Anyone who thinks abortion is cut and dried should read this

'I'm showing my son mercy'
No matter how you feel about abortion, I think most compassionate people would feel for this couple's situation. It is so wrong that they had to go through so much just to do, what in my opinion, in this case, was absolutely the right thing to do. I am so sorry that they had to go through such a difficult decision made more difficult thanks to badly-considered legislation.

It is so blustery out there

that a tiny amount of wind is getting through my normally decently sealed windows and making the wind chimes in the window chime just a bit with the huge gusts every now and then. The wind is positively howling, perfect for Halloween, I suppose. What have I actually been doing for the last two hours this Samhain eve? Listening to the Pandora 'Loreena McKinnitt' channel I have set up; in other words, enjoying some lovely Celtic music and relaxing. That was in the bedroom. Now that I'm in the living room, and there's no music, the wind is really loud. We're supposed to see gusts over 40 mph, and I think that's definitely happening.

Here's a little appropriate music from Loreena McKinnitt to chase the wind away:

I got some good news today

while at my endocrinology appointment. In July, my HbA1c (the blood test that determines how your blood sugar has been running averaged over a three-month period) was 10.0, but the one I took today was only 7.6, much better and it means my estimated blood glucose came down quite a bit. She told me to keep doing what I'm doing. I also talked to her about changing my Novolog to Humalog because my insurance isn't going to cover the former next year.

Sorry I didn't write last night. I was out celebrating a friend's birthday. We were born the same year, so he caught up to me in age. We went to Alfalfa restaurant downtown. I had falafel, salad, and red beans and rice. Afterwards we went back to their house for birthday cake. Then I went home and went straight to bed, since my appointment was so early this morning (8 am). As it was, I was about 10 minutes late, because I live about as far away from them as you can in Lexington, and I'm not used to cross-town traffic that early in the day. But it all worked out.

Tonight the plan is to spend the evening inside at home. Lexington, along with several other central Kentucky towns, moved their trick-or-treating (which is almost unheard of here) because we're supposed to get some pretty ugly weather this evening.

Okay, I think I'm going to snuggle up with my copy of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Paranormal for a bit, maybe play some Plants vs. Zombies, and watch 'Big Bang Theory' later tonight. Oh, that reminds me:

Why I do not plan to download the new Plants vs. Zombies 2, even though I love the original:
1. It is huge. Over 160 MB of space. I have 16 GB on my phone, but that's a lot for one game.
2. Instead of being a game you just buy outright, it a 'freemium' product with 'in-app purchasing'. Basically, you can play to a point but if you really want to play it seriously, you have to pay for items that will help you win, so you pay more in the long run.
3. I can't. On the first day it was available for Android OS, I actually had a moment where I hit the button to download and it simply couldn't do it, even over wi-fi.

What can I aay, I just don't think it's worth it. Maybe if any of that changes, I'll reconsider, but not right now.

We had Chinese food from Jin Jin for dinner

and I got these two fortunes in my cookies:

You will conquer obstacles to achieve success.

and

Good things are coming to you in due course of time.

Typically ambiguous, but promising.

It's almost 1 am and I'm just getting home from visiting with my friends and watching a couple of shows with YKWIA ('The Originals' and 'Supernatural', plus some YouTube videos, including these:

'Spell Block Tango'


which is a Disney-inspired version of 'Cell Block Tango' from the musical Chicago:



Now I'm sleepy and it's time for bed. My doctor put in an order for a new CPAP machine for me; we'll see if they'll be able to run it through using the sleep study from six years ago or if the insurance company will want another study done. I originally went because I was afraid my 15-year-old machine would give up the ghost, leaving me unable to sleep properly, but the doctor said that with the advances they've had since then, they now have machines that can automatically adjust pressure, which would help my residual daytime sleepiness. My current machine is set at about the lower threshold of the pressure I should be getting. A new one would start there and automatically adjust up as needed. Also, they keep data stored in them for up to three years that help the sleep centre determine best options. He also wants to change my the headgear to a smaller assembly which will be more comfortable and won't require a chin strap. My machine is so old, they had to test it using mechanical means and seemed quite surprised that it was still running. So wish me luck. I did tell them I hoped I didn't need a new sleep study--I hate trying to get the goop out of my hair. I don't mind much else about them, but the goop they use to put the electrodes on your head with takes days to get out; I had a friend shave his head before having one once, but that's not a viable option for me, as I'd look silly (I have a rather flat head). The doctor seemed genuinely surprised that the goop was the stuff I found most annoying about the test. I wonder if he's every had to deal with it--he has a very full head of hair. :)

Anyway, it's time to hook the CPAP back up in the bedroom and go to bed. Good night.

I noticed a little while ago

that Time Warner Cable must have come today, because my cable has been moved from the old outlet (which was working, whereas the new one wasn't fully) to the new one (which is now fine). At least they locked my door back (the subcontractor the other day left it open).

I also noticed that my remote for my television has Braille on the power and a couple of other buttons.

I just put together the package for sending a Robert Jordan book that was requested from me via PaperbackSwap.com. Yes, I know, swapping books defeats the purpose of getting rid of them. But I only have thirteen books posted for swapping, whereas when I weed, I'll have to really cull them. As to the Robert Jordan books, I only have one left. They were okay, but I never finished the series because, well, frankly, they were starting to get repetitive. So it's nice to get them to someone else who might like them better.

I did actually remember to pay a bill that was due tonight. It's good that I'll be paid soon. The only trouble with being more mobile, etc., with the car is that it costs a great deal more than the bus did. But I can go where I want, when I want, and take others with me, and that, as the MasterCard ads put it, is priceless.

I have an appointment with my sleep doctor tomorrow and must remember to bring the CPAP machine with me. I suspect they'll laugh at it. There's no removable card; you're supposed to plug in the machine to something that reads it, and I don't know if they'll still have that ability or not. :) By my reckoning it's about fifteen years old and looks like a grey version of my mom's old avocado-coloured hair dryer.

I believe I am going to check in with a friend via e-mail (it's a bit late to call) and then head on to bed. Good night.

Success!!!

Okay, I can barely walk, as my back is really not happy with me, but everything's been done, including taking out the trash and recyclables, vacuuming, washing dishes, and cleaning the bathroom. My apartment is visitable again. And yes, I may have to admit I have too many books. Keep in mind there are three bookshelves in the bedroom and one in the closet, plus two that are seen here only from the side. There is absolutely no room for expansion. I think it's time to weed a bit, much as I hate to. And yes, I'm aware that my décor is something like post-dormitory in nature. But the shelves are an improvement over bed rails.

Trying to finish up the living room

I just got home about half an hour ago. The loveseat is clear. I need to finish clearing the dining table, take out the recyclables and trash, and vacuum, but my back is hurting and I'm kind of sleepy (I got about five hours' sleep last night). I think I will take a short (less than an hour) nap and then come back to the work to be done.

Okay, the biggest thing I ever knitted was a bookmark

What can I say, I have no patience or talent for crafts, really. But this made me laugh. More power to him:

The Time I Was Questioned by Police for Knitting in a Starbucks

I've been over at my friends' house most of the day

But I worked on the house for about five hours total last night and this morning, and then came home and spent another hour or so on it. I'm almost finished. The books are more or less where they should be. The plants are watered. The CDs are up on the new rack. I need to vacuum, clean off the dining table, take out the recyclables and trash, and run a load in the dishwasher. I'm not sure I'll be able to finish that tonight. I'm going back to my friends' in about a half an hour to cut the hair of one of them and then watch 'Witches of East End'. It's been a tiring weekend, with lots of organisation of chaos. But I will get it all together. It's definitely taking longer to put things back together than it did to take apart--and it took five hours to do that. :) I also have to figure out if I want to get rid of the bedrails entirely or not. They've been very useful as wooden shelves. Okay, I'm going to do a few things more before I leave. If I don't write anymore tonight, I hope you had a good weekend, and good night.

Woo-hoo (assuming they keep to schedule)

Android 4.3 schedule for Galaxy S 4, S 4 Active, S III, and Note 2 leaks

Mine is 11/25/13 (Samsung Galaxy S III on T-Mobile). I'm interested to see what the new update to Android 4.3 means for my phone. I'm running 4.1.2, I think--they skipped 4.2 entirely. And Android 4.4 will be out soon (aka as 'Kit Kat'), so in the coming months it might make it to the S III, too, I'm hoping. My phone is not the newest model, but it's a pretty decent piece of technology, and still has a lot of life left in it. :)