What's black and blue and sore all over?

Me. Okay, the bruising hasn't properly set in yet, but there are the scrapes, the swelling, and general did-anyone-get-the-plate-on-the-bus-that-hit-me aches. No, no bus. I fell walking into work. I'd just left the grass, which was damp and had walked onto the blacktop when the damn surgical boot, which is hard plastic much like dress shoes on the bottom, skidded right under me and there I was, flat on my back with my broken right foot pleasantly cushioned but my left foot directly under my upper thigh, something I didn't think was possible, even when I have done yoga. My knee's the worst. At least I didn't hit my head. (I think. Like I said, I was stunned, and that lasted until about 3 in the afternoon.)

So the first part of my Monday, after the nice security guard who saw me helped me up and chased down my frozen fish meal, some change, and my cell phone (all of which went flying)--although so did a Fresca that rolled clear down the hill to the end of the parking lot, which I didn't chase after because I was still stunned, was spent filling out an incident report and filing it. Earlier in the morning I'd checked my finances and discovered I was going to overdraft by 19 cents, so I deposited a quarter (hey, I didn't have much on me) in the bank. Then this. On top of yesterday's fiasco (oh, yeah, I didn't tell you--two characters in the game are practically dead, a beloved NPC (non-player character) and one of mine who was on her very first mission. None of us thought to bring oxygen masques with us when repelling down a 400 ft deep oil derrick shaft. The NPC, who was in charge, continued despite our attempts to get her to come back up, and then fell. Mine climbed down the rest of the way to get her, but I didn't think fast enough and passed out myself. Both were revived, but they're in the hospital, both on a ventilator, and I don't think there's much hope.

So, the week's started out crappy. But it should get better from here. Tomorrow is my favourite Scorpio's birthday. I'll have to give him a belated gift...I was going to try to get him a subscription to a sports magazine he loves, but the price range was between $80 and $120 a year, depending on what payment plan you do and where you go to get it...way out of my league. I like A but gee, I have medical journals in the library that are less than that. So, it will have to be something else. And of course Wednesday is Halloween. I have to work at the store though so I don't know about wearing a costume to the library. If I paint my face, for example, I'd have to get all the makeup off and change. Plus I'm out of ideas for this year and strapped for money. Fortunately I get paid on Wednesday (most likely) and have food at home and gas in the car. Maybe I'll just wear black.

Well, that's all for now. No, wait, today's fortune cookie is: A good beginning is half done. I wonder if that counts for the opposite. Okay, that's it. Good night.

Oh, good grief

It's bad when FEMA has to resort to fake news conferences to make itself look good.

FEMA blasted for 'news' conference

Someone's going to get grief over that one. It's just another thing that makes the Bush Administration look like a bunch Keystone Cops running around in all directions. I notice they have nothing like a retraction or apology on their website, at least when I looked at it tonight.

I have food in the house

having just spent an hour in Kroger hunting and a bit of gathering. I have salad makings, potatoes, canned veggies, fresh fruit, canned fruit, tortillas, bread, macaroni and cheese, tuna, chili, Fresca, and lots of dairy products (cheese, milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, sour cream), plus orange juice with calcium (I've been craving dairy since I broke my foot, and of course I need the calcium to help it heal). I also got some popcorn where you pour the butter over it after you microwave it (shades of the Olden Days--it's Orville Redenbacher, which was cheaper than Pop Secret), a couple of frozen meals I can take to work (Boca lasagna and a fish/broccoli/rice meal). Oh, and ice cream, but that falls under dairy, right? :) All told it was $85, which is more than I've spent at the store in a long, long time, but my cabinets were pretty much empty (I had some cereal, half a jar of peanut butter, and a couple of bean and rice mixes, plus some spinach.) Now I should be good for at least a couple of weeks. Right now I'm making a baked potato in the microwave. I've been wanting one since I made one for a friend a few days ago.

Speaking of my friend, he gave me a bag of fortune cookie, hence the new feature, 'Today's Fortune Cookie'. Today's is 'There is a true and sincere friendship between you both'. That's definitely true. (I actually had Ko Po tofu earlier from China Café, but that fortune cookie had a joke about a one-legged dog, so I consider that one a wash).

Man, that potato is good!

Well, I'm going to check the news and then putter around here a little before I go to bed. Good night.

A snippet of my day

Today's radioplay (yay, they're back!): Colonel Warburton's Madness
Today's fortune cookie: There is no mistake so great as that of being always right.
Today's dinner: Voodoo Red Beans from Gumbo Ya Ya (yay, something other than peanut butter!)

Okay, so I'm getting used to my desk. I'm still working on the ergonomics. I have a keyboard tray and mouse pad that hang underneath the desk so I'm further from the screen than I used to be. My computer is in the corner of the desk, so my phone is on the left a ways. Remember it's 6' x 6' so there's a lot of space. I did manage to incorporate the orchids, African violets, and Christmas cactus on the desk. The amaryllis and aloe vera remain in the window. The primroses and cyclamen got chucked after months of limping along. My little zen garden is next to the computer. I have a picture of Hekate and the Orphic hymn to her on my tack board. I did go ahead and put my files that I don't deal with constantly in plastic bins under the desk for now so I can take them out a little at a time. Between the plastic bins, the drawer units, the trash can, and my foot rest, all the space underneath is taken. But I was able to move the copier and public computers down by about 8 inches so I have more room and don't feel claustrophobic. Plus I have the windows behind and left of me. Today was mostly spent going through the e-mail of the last three four days, doing some interlibrary loans, and answering questions about the national award for which I am the jury chair. Next week I take my easel to storage (felt board on one side, magnetic chalkboard on the other), have a bulletin board put up and another taken to storage, and get a Ray Harm print hung (one fit over my desk, the other needs to move between the windows). There are three total in the library--a bald eagle, an indigo bunting (the one over my desk) and I can't remember the name of the other, the one to be hung--it's a brown bird with a butterfly. I also need to send some journals I'm weeding to other libraries and dispose of the ones no one wanted. Then the big project happens--taking off journals so that the shelving units can be moved over. Gack.

This is hilarious

D sent me this via e-mail and I tracked it down on YouTube so I could share it with you. If you've ever been 'owned' by a cat (oh, come on, you know we were genetically engineered for our thumbs so we could open the food cans), you will appreciate this.

'Cat Man Do' by English animator Simon Tofield of Tandem Films.

Yay!

It's 9:10 and I'm ready for work except for putting my shoes on. I've been having a hard time getting up before about 9:25 (bad when you have to be at work at 10), so I've been very rushed in the mornings. Today I can really wake up a little slowly whilst my brain comes online. I did the set-my-clock-ahead-at-a-random-time trick to fool myself (normally after I figure out the time difference, I start calculating it when I'm half asleep, but it works for awhile when I first start). So even though it's gloomy outside, I'm awake. I'm hoping that falling back from Daylight Savings Time will help, too. I think we do that this weekend. [Correction, that's next week, due to changes in the system.]

I checked and my direct deposit has gone through. It's like magical elves (or if this were Harry Potter, goblins) come and fill my coffers at night. I love direct deposit. I really should do it with the gas station, too. After all, it'll soon be 2 years since I started there. According to my boss, I have a following of regulars. Several people did ask me why I was off, too. It's nice to be appreciated. I think the gas station job does four things for me: 1) keeps me afloat financially by filling in the gaps of my other job, 2) forces me to deal in pleasantries with a constantly-changing stream of people who are very different in demeanor, 3) keeps me on my toes and active, and 4) fulfills my need to help people (a reason I'm a librarian, too).

Well, I'm going to get my shoes on and go into work, getting some money along the way. Hope you have a good day. And for those of you in southern California...I've heard a lot of people here say that even though we've been in a drought and need the rain, we wish you were getting some of it instead. They're thinking about you--and so am I. A co-worker (well, briefly a co-worker, he lasted a week if that) said he wasn't sorry for all these rich people losing their homes, especially since they built in a fire zone. But it's not just rich people--and one thing about fire, it's a great equaliser, without regard for social status or wealth. And it's just as devastating to lose your home regardless of who you are, what you do, or how much you have. And it's hard to find a place in the suburbs of Los Angeles that isn't in a fire zone. At least when I lived there, I was in the desert. But I was also 80-90 miles from LA. That's a bit much for a commute. Anyway, I hope they get some relief soon.

My brain has been taken by Yahtzee

I have a little computer program, you see, and I just keep rolling the dice. But now I'm going to stop and blog, and then go to bed. (When we did play games as a family when I was young, it was usually Yahtzee or Kismet, both dice games...I'm pretty good--the computer loses more than I do).

Anyway, autumn weather has definitely come to us. According to my Firefox add-on it's 50 degrees but the wind is at 16 mph, so it's pretty brisk outside. It's also wet and leaves are coming down everywhere; my car is decorated with them.

I went to Dr Rooney, the podiatrist, today. I have to stay in the boot for another four weeks, but the good news is it is healing. The fractures are in the 4th and 5th metatarsals; I've heard bad things about the 5th not healing but she said that's usually the case when the bone is actually broken to the point of not being united. Mine is more of a crack near the joint, so it should heal fine. Yay. I do not want surgery. It does feel somewhat better. So, it's more of the Franken-boot for now.

The time of no money is ending as I get paid tomorrow at the hospital (actually it should go through sometime tonight) and I should get paid at the gas station for the first time in awhile, too.

The new cubicles were more tolerable once everything was together. I spent the whole day putting stuff on and in my desk. My computer may be losing its power supply soon--it keeps going to an amber light and it's sleeping although on, but not waking up when I touch the mouse or keyboard. I've got a desk that goes 6 feet in two directions, which I think will be adequate, 3 file folder drawers, two others, and two overhead bins. I got all but the files taken care of today. Tomorrow I have to do that and move some other stuff out so that the nursing students won't be crowded. I also have to move a copier and two computer carrels about 6 inches so I won't be crowded. From there it's working on moving one or possibly two journal shelving units that are about 3' x 12' each. Not looking forward to that.

I haven't listened to the radioplays lately because of all the commotion. When they were building the cubicles, there didn't seem to be a point, since there was banging and power screwdriving involved. Today I don't think I sat in my chair long enough. Also, I'm getting a new (used) chair that's bigger and more comfortable, one of the old ones from one of the other departments that was replaced by those that came with the cubicles.

Well, I guess that's enough of an update for now. Good night. Oh, and in honour of impending Halloween, here's a Very Twisted Great Pumpkin...I'm assuming it's from Robot Chicken, I think I've seen it on there, but it wasn't identified as such.

A mixed day

On the good side:

1. Heroes!--enough said.
   
2. The nice folks at the Kentucky Revenue Department set up a payment plan with me rather than coming and taking what little stuff I own (okay, I have lots of stuff, but nothing valuable, really--my car is in my mom's name and my computer is a build-your-own-without-a-brand style, and of course there are lots of books, not great for resale). But they could have garnished my wages or just seized money from my bank account and had me out on the street when I couldn't pay my rent. So I'm happy that it worked out. I received the certified letter of notice the day I was off after Cerys' death and it became clear that I wasn't going to make the deadline since I hadn't been working due to my foot. Apparently the Commonwealth prefers less extreme tactics first. Yay for calling to straighten things up. Yay, responsibility!
   
3. I found out a co-worker is alive and well. She disappeared Thursday and her family and friends didn't know where she was, and it wasn't like her to not call in to work. I don't know the details (and don't really need to, although of course I'm curious.) But she disappeared on her mother's birthday and her mom had died a few months ago--I was a little worried that she was more depressed than we'd realised and had done something to harm herself. I fretted about her all weekend. Funny how people touch you in little ways. My favourite moment with her was the child-like wonder she had at making a fluff ball move forward by walking near it. (Don't get me wrong, she takes things seriously, and she's not totally out in left field...but she's quirky and comes off as pretty innocent, and I was afraid someone might have harmed her.)
   
4. I talked to D. Her surgery went fine and she's back at work. She's got some really serious implications to deal with, though, and I hope she continues to do okay.
   

On the bad side, they're building the cubicles in the library today and so far I don't like the fact that they're:

1. A particularly yucky shade of beige-taupe (hey, not my fault, I didn't get a vote). Maybe they'll grow on me. Nah.
   
2. Sticking out further than I, my boss, and my boss' boss thought they would, so now I'm looking at moving one or two journal shelving units (each about 3 x 12 feet and full of loose journals) over to allow for clearance. Right now there's about 24". There needs to be at least 36".
   
3. Wrapped around my area to a degree that I'm going to have to move the copier and computer a few inches to get inside my cubicle.
   
4. Tall (except for mine), leading you to see a wall with a door directly opposite when you come in. My desk is behind said journals shelves and although there is a short divider, I don't think I'll be that visible, certainly not as much as I was in the past.
   
5. Probably going to be put up into tomorrow, since by the time I left at 2:30 they'd gotten the walls (yes, there's a wall, even with a door) and overhead bins in.
   
   

Also, I can't see the clock (it's just as well my 10th anniversary gift for service is a clock) and I'm not sure I'll be able to see the door. Argh. Maybe it will get better. I miss my nice oak desks, but this might work. Still, I'm being somewhat resistant to change, but then although I wasn't the last to know this was going on, I was down pretty far, and I still resent that. Oh, well, maybe I'll be able to appreciate 'Dilbert' even more. But today wasn't fun, especially as I was crowded at one of the computer carrels with stuff around me, including my desk's computer monitor, which wound up in a chair inexplicably.

Oh, well. I don't try to understand it anymore. I just stand up when I think I need to and try to let the rest pass like water under the bridge...yeah, and I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd love to sell you, too. :)

PS October 23rd is Brenda's 50th Birthday! Woo-whee! (It's scary that I'm just 10 years away from that number.) I need to find something special to bring for her at next game.

I really like this Canadian artist's movies

Ever feel like you're in a rut:? Here's another animated film from Graham Annable (http://www.grickle.com):



Even better is this Christmas wish. Isolation in the cold north can lead to...madness.

I hope Heroes won't be disrupted

but it seems to me the writers of Hollywood do deserve royalties on podcasts and 'webisodes'. Here's hoping they won't have to strike to get it, or at least that it won't last too long.

What a Writers' Strike Means for Us