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Sluggish Saturday
Jan 9, 2016

Sluggish Saturday

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Powerball Possibilities!

Powerball Possibilities!

I did not sleep in today; in fact, I got less than 4 hours sleep last night. And, although I drifted off to sleep several times, I did not take a nap. So you can imagine that, as it is after 10 pm, I am super tired.

What did I do today?

I woke up because the cat (LENNY!) was running back and forth across our basement hallway into our bedroom. Lenny is 18 lbs of fun, so as you might have guessed, it was very loud.

I bathed. I put my compression socks on. I ate cookies for breakfast and drank some chai tea. I came downstairs to my office to listlessly peruse the internet. Edmund ordered lunch from the local Chinese restaurant (I usually love what I get, but their chicken fried rice was awful.)

I did a load of laundry, where this happened:

I fixed it by washing my clothes TWO TIMES in the rapid wash (rather than once in Normal). And pouring hot tap water in the dispenser.

After that I realized I did not have a PowerBall ticket. That’s misleading as I usually DON’T have a PowerBall Ticket, but today I figured, what the hey. And now I have 3!

I also picked up pizza at Domino’s for dinner because cooking was not in the cards for either of us.

During Dinner Edmund and I played card game, and I kicked his Ass. So that was good. Then we watched the first 4 episodes of Ash vs Evil Dead, which was a lot of fun: funny, gory, and scary all at once. Loved it.

And now it’s almost 11, and I should be on my way to bed.

Wonder how that’s going to go.

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TGIF
Jan 8, 2016

TGIF

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View of my desk as I write this post.

View of my desk as I write this post.

As I write this, it is just shy of midnight. I won’t finish until after midnight, but I went ahead and back dated this post. Totally legit.

The picture pictured is my desk, with my desk extension (which is also a kitchen cutting board from IKEA) that I am using to put my laptop on. My monitor is hooked up to both laptops (work and personal) the switch for it is the thing with the blue lights.

My office is still not clean. But I got to watch an episode of Arrow with Edmund. We haven’t hung around each other that much this week, I’ve been too busy working. And he’s been too busy working. I think the cats feel neglected too.

Too tired to clean. Looking forward to sleeping as long as I want tomorrow.

I almost forgot to go to sleep.

Night night!

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Brain Fry
Jan 7, 2016

Brain Fry

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20151213_153849

Posting this picture for no particular reason, except CROWS!

There are things I want to write about, but I can’t seem to make my brain worky.

I think I’m gonna have to go to bed soon. It’s taken me an hour to write this much.

I stare at the screen and think of all the things I want to write about, and then I check my bank balance, or start an order on Amazon.com, or wonder if I should get myself a portable monitor, and then I am going down an internet rabbit hole.

Again.

And Supernatural-watching is not working because I am currently watching Season 10 (last season) and some of the episodes make me super uncomfortable.

I think if I lay down to go to sleep I will pass out.

I have people to email.

I want to buy some candles.

I crave sleep.

What was I going to write about, again?

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Interweb Hubris
Jan 6, 2016

Interweb Hubris

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I factory reset the router tonight because we were having SLOOOOOOOW interwebs. And what with Edmund and I both working from home, we need to be using our 150Mbps something something working to its best capability (ours was working at 12Mbps).

I did a couple of internet searches and downloaded the manual, and clicked the button for factory reset.

But what I forgot was to make sure I had the information I needed to reset the router back up again.

And then I didn’t have the right information. And I wasn’t sure exactly what information I’d need. Something in the manual said the info was in the box we got when we purchased it. Having had fair to middling success with keeping electronics boxes around, I searched high and low for something to help me out. I stubbed my toe. I swore. I didn’t find what I needed to find.

So I called tech support, and she talked me down from the ledge.

Pro tip: The Linksys MOdel EA690 has the factory-set password on the bottom of the Modem.

And NOW my interwebs are so much faster!
newSpeedtest

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Kitchen and Rest
Jan 5, 2016

Kitchen and Rest

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image

My sleep schedule is all whack. Over the holidays I found myself going to sleep later and later. But no worries, because I could sleep in!

And then it was Sunday. And our Landlord was coming to visit. I wrote about this the other day didn’t I. Well, long story short, I stayed up, again, on Sunday to clean the kitchen. I went to sleep at 3 am. Hopes of starting the week off with plenty of sleep, dashed.

But the counter was clean and dishes were being dish washed, dammit.

Right afterward, I took a picture to commemorate the event. Currently, the sink is full of dirty dishes.

Last night, for several reasons, I didn’t get to bed until 4:30 am this morning.

Tonight the plan is bed. Soon. Very soon.

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Heavy Heart
Jan 4, 2016

Heavy Heart

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Giariel, Me, Sethlan, Orion & Bernie

Giariel, Me, Sethlan, Orion & Bernie in 2011

Earlier today I heard that a friend of mine, a fellow student in the Faery Seership path, was in the ICU. I was concerned, but as I saw her last October, and she seemed hale and hearty, not overly so. I sent healing energy (said a prayer), and figured I would check in later. Well, things progressed very quickly, and she passed a little before 8 pm tonight.

Bernadine Weeks, we called her Bernie, was one of those larger-than-life sorts. She was smart, and kind, and the epitome of being a life-long-learner. Sometimes she drove me nuts. I KNOW I drove her nuts. And I am pissed that we won’t be able to drive each other nuts anymore. Unless she haunts me or something (NOT AN INVITATION, BERNIE.)

Me, Sethlan, Orion and Bernie, Circa 2011

Me, Sethlan, Orion and Bernie, Circa 2011 – the same kind of picture, only less blurry and minus Giariel

I’ve known Bernie since the late 1990s, and she always made me feel included. When I needed a place to stay, Bernie opened her house for me without reservation. When I was going through the toughest times of my life, she was there, joining the other people in my cohort/class in providing the emotional support I needed to get through and do the things I needed to do.

Bernie was always there. And she effortlessly made everyone feel welcome. She was passionate and she respected her passions by pursuing them wholeheartedly.

My heart goes out to Bernie’s family, I know they are reeling. Too soon.

And for Bernie, maybe she’s still here? Maybe she’s gone off to another dimension? Whatever the case, I wish her peace and happiness on her journey.

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Bloggy Blag Plans
Jan 3, 2016

Bloggy Blag Plans

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image

I had my post for tonight all figured out. And then I went to the grocery store. Making Chili tomorrow  (dammit) and needed the fixins.

I was getting other things too.

Well, the store had been picked dry! I couldn’t reach the diced tomatoes, there were no cranberries  (for Edmund), and there was NO HAMBURGER. You know, an integral part of a lot of chili recipes. Especially MY chili recpie.

Ok. There was one 3lb package of hamburg. I only needed 2lbs. However, the package was open on one end. I decided against.

We live in a small city. So I went to another grocery store. NO HAMBURGER! Seriously?

Fortunately there was hamburger at the last store. Woo hoo! And good thing as they were closing in 15 minutes.

It’s 3lbs, but I can work with it.

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IKEA and nesting
Jan 2, 2016

IKEA and nesting

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I have a p-touch labler and I am not afraid to use it.

I have a p-touch labler and I am not afraid to use it.

I’m working from home now, and I think I like it. I get to talk to people via phone and chat during the work day, and not having to commute is a major plus. Sure, I miss office camaraderie, but the pluses WAY outweigh the minuses.

I don’t have pictures yet, but I am in the process of shifting things around in my office. To help with this, I went to IKEA and bought a couple of furniturey things. One was an “As Is” kitchen cart that’s easy to move to put beside my desk to hold my laptop so I can have a square of free desk space. The other is a storage thing I can use to put other things in (like my spare bag collection – handbags, totebags, duffels.) I’m also, GASP!, getting rid of some of the bags I don’t see myself using anymore. Gave some to my pal Melissa, the rest will be sent off to My Sister’s Place thrift shop here in Ansonia.

I will label things with my p-touch labeler (as pictured).

Right now I am debating on whether I can safely (with a modicum of swearing) set up the storage unit. Mainly because Edmund is sleeping so he can get up early to work. My instinct is no, which means I should probably go upstairs and tackle more of the kitchen stuff I wanted to do before our landlord arrives on Monday (to fix a problem with our kitchen light.) I want to project a pastiche of “we clean our apartment periodically.”

One thing about working from home, or WFH if you don’t want to type a bunch of letters, I find I am inclined to do more “housework” at times. Not so much so Edmund would particularly notice, but it is more on my radar.

If I don’t put together the storage thing, I might just cook something. Maybe a pumpkin pie? I have a hankering. Maybe tomorrow.

Oh. Yes. I mentioned IKEA. So on Thursday I popped over to IKEA after work (we’re only a half hour away), with the intention of purchasing a desk addendum. And then I thought of that corner of my office near my clothes that has been two weird storage things that don’t work overflowing with miscellaneous bags. I decided to ditch the weird things and purchase a 2×2 storage bookshelf-type thing for that area. On a whim I did. I figured it would fit. When I got home I checked out the area. There’s a utility door on that wall, instead of being a little over two feet up, it’s a little over one foot up, so the 2×2 would not work. I kept it in my car, and today Edmund and I went back to return it. And I bought a 4×1 unit. which is longer, and I might have to move stuff around for it, but I think it will end out being a better unit for me.

If I can get my office to not look like early hoarder I’ll share pix.

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Happy New Year!
Jan 1, 2016

Happy New Year!

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image

Well, 2015 is over. It was a year. Some good, some bad. I’m glad to have ended the year on an up note, with a new job and all.

Edmund has been blogging every day for the past month-and-a-half, I’m thinking of joining him here on the blag. No promises. I didn’t want to miss a day, so here I tap out on my smartphone.

Been watching Supernatural again. I seem to do that this time of year.

Ok. To blag or not to blag. That’s the question.

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Updates – Adulting, kitties, and cankles
Oct 31, 2015

Updates – Adulting, kitties, and cankles

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Kitten #3 - shortly before it was trapped in our cat carrier

Kitten #3 – shortly before it was trapped in our cat carrier

I cannot believe I haven’t posted since JUNE! That is crazypants.

Here is a quick update: I am currently looking for work, my cankles have receded, and I trapped some adorable feral cats today.

About my cankles: my ankles have been mostly svelte. Although for the last week, I haven’t been wearing the compression socks like I should (because all of my compression socks are dirty). Fortunately, because it’s no longer summer, my ankles aren’t ballooning up like they did. I elevate my feet whenever I sleep, and I notice a major difference from before I had the surgeries on my legs. It is all good.

In other news, I am committed to doing NaNoWriMo, aka National Novel Writing Month this year! Check here for my profile. To that end, I am not going to promise to blag every day in November. But I am going to be blagging a lot more. Once you get started writing, it’s hard to stop!

What I really wanted to do was post about how I captured the kittens today. And because I documented it all by Tweet, I decided to try out Storify for its story telling prowess, in that you can piece together several posts from different platforms to tell the whole story. And Better yet, I can just embed the whole thing right here:

Tip – make sure to click on Read Next Page to open the whole Kitten Story.

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The Best Laid Plans
Jun 28, 2015

The Best Laid Plans

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I could write in my journal, maybe? I have that with me. That won't make any noise.

I could write in my journal, maybe? I have that with me. That won’t make any noise.

I probably should’ve saved the title I used for this post for a topic more weighty. Like when I have some crushing disappointment. Or something.

What happened: I forgot my headphones. I am at Panera Bread in Derby CT ready for a day of working on my computer, of study and reflection, and I forgot my headphones. So: mild disappointment. Because I did the same thing last week. But really, a minor blip.

Now I can’t work on the courses I am taking on lynda.com, or drown out loud people (if it comes to it), or watch youtube videos – UNLESS I want to be rude.

Maybe I have a pair in my car. The catch-all black hole in the center console might have a pair. Heck, I’ll even take ear-buds at this point.

I have searched both my purse and my backpack. No dice. No headphones.

Oh well.

I had other things on my to do list. Writing blag posts (like this one) was one. I can do that without being rude. (I might write something rude, but that’s a totally different animal.)

I plan on doing what I did last week. Write a few days of blag posts and schedule them to publish throughout the week. Maybe I can do the whole week. Who knows. I want to do productive things too.

Looking at my car. Might there be headphones there?

It’s raining.

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On the mend
Jun 25, 2015

On the mend

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Unna's Boot - Like Das Boot but not really

Unna’s Boot – Like Das Boot but not really

So regarding my health, last you heard here on the blag, I was on my way to have my first vein ablated. And I did. And I had the second one ablated. And today is the day I go back to my vein specialist to get everything checked out.

In the meantime, as you can see from the picture, I have had another Unna boot on my right leg.

You might be wondering: How is it going?

And I will tell you, it is frustrating. My legs are improving. Cankles are definitely less cankly. But the ablation is not an instant fix. I am still wearing compression stockings and taking lasix. I am still tired a lot. And I still need to elevate my feet – and will likely have to do it for the rest of my life. Because I have other veins, ones they CAN’T ablate, contributing to the issue.

Self-Esteem Shark Knows What is Super Great

Self-Esteem Shark Knows What is Super Great

I came to the realization that I will likely have to wear compression stockings off and on for the rest of my life. And that sucks. But cankles and especially leg ulcers are not things that are super great.

On the good news front – I am on the cusp of needing smaller socks – my calves are at the top of the range for the next size down. So with continued treatment, I expect things will get better. Only needing to wear compression socks during certain times, wearing them when I know I will be over-extending in other areas. In for a penny, in for a pound: a couple of weeks ago I bought a proper wedge so I can sleep with my legs elevated. That pillow I was using just wasn’t cutting it, and that wedge has made a difference.

Today I get to see how the procedures went and find out what is next. Wish me luck!

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Sing
Jun 24, 2015

Sing

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Birthday Present from Edmund

Birthday Present from Edmund

I haven’t sang in public, as a performance that is, since 2005. Needless to say, that makes me a bit rusty. However, starting a couple of months ago I started taking singing lessons for the first time since the 1990s. I knew I missed singing, I forgot how good it made me feel.

This time I am doing something different. My thought was, what if I practice every day? What would happen then? So far, I haven’t practiced every single day, but with that mindset, I have been practicing several times a week. And you know what’s happening? I am getting better. More confident. My pipes are coming back. And I like it.

Let me explain: in the past, in the time ago, I have had the luxury of being in spaces where individual practice time was not as necessary. Like – I am in a musical, so I go to all the rehearsals and learn the songs there. And I only learn the songs I am supposed to sing. Like that. Or I have my go-to songs I sang in public forever via Karaoke, like Big Spender, Goldfinger, I fall to Pieces, These Boots are Made for Walkin’, Crazy – that was my entire repertoire. But I stopped going to Karaoke.

New keyboard setup

New keyboard setup

Furthermore, I never really challenged myself. I didn’t think like a singer. And that was okay. But then those opportunities to perform went away. I did not seek them out. I decided to concentrate on my undergrad degree instead. Which I don’t regret, but the music feeds me too. I need it. I lost my chops and I want them back.

(It is important to note that I was enabled in my current endeavor because Edmund started taking lessons himself. He started with guitar lessons, now we are both taking voice lessons.)

So far, TLDR: I used to sing, and I missed it. So I started taking voice lessons again.

Here is how I am doing it differently. I remember how it was when I was at my best singing, and that was in High School and College. And the thing that really helped me there is that I always had access to a keyboard or piano (mostly piano). Don’t misunderstand me, I cannot play the piano. By any stretch of the imagination. What I can do is read music and plunk out notes, which means I can figure out how to sing new songs. Of course you could argue I can do this without a piano, but if you did, you probably aren’t a musician. So, we bought a used keyboard so I could practice. And it has made all the difference.

Once I had my keyboard, I was able to play around with new songs. What was a grudging practice session of a half hour became an easy 2-hour session wherein I rediscovered my joy in playing with music.

And those old karaoke chestnuts I alluded to above? I am moving beyond them. A whole new repertoire for a new age!

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Happy Birthday Eddie! @rurugby
Jun 23, 2015

Happy Birthday Eddie! @rurugby

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Edmund is Backed Up by Squiggy (and coywolf!)

Edmund is Backed Up by Squiggy (and coywolf!)

It’s Edmund’s birthday today. Happy birthday, Eddie!

For those of you in the know, we’ve had a tough couple of years. Grief and illness and whatnot. Today, however, I think it’s important to focus on the good, and Edmund is good and I am glad to have him around.

I am grateful for a life-partner who supports and encourages me in my endeavors. For a man who loves strong women, and takes care of me. A man who takes care of himself, even if it means doing something he finds scary. A man who I trust implicitly.

Ed Loves Al's Hot Dogs

Ed Loves Al’s Hot Dogs

If it weren’t for Edmund’s support, I might not have finished college, albeit on the 25 year plan. Even now he is cheering me on as I take up singing again, after a very long time away from it. Whatever I want to do, he has got my back.

I appreciate the joy he takes in his new guitars and his nature walks. His excitement when he talks about his trips to the zoo. His passion of poetry both written and spoken-word. And his support of other people. His generosity as he buys another artist’s work. His enthusiasm as he gives encouragement ot other artists.

And his passion for food, which has helped me stretch my culinary horizons, is a delight. His passion for music is beyond compare.

Squiggy, Eddie and Lenny per usual

Squiggy, Eddie and Lenny per usual

And lest we forget: Edmund’s love of the kitties. It was a sad day when we lost Hunter “Socks” Thompson, but Lenny and Squiggy have more than filled his void, their bond with Edmund especially poignant. The picture to the right illustrates what I often see, both kitties perched around Eddie, just because. It is super awesome.

So, Edmund, Happy Birthday. I hope it is great. I love you.

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Jun 22, 2015

Pilgrimage circa 2015

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My friend Robyn Mellish, Robyn Mellish: On A Pilgrims Path, has gone and done it. She quit her job, gave up her apartment, got rid of most of her stuff (put the rest in storage), and left the United States for an extended walk-about in Ireland. She is on her very own Pilgrimage.

And lucky for us, she is blogging about it.

And I want you to read it! So much fun.

Start out with her first post: STAR TREK HAS A LOT TO ANSWER FOR and navigate to the next one at the bottom of the page (Hint, it’s BUMPY ROAD AHEAD…). At this time, there are only a couple of weeks of posts to go through, so it won’t take a lot of time for you to catch up.

And then do what I did: sign up on her mailing list to get her posts emailed to you – so you won’t miss a thing. (You can sign up on her homepage here: Robyn Mellish: On A Pilgrims Path.)

Her writing is honest and funny and her journey is fascinating.

Would you give up your life and all its trappings to step away from it all? What happens if you do?

Why not live vicariously through Robyn, who is doing the brave thing and is writing about it with truth and vulnerability.

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