay!! Your family would be so proud of your Yiiddish! You totally grew up in a Jewish family and know all of the primary Jewish-isms! You've seen your share of big bar/bat mitzvahs bashes and you use these slang words very frequently. You are NEVER shlepping and we are very verklemptov over your score!! Congrats!

Also...just in time for Valentine's Day--

The Rude, Cruel, and Insulting 'Vinegar Valentines' of the Victorian Era

The Victorians had the 'polite insult' down to an absolute art. Reminds me of someone I know. :)

-and-

Apparently I should look for romance in Alabama--I love Byron's poetry. But no, I live in the state of couples' tattoos. Really, that's a thing?

Most Popular Valentine's Day Gift Searches Per State

And finally, this made my day yesterday...

“Donaeld The Unready” tweets as if Trump is a mad medieval king

“Make Mercia Great Again!” The new Twitter account Donaeld The Unready casts Trump as a medieval king, obsessed with draining the East Anglian fens, building shield walls and the bad monk Bede.

Sorry it's been awhile

I just got off the phone with a friend whom I was helping apply for jobs. Technically I've had time the last two nights to blog, but I've laid down for a bit and kept getting phone calls, so I kept stretching out my 'nap time' till it was time to go to bed. As a result, I feel more rested than I have in awhile. Tonight I've been up and doing things. I ran to the pharmacy for my medicines and YKWIA's, and talked with him for awhile. We're going to try to watch the miniseries 'Ascension' together on Netflix. And since then I've been on the phone with A helping him with his job search.

In general things have been going pretty well. I have two jobs to apply for (although one involves getting my transcript, so it's good that it's closing date isn't until March). My mom's been in the ICU at the hospital in her hometown for over a week, but she got moved to a regular room today. Yay. I may be able to go see her Saturday if all goes well. I hope so.

That's it for now. I'm just checking in. I have a couple of news stories to post either tonight or tomorrow that I found interesting. Take care, and good night.

By the way

An amusing thing from today: I was in the restroom and I heard a metal object fall.  Both earrings were in. Then another tink noise as something fell.  One of the screws of my belt (where you can change the buckle) came apart and I had to retrieve the two parts, walk to the other side of the hospital,  hoping my pants didn't fall down,  as they're loose,  and borrow a screwdriver from the maintenance guys and screw it back together and tighten the other under their scrutiny. Thankfully that doesn't happen every day.  :)

Reading

Make Job Loss Work for You: Get Over It and Get Your Career Back on Track, by Richard and Terri Deems (out from the public library).

I applied for the job

I decided to be proactive and apply even though it doesn't close until February 17th, so I don't feel rushed. I'm really excited about this one. I really hope they'll contact me. It would be a great opportunity. Several friends and family members have been very supportive on Facebook, and I appreciate that.

Today I had my second of two last job reviews before the end of my run at the hospital. I got very good ratings on each, and I get a raise, which while short-lived, will figure into the severance package. I've really been blessed with all of my bosses at Shriners--Judy, Kathy, Judy again, Martha, Kathy (another one), Robert, (and an honorary, part-time boss, Ambra). I really appreciate their encouragement, especially given the circumstances. I would have loved to work for Shriners for another twenty years (my anniversary is March 17th). But I believe this will lead to new directions. I'd like to stay in the non-profit world, if at all possible. I'll never be rich, but I'll make a difference. Of course, I'd love to stay in the library field, although if it comes down to the end of the job, I'm going to go have to look outside of it--I know that. Lexington's market is glutted with people with MSLS degrees. When I first rented this apartment, my leasing agent had one. And then there's the fact that there's just 56 days. That's all that's left. It makes me sad, of course, and I need to physically start breaking the library up next week, so it'll be even more so. But...things happen, you adapt, you go on. I'm glad I've had the opportunity to work there.

Okay. I know it's not late, but I think I'm going to read a little before bedtime. I tried to take a nap earlier, but kept getting phone calls, texts, and notifications. It's been a long day (I've been up since 5 am, but then, if I do get the job, that will be normal). I hope you have a very good night, and a great weekend.

So...

I found a job to apply for that is nearly perfect. The catch? It's in Louisville, an hour and a half away. I'm really not in a position to move, so it would mean driving there and back each weekday. Have any of you gone back and forth from Lexington to Louisville for a work commute daily? On the one hand, I do have driving anxiety, and weather and accidents can be a problem. On the other, it sounds fabulous--it's the curator of the Jewish Collection at the Filson Historical Society, and would use my educational background to the utmost--I have an MLS, a history degree, and a minor in Judaic Studies, was trained in cataloguing, archives, and preservation, and this is the most excited I've been about a job prospect for awhile. What do you think? Is it doable?

Hmm...

The scary swish and swallow stuff (aka Nystatin) isn't terrible.  I think it tastes a bit like bubble gum.  A bit.  I have to take it four times a day,  so at least it's bearable.

A few random things...

1. I did send that thank you letter to Dr. Daniel last week. I hope it finds him well.
2. Tomorrow I get paid and I'm opening up an account with the credit union, paying off the bank, and closing that account, if I can. Or at least get it positive and start changing over the automatic debits I have monthly to the new account.
3. I'm kind of tired, but I've had an okay sort of day. Emotionally I feel better, and my throat feels better, probably due to the oral medicine, because I totally forgot to bring the 'swish and swallow' stuff with me today. I'm going to start it tonight and put the stuff in my backpack. It's 5 ml/1 teaspoon at a time, which isn't that bad, surely (she said, hopefully).
4. A is sick and I took YKWIA to get food and medicine for him. He sounds awful. Everyone I know has been sick this season, I think, except maybe not YKWIA, which is unusual.
5. I just made some scrambled eggs with cheese (although I almost managed an omelet) and feel better. I'd gotten pretty hungry while we were running around. It was that or 1) soak and cook basmati rice and pair it with a kidney-bean curry that's premade, or 2) cook some pasta with sauce. Neither of those seemed appealing. My appetite's actually been pretty good, but not at night, especially as the throat hurts worse then. Eggs are soft. They'll do.

I guess that's really all. I'm going to try to read a little before bed, although I'm not sure which book yet. It's a goal to read 30 minutes a day (or listen to an audiobook) on my Habitica to-do list. I'm not sure I'm up to reading--I have an audiobook or two I can try, perhaps. Okay, have a good night.