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| May. 26th, 2012 @ 01:52 pm didn't mean to be gone so long |
So as of last night, I am trying an experiment with standing at my desk instead of sitting. There's lots of posts/articles about it online, and it's supposed to be really good for you. I need a new desk and was considering getting a standing one, but I don't want to plunk down cash and then hate it, so this is the test run.
For all that I need to lose weight, I'm in decent shape--I can walk a mile easily, and don't really sit ALL day because I get up and walk around, but just like my compatriots who have tried the experience, UGH all I can think about right now are my feet!
I'm going to see if I can find a squishy mat, that should help, but apparently just about everyone who has tried it has gone through the same thing. They say the worst should be over in about three days.
Very glad I tried this experiment on a holiday weekend--while it would be nice to get more stuff done, if I get nothing done because I'm busy thinking about my feet, that's just fine. |
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| May. 7th, 2012 @ 09:10 pm More Busy-ness |
Taking care of a lot of odds and ends today, spent a lot of time on the phone too. I may have a new client--it never rains but it pours.
Finally got some of the money in for all the work I've done over the past month, and got to enjoy seeing it in the bank account for all of about 24 hours before it all flew out again to pay bills, although, that being said, I officially owe nothing to any of the utilities until the new bills start coming in on or around May 10th.
Weather has been really hot, it feels more like July than May, complete with thunderstorms. Today was really bizarre, twice storms formed so close by that we could hear the thunder, but each time they pass by our area and rained on someone else.
I suspect that our turn will come in the wee hours, which seems to be prime time for thunderstorm formation between the uplift from the mountains and the heat rising from the ground. The grass is growing like crazy, Ben mowed two days ago and it already needs to be mowed again. Most of the seeds we planted are up, I just need to get some more tomato and pepper seeds--it's certainly been warm enough for them.
It's supposed to cool down for a couple of days, but then it looks like we're right back to the above-average temps. This has been a very strange year. |
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| May. 6th, 2012 @ 10:45 pm Books |
As anyone who has ever visited me knows, I have a LOT of books. Like, thousands of them. 99% Science Fiction/Fantasy
For years I have entertained the idea of creating some kind of catalog for them, not only for my own use but also should the time come when I want to sell them, or for that matter i something happens and I can no longer read them.
I went to LibraryThing with the idea of perhaps getting a membership and listing my books there, and I discovered that not only can I get a "lifetime" membership for only $25, but also they have a cute little item called a CueCat that I can use to scan in book ISBN's. This would be a big help, although I do have a fair number that were published prior to the widespread use of the ISBN.
Still, this would give me an inventory. There is a used bookstore in Hagersville MD, and I'm thinking of giving them a list for a rough estimate of how much they think the collection is worth. If they give me some insanely high quote, I might take them up on it and just get a Kindle, although I am betting they aren't worth very much.
I really want to pare down the possessions, and decide on the disposition of my personal items for when the time comes. I already know who will appreciate my cels... ;) |
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| May. 4th, 2012 @ 05:25 pm Tornadoes in WV |
I found a really interesting database that lists storms and storm tracks of tornadoes in WV since about 1950, and got quite a surprise:
June 27th, 1978
This tornado apparently tracked right over where our house is!
Having seen that, I think that building that root cellar/storm shelter has just gone up in priority! Prior to this, I thought the closest tornado to hit was in Clarksburg, some 20 miles away.
Here's the main page if you'd like to check out your area:
Tornado History Project |
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| May. 2nd, 2012 @ 10:04 pm Very busy this week |
Busy is good, right?
During times like this when I feel absolutely brain-dead, I remind myself that when the money from all this work starts rolling in, I will dig myself that much more out of the hole. I paid the bills except for one today, and that one will get paid in a day or two, just in time for the new billing cycle to begin (roughly May 10th for most of my utilities). Still, I'm actually CAUGHT UP. Two years ago, I wasn't caught up with the winter bills until almost September, last year it was late June, and this year, with help from the mild winter, I'm already caught up.
I'll get there.
In other news, I dropped the Udacity classes for this semester. I simply don't have the energy. The things I have been working on are quite complex, and when I put the work down, the last thing on earth I want to do is look at more code--I am just not capable of thinking straight at that point. Work is taking up six days, and I really don't want to spend the 7th doing still more code.
They offer the courses every seven weeks, so I'll just start again on the next cycle, by then things should be less brain-power intensive.
The arm continues to improve. While it can be a little painful to do certain things, the pain is mild and very short-lived. I'm still not out doing yard work because the last thing I want to do is re-injure myself and end up with one arm for the entire summer as well. That will be something I will work my way up to as the healing continues. I am going to be so glad when it gets to the point that I can forget about it!
I did squeeze in enough free time to do a story critique a couple of days ago, so I was happy about that--hopefully I can get back to doing them more regularly. And do some writing! |
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| Apr. 28th, 2012 @ 07:20 pm No more Nipper :( |
Looks like our neighbor's duck Nipper has gone to the great pond in the sky. When we didn't see her for a couple of days, at first we hoped she'd built a nest and was setting on it, but we haven't seen her come for food even once, and there's been no sign of a nest.
Probably a wild animal got her, we've got plenty of those, from foxes to raccoons to coyotes. It seems strange not to see her running around.
A feral had kittens under the house, but we haven't heard from them for a few days either. I really hope that the mother moved them and nothing happened to them. I tend to think that she did, just because there are too many cats around here for her to feel really comfortable.
I am looking forward to finances continuing to ease so I can start TNR with these ferals. Even if the local vets won't handle ferals, there are a couple of groups that aren't all that far away that will, at a very reasonable price, and that's ultimately the best solution. |
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| Apr. 26th, 2012 @ 09:52 pm Arm is almost healed |
It was definitely sore last night after the whole shopping trip, but it was a dull ache instead of sharp pain, and by morning the worst was over. Every day now the wrist is a little bit better, it's to the point that it feels tired more than sore.
No doubt that's partly because I've been favoring it for more than a month and it will need to be gently stretched out again over the coming weeks, but if I just keep resuming my normal activities and be aware that the arm is weak and be kind to it, it probably won't take too much time.
Fuzzy's sinuses are acting up again. I think we need to put him back on the antibiotic but keep him on it for two weeks instead of just one. Hopefully I can get him back to the vet next week. The humidity rose quite a bit because we had some rain come in, and I felt bad for him because it loosened up the crud and he was sneezing like crazy. The sneezing did have the intended effect, though, and it was plain that after the worst was over and we'd wiped his nose, he felt more comfortable.
He got steamed twice today--both Ben and I brought him into the bathroom with us when we showered. This also seemed to hasten the process of sinus-clearing-out. He is not eating as well as we would like because his nose is all stuffy and food just doesn't taste right, but it's not enough of a reduction to do him serious harm. He seems to have been hitting the dry food a bit more over the past couple of days, it may just be more comfortable for him to eat that since he doesn't have to lean down into the bowl, he can grab a kibble and sit up to crunch it.
Other than that, things are quiet. |
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| Apr. 25th, 2012 @ 05:22 pm Hooray for groceries |
Our neighbor's car broke down last month so we've been stuck going to the store we can walk to, but today I got hold of the local taxi service.
Ben had to come with me because of my arm, and I was very glad he did. Even with him hauling the heavy stuff, my whole arm and shoulder are aching now. This worked out find, though, the savings on coffee alone compared to the local store just about covered the entire cab fare.
Now we just need to find room for all of the extra stuff--we got cat food and litter for a month, same with some of our regular staples.
We're having italian sausage for dinner, and I am starving--the walmart is so huge that just walking around the whole store to load up your cart feels like a two mile hike! Then I'm going to try to catch up on some work. |
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| Apr. 24th, 2012 @ 11:14 am A welcome pause |
For a change, I only have a few minor things to do for the guy I do the most work for. This is good because I have some other things that I am trying to finish up so I'm glad not to be fighting for non-existent time to get the other things done.
I did kid him a little yesterday. I needed to find out something from him in order to finish what I was doing, and I couldn't proceed without talking to him. So he got busy and didn't call me back and I finally said "fine" and picked up one of the other projects.
I'd no sooner typed one line when the phone rang so I had to go back to what I was working on in the first place. I kidded him that the next time I was waiting on an answer I'd start some other work knowing he'd call immediately.
In other news, I'm going to be a grandmother! My oldest daughter is pregnant and she's due on November 29th. I have to pick up some yarn to make a blanket, which is a tradition I started with my own kids. I should probably try to get going on it now since it will be too hot to crochet in another month or so. |
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| Apr. 23rd, 2012 @ 12:59 pm Overhyped weather |
When Ben went to the store two days ago, people had gone crazy buying canned stuff because, we discovered, we were supposed to get a snowstorm.
Well, despite Weather Channel hype, we have exactly nothing, and the forecast has been changed to reflect that we will get one inch or less of snow over the course of the entire day.
While some people are definitely experiencing much worse conditions and are without power, one good thing about snow in April is that the weather moderates very quickly afterwards--it's not like 20 degree weather comes swooping in behind the storm. This at least makes it easier for power crews to fix the lines. It also will be much more comfortable for people without power--they won't have to worry as much about frozen pipes or themselves freezing to death, which is a plus.
In other news, my arm is finally showing real improvement. Although I do have to use care, I can pick up a cat, open a can of cat food, open a door, write, and perform almost all of the tasks I needed help with previously. I am being very careful not to overdo because the last thing I want is a relapse.
If the weather is nice next weekend, I intend to try some yard work--I will start by seeing if I can do some ditch-raking and then slowly build up from there. I will be very glad to have full use of my arm again! |
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