Oh, thank the Gods

I woke up to a sunny, breezy 68° F. It's lovely. I have one fan on low. Last night both of the ones in the living room were on high. It's 75° here in the house, and the high is going to be about 81°. It's so much better than the 101° heat index the other day. I love this.

Today

I have: 

1. Washed the percolator and hand-washed dishes.
2. Emptied,  loaded,  and run the dishwasher. 
3. Made coffee for my roommate. 
4. Woken him up.
5. Stripped the bed and laundered the bedclothes in the washer. (They're in the dryer right now).
6. Sorted and folded laundry from yesterday. 
7. Woken my roommate. 
8. Let out the dogs several times. 
9. Listened to music.
10. Tightened a loose leg on the living room farm table. The dogs keep knocking into it as they play.
11. Mended two blouses. Why does my sewing kit,  which has 22 spools of thread,  not include navy? I even have chartreuse.  I have never worn chartreuse in my life. But at least those three years of home oeconomics/Future Homemakers of America membership paid off.
12. Taken my oral meds and insulin.
13. Taken items to the car.
14. Took books back to and picked up a hold from the library.
15. Gotten a new library card (my key one wouldn't scan anymore).
16. Taken items to my storage unit.
17. Retrieved the old game notebooks so I can look for something.
18. Went to the store for tea and soda.
19. Finally caffeinated/browsed the web.

Not bad so far.  Things also on my list today:

1. Water plants.
2. Clean bathroom.
3. Print something from the desktop.
4. Read.
5. Straighten up room.
6. Break down cardboard boxes and take them out to the recycling bin (also known as a Rosie here in Lexington).
7. Find the missing game-related information.
8. Zoom with my roommate to test something.
9. Dust some bookshelves.
10. Watch 'Midsomer Murders' during dinner.
11. Feed the dogs and cat in the evening.

Thursday [I was off] I:

1. Made coffee for my roommate.
2. Woke him up.
3. Let the dogs out several times. Fed the dogs and cat in the morning (I usually do evening).
4. Caffeinated and browsed the web.
5. Listened to music.
6. Took a friend out to the Indian restaurant (Masala) for his birthday.
7. Went to the store.
8. Watched 'Midsomer Murders' during dinner.
9. Cleaned the percolator and washed any plastics.
10. Took my meds (morning and night).

Friday [I was off] I:

1. Made coffee for my roommate.
2. Fed the dogs and cat [morning and evening] and let the dogs out several times.
3. Ran dishwasher.
4. Woke him up for class.
5. Caffeinated and browsed the web.
6. Listened to music.
7. Took a friend to get his hair cut.
8. Did a lot of laundry.
9. Picked up some meds.
10. Took expired meds to the pharmacy for disposal.
11. Cleaned the percolator and washed any plastics.
12. Took my meds (morning and night).

Saturday I:

1. Slept in.
2. Made coffee for my roommate.
3. Fed the dogs and cat [both morning and evening] and let the dogs out several times.
4. Ran the dishwasher.
5. Caffeinated and browsed the web.
6. Did a lot of laundry.
7. Make a bank deposit.
8. Trimmed my nails because I couldn't type anymore comfortably.
9. Took a shower.
10. Made banana nut bread.
11. Watched 'Midsomer Murders' during dinner.
12. Took my meds (morning and night).

Things for tomorrow (Labour Day]:

1. Make coffee for my roommate.
2. Run the dishwasher.
3. Caffeinate and browse the web.
4. Listen to music.
5. Pull out things in the utility room.
6. Get the vacuum out of the shed.
7. Move the dryer (with help).
8. Clean out the lint hose and exhaust. It never has been in all the time he's had the house, since about 2005, and the other day we were talking about appliance fires and thought perhaps it would be good. It's also why we're running the dishwasher in the morning rather than while we sleep.
9. Read.
10. Take a shower.
11. Watch 'Midsomer Murders' during dinner.
12. Feed the dogs and cat in the evening.
13. Let the dogs out often.
14. Launder the rest of my bedding.
15. Watch 'Meet the Robinsons' (maybe).

Not bad for my little vacation. Mind you, our air conditioning is out (for the second time this summer--the first time a dog chewed the wires; I suspect there's something wrong with the thermostat this time] and it's been 85°-95°F inside. We've all been very hot during the heatwave, which has had heat indices in the hundred-and-something range outside. Fortunately, we do have fans. Hopefully, we'll be able to afford to have it looked at and fixed soon.

I tend to listen to one singer's or band's music over and over for awhile before moving on

These are the albums I've been listening to of late:

• Sia 'This is Acting'
• Cian Ducrot 'Victory'
• Rag'n'Bone Man 'Human'

I love lots of different music. I've enjoyed these. Music is very important to me. I don't play an instrument, I can sing but I'm not great, but I really appreciate music and love listening to a lot of it. It's the one thing I can easily enjoy doing when all other things are being difficult. Sometimes I can't read, or do hobbies, but I can listen. Lyrics are just as important to me as the music itself. Music enriches life, and I'm very happy I can listen to it.

Found on Facebook

When I read John Hersey's 'Hiroshima' in college, this is what horrified me more than any other immediate consequence of the bomb.

Oooooh!!!

Have you seen the Samsung advertisement where they are in a foreign restaurant and use their phone to translate on the Samsung Flip6 [or the bigger one, the Fold6] by doing one side with English (the one facing you, the front screen) and another showing the translation into the other language on the cover screen (the one on the outside of the phone)? In the Flip6 the cover screen is fairly large, taking up the whole upper side of the folded phone. I don't have one, though I would like one, but I just paid off my Flip4 and can't justify the expense.

I did just see an article, though, that showed the Google Translate app (not the Samsung version on the Flip6) that allows me to do the same thing on my Flip4. Woo-hoo! The only problem is that my screen is about 1"x3", so it's much smaller. But it still works. Hee hee hee. This might work when I have a family member at work who is speaking a longer Spanish conversation than I can follow and respond to given my intermediate Spanish.

Google Translate Quieyly Added a Dual-Screen Conversation Mode for Foldables using Android 14.

I just spent

A good bit of time redesigning this blog. I took an existing theme (credit at the bottom of the page) and changed the colours and fonts. They are some of my least favourite colours (you'd think I'd have kept the purple), but they work well with the book background and a good librarian blog should have books. :)

Let me know what you think.

Exciting

New Imaging Technique Identifies Autism Markers with 95% Accuracy

Summary: Researchers have developed a system that detects genetic markers of autism in brain images with 89-95% accuracy, potentially enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment.

This method, which identifies brain structure patterns linked to autism-related genetic variations, offers a personalized approach to autism care. The technique, called transport-based morphometry, could transform the understanding and treatment of autism by focusing on genetic markers rather than behavioral cues.

Key Facts:

• The system uses brain imaging to spot autism-related genetic variations.

• Accuracy of the method ranges from 89-95%, promising earlier diagnosis.

• This approach could shift autism diagnosis from behavior-based to genetics-based.

Twenty

Citation: Thomas, Dylan. Collected Poems: the Original Edition. New York: New Directions Books, 2010 [original publication date 1938], 210 pp. ISBN: 978-0811202053

I have adored Dylan Thomas since I first read 'Fern Hill'. This is a wonderful edition.

Nineteen

Citation: Kerry Greenwood. Cocaine Blues. Scottsdale, AZ: Poisoned Pen Press, 1989. 198 pp. ISBN: 978-161593547

Be a dandelion puffball in a sea of monkeygrass