Wow, I have been really bad about posting recently. Partly because a lot of stuff has been going on; partly because I keep wanting to write something eloquent and in-depth about various topics. Sp instead, you're getting the executive summary, so that I actually get this onto pixels...
- Work's been busy. I feel like it shouldn't be kicking my ass this much - despite last week, where I screwed up in various different directions, and Monday, where all of that came home to roost, in some cases for the second time, this job is objectively better than my last full time job, and takes up less of my day. Somehow, it still manages to leave me with less energy or spare time.
- Naturally, after disappearing for most of a year when I was usually underemployed and broke, my client from Germany reappeared. So I've been copy-editing his latest website, snatching an hour of this evening, an hour and a half of that Saturday: slow going, and not many hours, but it means I have like no down time, at least after you factor in all the parenting and fun stuff, e.g.:
- Ringing; which has been good, despite having to spend two successive practices doing emergency repairs on a rope. (It held, though! After my third time to try to get it spliced!)
- I've been dealing with some health stuff, where by health stuff I mean springtime allergies plus suddenly developing acid reflux. Badly enough (the first time) that I took myself to the hospital to make sure I wasn't having the world's weirdest heart attack. (Hint: No.) And the heartburn's better now, although "better" in this case means "less bad" rather than "cured". This is probably gonna be permanent, or at least really long-term. I'm keeping baking soda everywhere I go, and I'm working on weaning myself off coffee, since that's the only really clear trigger.
- G's schedule means I've been seeing a lot more of Peter than I usually have been (but see below): she's been taking some sort of class in Lexington, so I've been giving him dinner and entertainment every Sunday that I'm actually in town (see below), plus having him stay for a couple extra weekends when G. is in Seattle/northern New Hampshire/wheretheheckeverIcan'tkeeptrack.
- Practically every OTHER weekend for the last month, and for about a month after this, I've been out of town, or had some similar commitment that ate the weekend. Last weekend, was up in Maine to see Squig. and partner. Partner was off at a friend's birthday LAN party for a chunk of the time. Squig and I went on adventures, which mostly turned out to involve osprey/castle hunting (on the Maine coast as a sort of late birthday present to her.
(These factors combined mean that trying to do any extra socializing/house-type projects, or even cook anything elaborate, has been HAHAHA NO.)
- And the big announcement: G. and Peter are moving to Montreal. EXACTLY what this is gonna mean for the whole seeing Peter business is unclear. I have a lot of feels about it, but I'm going to save that for a separate post.
- Work's been busy. I feel like it shouldn't be kicking my ass this much - despite last week, where I screwed up in various different directions, and Monday, where all of that came home to roost, in some cases for the second time, this job is objectively better than my last full time job, and takes up less of my day. Somehow, it still manages to leave me with less energy or spare time.
- Naturally, after disappearing for most of a year when I was usually underemployed and broke, my client from Germany reappeared. So I've been copy-editing his latest website, snatching an hour of this evening, an hour and a half of that Saturday: slow going, and not many hours, but it means I have like no down time, at least after you factor in all the parenting and fun stuff, e.g.:
- Ringing; which has been good, despite having to spend two successive practices doing emergency repairs on a rope. (It held, though! After my third time to try to get it spliced!)
- I've been dealing with some health stuff, where by health stuff I mean springtime allergies plus suddenly developing acid reflux. Badly enough (the first time) that I took myself to the hospital to make sure I wasn't having the world's weirdest heart attack. (Hint: No.) And the heartburn's better now, although "better" in this case means "less bad" rather than "cured". This is probably gonna be permanent, or at least really long-term. I'm keeping baking soda everywhere I go, and I'm working on weaning myself off coffee, since that's the only really clear trigger.
- G's schedule means I've been seeing a lot more of Peter than I usually have been (but see below): she's been taking some sort of class in Lexington, so I've been giving him dinner and entertainment every Sunday that I'm actually in town (see below), plus having him stay for a couple extra weekends when G. is in Seattle/northern New Hampshire/wheretheheckeverIcan'tkeeptrack.
- Practically every OTHER weekend for the last month, and for about a month after this, I've been out of town, or had some similar commitment that ate the weekend. Last weekend, was up in Maine to see Squig. and partner. Partner was off at a friend's birthday LAN party for a chunk of the time. Squig and I went on adventures, which mostly turned out to involve osprey/castle hunting (on the Maine coast as a sort of late birthday present to her.
(These factors combined mean that trying to do any extra socializing/house-type projects, or even cook anything elaborate, has been HAHAHA NO.)
- And the big announcement: G. and Peter are moving to Montreal. EXACTLY what this is gonna mean for the whole seeing Peter business is unclear. I have a lot of feels about it, but I'm going to save that for a separate post.
(no subject)
Apr. 15th, 2017 08:31 amIt would appear that the answer to the question I posed last time - Where do I go to buy a formal shirt? is simpler than I'd expected: take the T to Central Square. The new Target there hooked me up with a reasonable shirt* and some much-needed new boxers.
Perhaps more importantly, it turns out that the thrift shop across the way is actually awesome. The clothes are actually accurately sorted by size; the staff are sarcastic hipsters who may or may not be HIV sufferers, which is a definite step up from the permanently harried/indifferent staff at my local Goodwill. Anyway, one pink shirt, one slightly oversize*** Formality-flexible shirt that I'm wearing at the moment, another pair of khakis to replace some of the ones that my job keeps eating. About half the price of my total at Target.
I still spent what I think of as Way Too Much Money, even after I (luckily) reminded the salesperson at Target that I was due a $10 discount.
I will definitely be going back, though. At least to the Thrift Shop.
Anyone want to organize an Expotishun at some point?
...I should get my lunch made. More later.
* Actually, I have no idea whether it's ACTUALLY decent or whether it will self-destruct within a year, but meh. Still cheaper than J. Press, probably not much worse than I would have found at the mall.
I was simultaneously amused, tempted, and vaguely unsettled to find it in a rack of shirt/jacket combinations that appeared to have been designed as "You too can dress like a hipster! In one easy step!" Seriously, I'm fairly sure I have seen at least one of those combos on one or other of the beardy 20-somethings who make CotA their home.**
** As opposed to the clean-shaven twenty-somethings who appear to have entered a contest for "Who can look the MOST like a Young Republican?", who can also be seen at any given service there. There's also the compromise position of guys who look like they're cosplaying someone from the '20s.
Err, 1920s, that is. We'll find out what people wear in the 2020s in a couple of years, I guess. Anything from "Total revival of the 1920s" through "Unironic post-apocalyptic grunge" to Space-Chic seems possible.
***On me, dH. I probably need to regain some weight. People are starting to comment, though my "Hungry-and-not-quite-all-there" appearance last night at church was due to the fact that my traditional practice on Good Friday involves fasting from solid food until after whatever service I'm going to...and at CotA, that's one that STARTS at 6:30. But anyway, I'm thinking malted milkshake diet after Easter.
Perhaps more importantly, it turns out that the thrift shop across the way is actually awesome. The clothes are actually accurately sorted by size; the staff are sarcastic hipsters who may or may not be HIV sufferers, which is a definite step up from the permanently harried/indifferent staff at my local Goodwill. Anyway, one pink shirt, one slightly oversize*** Formality-flexible shirt that I'm wearing at the moment, another pair of khakis to replace some of the ones that my job keeps eating. About half the price of my total at Target.
I still spent what I think of as Way Too Much Money, even after I (luckily) reminded the salesperson at Target that I was due a $10 discount.
I will definitely be going back, though. At least to the Thrift Shop.
Anyone want to organize an Expotishun at some point?
...I should get my lunch made. More later.
* Actually, I have no idea whether it's ACTUALLY decent or whether it will self-destruct within a year, but meh. Still cheaper than J. Press, probably not much worse than I would have found at the mall.
I was simultaneously amused, tempted, and vaguely unsettled to find it in a rack of shirt/jacket combinations that appeared to have been designed as "You too can dress like a hipster! In one easy step!" Seriously, I'm fairly sure I have seen at least one of those combos on one or other of the beardy 20-somethings who make CotA their home.**
** As opposed to the clean-shaven twenty-somethings who appear to have entered a contest for "Who can look the MOST like a Young Republican?", who can also be seen at any given service there. There's also the compromise position of guys who look like they're cosplaying someone from the '20s.
Err, 1920s, that is. We'll find out what people wear in the 2020s in a couple of years, I guess. Anything from "Total revival of the 1920s" through "Unironic post-apocalyptic grunge" to Space-Chic seems possible.
***On me, dH. I probably need to regain some weight. People are starting to comment, though my "Hungry-and-not-quite-all-there" appearance last night at church was due to the fact that my traditional practice on Good Friday involves fasting from solid food until after whatever service I'm going to...and at CotA, that's one that STARTS at 6:30. But anyway, I'm thinking malted milkshake diet after Easter.
Realm: Weekend - Subrealm: of Boring
Feb. 5th, 2017 09:45 pmMy old client from Germany unexpectedly dumped a project in my lap a couple of weeks ago, so much of this weekend has been spent either translating terms and conditions from German, or procrastinating from doing same.*
I also found time to do a couple of loads of laundry, eat some extremely delicious curry that my roommates were kind enough to offer me, and start learning how to ring Grandsire.** Oh, and sing a Candlemas service, which at CotA is...an experience. Fixing my car was supposed to happen, but instead they want me to bring it in on Tuesday.
Knee is slowly progressing toward healing, not helped by the fact that any pair of shoes other than sneakers and my now incredibly beat-up Rockports seems to make it worse. (My brother suggested trying insoles this afternoon: I may give that a shot.) But I managed a short run this afternoon, and it went ok. Not quite well enough that I want to try my usual 3-mile thing tomorrow, though. I think I'll go to handbell practice instead.
*Well, or "Stumbling around like a zombie because I procrastinated all afternoon and then stayed up til midnight working on it while consuming caffeine and sugar, and so only got like five hours of sleep."
** See The Nine Tailors, pp. 11-12 and passim in my edition.
I also found time to do a couple of loads of laundry, eat some extremely delicious curry that my roommates were kind enough to offer me, and start learning how to ring Grandsire.** Oh, and sing a Candlemas service, which at CotA is...an experience. Fixing my car was supposed to happen, but instead they want me to bring it in on Tuesday.
Knee is slowly progressing toward healing, not helped by the fact that any pair of shoes other than sneakers and my now incredibly beat-up Rockports seems to make it worse. (My brother suggested trying insoles this afternoon: I may give that a shot.) But I managed a short run this afternoon, and it went ok. Not quite well enough that I want to try my usual 3-mile thing tomorrow, though. I think I'll go to handbell practice instead.
*Well, or "Stumbling around like a zombie because I procrastinated all afternoon and then stayed up til midnight working on it while consuming caffeine and sugar, and so only got like five hours of sleep."
** See The Nine Tailors, pp. 11-12 and passim in my edition.
Various and Assorted good News!
Jan. 19th, 2017 04:51 pm1. I seem to have been able to fix my car* for $3.
Back when my current round o' car problems started, I mentioned the matter to![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sovay's father (the mad engineer), who also referred me to her brother (also a mad engineer, as well as a former Mazda** devotee). They had various suggestions, but one common to both was, "You might have water in your gas tank. Try some dry gas."
And then I sat on this problem for a few weeks, because I don't drive my car that often, and also there was Arisia (And yes, I still owe you a post on the subject); and then it was this week, and the point at which I was gonna have to drive up to Nashua (viz., tomorrow) rapidly approaching. So I called my mechanic, but first I calledsovay's brother, and basically cried pathetically for help.
"Did you try adding dry gas?" he asked.
"ummm, no," I admitted, depressedly.
Welp, he wasn't sure anymore what was wrong with it, but he said he'd try HIS brother-in-law. I gloomily resigned myself to taking the thing to a mechanic, and then possibly having them tell me they'd need to order a part; but first, in the interests of leaving no stone unturned, went over to my local gas station and got some dry gas.
The problem went away instantly.
To be sure, I took it on the highway. Still no major problems.
I stopped at a convenient parking lot and texted Sovay's brother "Well, dip me in chalk and call me a limestone conglomerate! The dry gas did the trick."
So fingers crossed, I will make it to Nashua tomorrow.
------
2. It looks like my insurance is actually paying for physical therapy! Yay!
And my ankle is somewhat better, though still by no means at 100%. Oh well, PT tonight!
------
3. Meantime, as usual in times of crisis, today at work featured an invasion by various representatives of Upper Management. This time, though, they were acting suspiciously as though they were thinking of terminating our contract.
Everyone else to whom this has occurred is, fairly reasonably, freaked out. I, however, am cool with it. Well, provided it gets me laid off, rather than fired or required to move to some different location. This has been a sucky job, at sucky pay. If I was told that I could leave, and get unemployment benefits...and thus have time for...well, everything, but especially job applications and temping...?
I would rejoice in that day and leap for joy.
* Well, fix the immediate problem, anyway. The check engine light is still on, of course; and I'm sure there are lots of other interesting things wrong with it, even apart from the door handle.
** The car brand, that is. Not Ormazd.
Back when my current round o' car problems started, I mentioned the matter to
sovay's father (the mad engineer), who also referred me to her brother (also a mad engineer, as well as a former Mazda** devotee). They had various suggestions, but one common to both was, "You might have water in your gas tank. Try some dry gas."And then I sat on this problem for a few weeks, because I don't drive my car that often, and also there was Arisia (And yes, I still owe you a post on the subject); and then it was this week, and the point at which I was gonna have to drive up to Nashua (viz., tomorrow) rapidly approaching. So I called my mechanic, but first I called
sovay's brother, and basically cried pathetically for help. "Did you try adding dry gas?" he asked.
"ummm, no," I admitted, depressedly.
Welp, he wasn't sure anymore what was wrong with it, but he said he'd try HIS brother-in-law. I gloomily resigned myself to taking the thing to a mechanic, and then possibly having them tell me they'd need to order a part; but first, in the interests of leaving no stone unturned, went over to my local gas station and got some dry gas.
The problem went away instantly.
To be sure, I took it on the highway. Still no major problems.
I stopped at a convenient parking lot and texted Sovay's brother "Well, dip me in chalk and call me a limestone conglomerate! The dry gas did the trick."
So fingers crossed, I will make it to Nashua tomorrow.
------
2. It looks like my insurance is actually paying for physical therapy! Yay!
And my ankle is somewhat better, though still by no means at 100%. Oh well, PT tonight!
------
3. Meantime, as usual in times of crisis, today at work featured an invasion by various representatives of Upper Management. This time, though, they were acting suspiciously as though they were thinking of terminating our contract.
Everyone else to whom this has occurred is, fairly reasonably, freaked out. I, however, am cool with it. Well, provided it gets me laid off, rather than fired or required to move to some different location. This has been a sucky job, at sucky pay. If I was told that I could leave, and get unemployment benefits...and thus have time for...well, everything, but especially job applications and temping...?
I would rejoice in that day and leap for joy.
* Well, fix the immediate problem, anyway. The check engine light is still on, of course; and I'm sure there are lots of other interesting things wrong with it, even apart from the door handle.
** The car brand, that is. Not Ormazd.
(no subject)
Jan. 10th, 2017 02:49 pmThis was the weekend of failing at productivity. I stayed up til midnight on Saturday, and I can't even use the excuse that I was shoveling: I was reading Dark Lord of Derkholme.
Oh well, at least I got some decent ringing in on Sunday?
[All of the above replaces a much longer and more eloquent post that the computer ate yesterday, grr. ]
Meantime, I've been doing physical therapy, and my knee continues to improve. Still swollen, but it feels like I *could* run on it--though it's doubtful whether that would be a good idea. My PT people say they're going to try modifying my running stride.
If I ever see them again, that is. That, I think, is going to depend on whether my insurance is gonna pay for any of this. [Right, I need to call them...at some point.]
I'm taking the next two sessions off, anyway, because I'm going to be at Arisia. Yay!
Oh well, at least I got some decent ringing in on Sunday?
[All of the above replaces a much longer and more eloquent post that the computer ate yesterday, grr. ]
Meantime, I've been doing physical therapy, and my knee continues to improve. Still swollen, but it feels like I *could* run on it--though it's doubtful whether that would be a good idea. My PT people say they're going to try modifying my running stride.
If I ever see them again, that is. That, I think, is going to depend on whether my insurance is gonna pay for any of this. [Right, I need to call them...at some point.]
I'm taking the next two sessions off, anyway, because I'm going to be at Arisia. Yay!
So I'm headed up to Portland tomorrow, to see my father and brother and their partners; also Peter, who's spending a couple of days with Dad.
Well, that's the plan, anyway.
( From an email to my Dad )
So, yeah, that.
(Yes, I will still make it to the latke party! I'll just take the bus home and then...grab my car, I guess? Um. But the chances that my car will sulk and refuse to start - or break down somewhere around the Arlington reservoir - will not deter me!)
Knee status: still hurty
Weather: too warm. Even Portland's (probably getting the storm tomorrow as rain, rather than snow. :(
Then again, the "probably" is the devil here. Again, :(
Oh well. For now, bellringing! which of course is also the theme of the weekend...
( Personal reference: )
Well, that's the plan, anyway.
( From an email to my Dad )So, yeah, that.
(Yes, I will still make it to the latke party! I'll just take the bus home and then...grab my car, I guess? Um. But the chances that my car will sulk and refuse to start - or break down somewhere around the Arlington reservoir - will not deter me!)
Knee status: still hurty
Weather: too warm. Even Portland's (probably getting the storm tomorrow as rain, rather than snow. :(
Then again, the "probably" is the devil here. Again, :(
Oh well. For now, bellringing! which of course is also the theme of the weekend...
( Personal reference: )
