I finally worked on the aquarium

It only took about 20 minutes. I came in from work, put my stuff down, and immediately started scooping out duckweed. I probably took out two cups of duckweed. I can't believe I told Brenda I didn't mind duckweed when she gave me a couple of pieces in with a swordtail. I guess I'd forgotten that the last time I had duckweed someone else regularly cleaned it out. :) Then I filled the tank (it took about 10 gallons, and my tank is a 29 gallon long. I treated the water with a conditioning agent and put in a solution of good bacteria. I also fed the fish. I think the duckweed was trapping some of the food, meaning they were hungry and the uneaten food could affect the water quality. I did not vacuum out the tank--that involves siphoning, which you start by mouth--not a good idea when you've just had oral surgery.

Speaking of which, I'm healing pretty well. The gum tissue is growing over the socket and I'm up to fairly non-soft foods like bagels, although I'm avoiding hard things like, say, tortilla chips. I have had very little pain, yay, and I only took two Percocet out of the whole prescription. I've finished the Z-pack of antibiotics and don't seem to have had any ill effects. (There was concern on the part of the doctor and pharmacist because this drug (azithromycin) is related to clindomycin, which I'm allergic to. But I can take erythromycin, which is also related.) I'm also allergic to penicillin, Lortab, and latex, so I'm a problem child when it comes to going to the doctor or dentist. (Please don't plan my demise from bread mould, okay?)

Happy Groundhog Day. If one came out today here it might have seen its shadow during a brief sunlit period, but it was mostly cloudy. More importantly for me, I suppose, is that it's Imbolc, the beginning of the Celtic spring, and which is sacred to the Goddess Brigid. I meant to get some mead the other day as a libation, but couldn't swing the logistics of getting to the liquor store during other errands, so I'll probably lighting a candle as a means of acknowledging Her. She is often associated with a sacred flame, and the Saint Bridget, which took over her dominion in the new faith, was worshipped at Kildare where there was a sacred flame devoted to her. The Goddess is associated with poetry, smithwork, and healing as well. Clooties, small bits of cloth, are tied upon trees near holy wells as a means of praying to Her or asking for healing, even now, although they are these days they are mostly directed to the saint.

That's all for now. Hope your week got off to a good start.

It was the graphics card

somehow interfering with the integrated Ethernet connexion. So I took out the card and was able to get back online. The card worked great, but I'm going to take it back since frankly, having access to the Internet is more important than the screen being pretty.

I think I'll give up on trying to upgrade this computer. Granted, I need some more speed (the graphics aren't really that important; the memory is). But memory and a card that works with my system would be about $200. A new computer that has 2 GB memory and comes with a flat-screen monitor is about $350. As long as I can still put money towards the car, I'll think about it. In the meantime, I can live with what I have.

Oh, well, it was worth a try, I suppose.

At work but off the clock waiting for a ride in 2 hours. But it's safer than walking in this snow.

I'm at the library

hoping I just downloaded the driver my Ethernet adapter needs to work so I can get back online at home. The snow was treacherous getting over here; the main roads look okay, but the secondary roads haven't been touched and the sidewalks--well, almost no one's even walked on them. I'm going to go up Eagle Creek View Lane and see if I can get to work easier than going down Richmond Road.

I've had very little pain since the first day of surgery; I haven't even had to take ibuprofen, so that's great. I got the game notes finished last night. Once I get home tonight I'm going to tackle the aquarium (but I have to go to Kroger and get more pasta, Indian food, and soup first). The graphics card is working well. I don't know if that started the issue with the connexion or not; I went to sleep for a couple of hours and came back and suddenly it wasn't connecting. I've also done some cleaning around the house.

Anyway, wish me luck on getting things back online. Have a great day. And if you're getting this snow, stay where you are if you can. At least we just got snow; a lot of people also got ice.

The game notes are finished. The snow is finally falling that was predicted earlier.

My network driver has gone south & I can't get online. :(

Something to watch locally

KET to air new video on historic archaeology over several nights beginning Monday

Upcoming KET air dates for the video (all Eastern Standard Time) are:

KETKY
9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1
5 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2
8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5
2 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6
3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7
10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13
6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20

KET2: 10 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17

KET1: 4 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20

Historic Archaeology: Beneath Kentucky’s Fields and Streets is presented in four segments based on the archaeological periods of Frontier, 1770s to 1820s; Antebellum, 1820s to 1860s; Civil War, 1861-65; and Industrialization, 1860s through 1910s. Each segment features key scientific discoveries made by some of the state’s top archaeologists over the past decade.

In the video, archaeologists working in the Frontier period describe the role of archival research in efforts to locate hundreds of frontier forts in the Inner Bluegrass region. Fort Boonesborough, Mammoth Cave and the Arnold Farmstead are featured.

From the Antebellum period, viewers learn about the discovery of a ceramics-filled privy at Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate in Lexington, as well as reconstruction of a slave cabin at Farmington Historic Plantation in Louisville, and how x-marked objects are providing insights into slave culture at Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing along the Ohio River in southwest Jefferson County. Also, physical anthropologists report surprising conclusions from the accidental discovery of a pauper’s graveyard in downtown Frankfort, and Shaker Village is highlighted.

Archaeologists exploring the Civil War period show how field surveys may be used to compare historic plans of camp fortifications to actual evidence in the ground. Investigations include Camp Wildcat and the Battle of Richmond, and work at the refugee encampment site in Camp Nelson confirms the location of a Civil War tragedy.

For the Industrialization period, archaeologists focus on the lives of immigrant families at Portland Wharf Park in Louisville. Once a major steamboat port, Portland Wharf vanished due to floods, the expansion of the Louisville-Portland canal and construction of a floodwall. Today, archaeology is being used to preserve the park and reconnect the community of Portland with its past. Also featured are the U.S. Marine Hospital, the Old State Capitol in Frankfort and the Covington Riverfront.

KET is Kentucky Educational Television, our public broadcasting station and one of the largest in the country. People tend to think of archaeological digs at ancient sites, but more recent history is also discovered through archaeology. This really sounds interesting.

Well, I had to do some finagling on the layout

because the 'Unshelved' people make beautiful LARGE strips once a week, but everything should be displaying correctly now. The folks at 'Unshelved' told me what to change in my code ('http://www.unshelved.com' rather than 'http://www.overduemedia.com', in case you're having issues), and voilà!--the new strips display. I had to tweak the size of the sidebar (and the tweet badge) as well as the main body of the page, since the comic was too big to display otherwise. In theory when it's normal size it should do fine, too. I'll keep an eye on it. Meanwhile, if you have trouble displaying this blog, please let me know, and what browser you're using. Oh, and the comic runs five days a week now, just so you know. Thanks to the people at 'Unshelved' for helping and for producing such a great strip.

I feel pretty good

I had a nice long rest, and I didn't have to get up and take any pain pills. In fact, I'm not really in enough pain to warrant them at this point. Yesterday I wasn't really hungry (I guess that meal at Long John Silver's stayed with me), so I just had a few bites of ice cream to settle my stomach for the medicine. It did hurt to eat a little then. Today I am hungry, so I've graduated up to soup, some minestrone. I'm chewing the pasta and vegetables on my other side, but my jaw isn't hurting at all like it was yesterday, at least while chewing (there's a faint pain afterwards, and of course, if I accidentally brush against the outside of my jaw, that hurts). But generally, I feel great, just still kind of tired, even with all the sleep, like my energy's being sapped; no doubt it's all going into healing. And I haven't really tried talking yet. I'm tired enough that I will stay home from the hospital; it was kind of conditional depending on how I feel. But I definitely feel I'm on the mend.

Now that's a feel-good story

Teacher, 100, gets degree a day before dying: N.H. woman was pleased that she had accomplished her goal, daughter says

Paula Finnegan Dickinson of Gilford, who was Ames' student back in 1956 and became an educator herself, regarded her as a mentor and dear friend.

"Mrs. Ames, along with Dick, Jane, Sally, Spot and Puff, became our friend," Dickinson said, recalling the "Dick and Jane" series that was used in class reading groups. "With her enthusiasm, these characters came to life. ... Mrs. Ames showed us how reading opened the doors to other experiences we in Pittsfield might never have known."