Month: January 2010

My nose hurts!

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I’m on Day Two of trying to replace my allergy medicines with the generic version of Claritin.  It’s not going well.  In fact, I’m quitting that plan.  I picked up refills for both prescriptions on my way home from work today.  Yesterday was okay, but today I woke up really dry.  That went away by breakfast, and I spent the rest of the day sniffling and blowing my nose.  The sneezing started after lunch.  I feel fine if you don’t count the congestion and stuffy nose.  I mean, I’m not sick.  But I don’t want to just deal with this until the over-the-counter stuff kicks in or whatever.  Not right now.  I was overly aware of how much noise sniffling and blowing and sneezing makes when your office is a cubicle farm.  Unfortunately, I really do need to find something else that works.  On our new insurance, one of my allergy medicines went up $10 a month, and the other one went up $50.  I need to find an alternative to paying almost a hundred bucks a month just for allergy medicine.

In other news, my niece is brilliant!

Mmmkay…

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My day started with a broken nail.  Is that not the saddest thing you’ve ever heard?  No?  Fair enough.  The day improved after that inauspicious beginning.  It wasn’t a great day, but it was okay.  With very little stress.  I seem to be having a string of okay days.  Actually, my day started at the doctor’s office with blood work.  I drank a ton of water this morning just to make sure blood would actually come out of my veins this time (even though I know I did that last time), and sure enough, no problems today.  Even with a new person wielding the needle.  It was quick, it was easy, I chatted with my doctor for a little, and I was at work by 8am.  Then I broke my nail.  And I spent much of the rest of the day sprinting to the bathroom (three full glasses of water in about 45 minutes will do that, and I drank some coffee this morning, AND I drank more water after that), which is at the other end of the building from me.  But I left work just after 4, so it was all worth it.

Dinner tonight: stir-fry with broccoli, mushrooms, and chicken, sauteed in olive oil, a little soy sauce, and minced garlic.  SO hungry.

Catching up with myself

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Some things I meant to talk about and kept forgetting about:

  1. I finished Pope Joan a couple of days ago.  Really liked it.  It was one of those books Mom sent me.  She usually sends good ones (there have only been a couple bad ones), but for some reason, I resisted this one.  I’ve had it for several years, but never wanted to read it.  Never had a reason not to read it.  I wasn’t being rational.  It’s good historical fiction.
  2. I started reading Anathem, by Neal Stephenson.  This is another one I was putting off.  Partly because it’s huge and in hardcover.  Huge is never a turn-off for me, but huge and hardcover makes it hard to carry around (and I do tend to carry my books wherever I go).  Now that I have a short commute and absolutely no possibility of reading at work (not that I ever did that…), I won’t be as tempted to carry it around and I can just read it at home.  I’ve really liked everything else Neal Stephenson has written, and I’m enjoying this one, too.  Except for one small thing.  It really is a small thing, ’cause it’s not keeping me from enjoying the book.  It’s just a minor annoyance.  Science fiction and fantasy authors, fantasy in particular, have a tendency to make up words.  They think it’ll help the reader immerse herself in this alien/fantasy world.  Sometimes they’re right.  When it’s done well.  Often, they’re wrong.  Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg, in their introduction to the novel Nightfall (a book I LOVE), addressed this directly.  They pointed out that this story takes place on an alien world, and while they could make up terms in an alien language to use when referring to hands, shoes, dogs, etc, they’d rather just write hands, shoes, dogs, etc and save the reader the confusion.  That’s the way I prefer it be done.  Make up a word (or merge a couple of words to make a new one) when you need to refer to something that doesn’t have an equivalent in the real world, but otherwise, stick to English.  Makes sense.  And it makes for some really good writing.  (I wish I could have met Isaac Asimov.)  Neal Stephenson, in Anathem, seems to be going too far the other way.  He seems to have made up words where it’s not really necessary to make them up.  It makes me work harder to figure out what’s going on.  I shouldn’t be confused.  I’m sure (really, I am) that once I get past the learning curve here, I won’t notice it, and I’m equally sure that the payoff for all this work will be worth it ’cause I’ve read his other books and they’re always good.  But generally, don’t make me work so hard to decipher what should be English!  Last I checked, English is my first (and only, but I’m working on that) language, and I’m pretty good at it.  Carol Berg, in the two books I just read by her (Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone) is in the middle.  She made up a few words where necessary, and they worked in the story, but then she’d make something up completely when referring to units of measurement.  Why?  I don’t know.  But I’d be reading along, everything’s fine, and I’d stumble across “quellae” when she mean inch or mile or something.  (Yes, I’m aware there’s a big difference between an inch and a mile, and in context, there was no confusion.)  Why would she do that?  She said horse when she meant horse, wagon when she meant wagon, monk when she meant monk.  Why not mile when she meant mile?  Or league?  Why those words and not other basic words?  But again, I really liked those books.  The stories and characterization were well worth the occasional stumble.  But it could have been better!
  3. Apparently, I was just itching to talk about that.
  4. We watched Grace is Gone Saturday night.  What a depressing movie.  John Cusack is in it, which is why I DVR’ed it in the first place, without really looking to see what it was about.  John (my John) warned me that it was sad, but Saturday was kind of a sad day for me anyway (no particular reason – I was just blue), so I figured it was better to watch a sad movie when I’m already sad rather than make myself sad on a happy day.  Oh, I cried.  And then I cried some more.  And then I was like, “Why are you doing that, John Cusack?”  And then I cried some more.  And then I made John (my John) promise he wouldn’t die.  Did I just give something away?  Nah.  That’s in the description of the movie.  Stupid movie.

Salmon tonight, with horseradish cream sauce (courtesy of Wegman’s, naturally), broccoli, and mashed potatoes.  Apple noodle kugel for dessert.  Unless I have a banana nut muffin instead.  Tough choices.

The gewurtztraminer is attacking!

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I’m in the middle of cleaning out the fridge and cleaning up the kitchen, dining room, and family room.  I pulled the gewurztraminer out of the fridge and put it on the counter, planning to pour it out.  This is the one from New Year’s Eve that we didn’t like.  Had an odd finish.  Aftertaste.  Something.  Whatever it was, no one liked it.  Anyway, a couple of minutes ago, the bottle was sitting on the stove, and I was in the dining room.  I heard a small POP, and then I saw the rubber Rabbit wine stopper (try saying that five times fast) fly through the doorway into the dining room.  I assume it heard that I was planning on pouring it out and decided to strike first.  I don’t want to find out what its second plan of attack is, so down the sink it goes.  For future reference, this was the Fetzer gewurztraminer.  I don’t recommend it.

The band is practicing in the basement (so I get to sing along to “Drive” (originally by Incubus) and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (Green Day)), and I want to have the island cleared off and the kitchen clean (at least) before they come upstairs, so I gotta go.

Working for a living

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I tried to wash my windshield on my drive home this evening before the car had warmed up all the way.  The fluid wasn’t frozen or anything, but as soon as the wipers stopped, the moisture that was left crystallized, then melted away.  It was SO cool.  I did it a couple more times, just so I could watch the ice crystals.  No, I didn’t rear end anyone.

My first week is over, and, while I’d rather not be working at all, I think I like my new job.  You know, enough.  And I certainly like my new co-workers.  I spent the week learning this system (so I can teach it in a few weeks).  (That sounds like I learned it all this week.  I didn’t.)  I was the guinea pig for one of the other new trainers to practice on.  He’s young (22, I think) and kinda nervous about teaching, but he’s funny.  This afternoon, we needed clarification on a particular contract type for acquisitions.  We’re talking about government acquisitions, for government agencies, and the example he came up with to describe how we think it works is puppies.  As in, let’s say the government needs to buy puppies.  They cost $100 each.  We award a contract to buy 12 puppies.  Then we discover we need more puppies.  We (me and the more experienced trainer we were asking for help from) couldn’t listen with a straight face.  Puppies!  In bulk!  I would love to work for that agency.

Puppies!

Seriously, who can resist this?

Really, I think I’m glad to be back at work, in a job I know I can be really good at.  “Relieved” may be a better word than “glad”.  Starting a new job, dealing with new people, having to get up early again and figure out a whole new schedule is stressful, but earning again takes a lot of stress away that I didn’t realize I had.  Mm.  Not true.  I knew I was stressed about that.  But I feel better.  And I’ll feel even better than this when I get my first paycheck.  (And my second.  And my third…)

Enough of that.  It’s the weekend!

Well…

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…my mind is blank.  Seriously.  Also, we’re kinda half-watching Sixteen Candles, and I think I’ve mentioned before how hard it is to write anything when I’m distracted by the TV.

So, um, yeah.  Half-assed post tonight.  Less than half.  Sorry.

The piano has a new home!

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I just met the family who contacted me about the piano.  They want it!  Piano adoption is complete.  It will go to its new home over the weekend, probably, after they figure out whose trailer they can borrow.  I met the mom, the dad, and the little girl who’s taking lessons.  I think she’s about 8 or 9.  Definitely between 7 and 10.  They’re very nice people and very appreciative.  The little girl was thrilled.  Once her dad coaxed her to the keys, she played (mostly messing around (chopsticks and that other thing we used to play all the time (not “Heart and Soul” – the other thing)) and making noise, but it was fun piano noise) the whole rest of the time they were here.  They measured (it’ll fit), and I offered to let them go through my piano music when they come back and take what they want (with the exception of a few things I want to hold on to, of course).  Family, if there’s any music you want me to hold on to for you, tell me before Saturday.  The little girl (the parents don’t play) has been practicing on a keyboard (not full-size), so this is working out perfectly for them.  And for me.  The piano is going to a good home where it will be put to good use.  And of course, I told them all about its history (including the cracked harp and the messed up finish).  I told them I checked with you guys before making this decision, and the mom asked me to pass on her thanks.  So, thanks, family, for letting me give our piano to a new family to love.

Am I getting too maudlin?

No clever title

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I was sitting in the office today, and out of nowhere I had the strongest memory of being on the hangar deck of the Truman.  Couldn’t figure out why for a minute, and then I realized I was wrinkling my nose and trying to breathe through my mouth.  Someone had opened the outside door (leading directly to the parking lot), and the scent of exhaust combined with paint had wafted in.  Scent memory is a funny thing.

Somebody wants the piano!  (Who needs segues, anyway?)  Our neighborhood has a message board, so I posted on it Sunday afternoon.  I described the condition of the piano and basically said I’d like it to go to a good home.  Otherwise, I’ll probably donate it.  I got an email today from a woman who said she’s interested.  Her daughter takes lessons and needs a piano to practice on, so I invited her to come over and see it.  I’m very excited.  🙂  Yay for community!

End of big day

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My big day went fine.  Nothing particularly exciting, but that’s totally okay.  It was busy and full of new stuff, and I think my head is going to be stuffed with information that I need to retain and be able to explain to others, but how can that be bad?  Before it gets boring, I mean.  🙂

Oh, I lied.  Something exciting DID happen.  I got a Blackberry!  I have a brand new Blackberry Curve, and I don’t know how to use it.  🙂  It came with my email set up already, so I don’t have to worry about that, but I don’t even know what the number is OR where to find out.  I’m reading the manual and going through the tutorials.  I’m sure it’s in there somewhere.

I’m making salmon for dinner, and unwrapping the white paper packaging reminded me of how much I love the people who work behind the counters at Wegman’s.  Sunday, I had a funny conversation with the fish guy after he convinced me to buy this salmon instead of that salmon (better quality and cheaper, since it was priced by weight and not by piece) because my wearing a Boston College sweatshirt without ever going there reminded him of the time he wore a Sharks sweatshirt (not because he’s a fan, but because it was comfortable) in Pittsburgh and got snarled at by someone who was decidedly NOT a Sharks fan.  His joke in reply (“What are you, a Jet?”) went over the other guy’s head.  Anyway, he was a big guy, broad shoulders, big gray mustache, very loud.  A few weeks ago I got into a 15-minute conversation with the guy at the kosher counter.  I was buying kugel (potato and noodle) so I could check out their recipes (they make a delicious apple noodle kugel).  He talked about his mother’s kugel recipes, then latkes, then matzo balls, then about his grandkids, and how he’s a little annoyed (but in a good-natured way) that he’s expected to cook for everyone at home all the time when all he does all day at work is cook.  But his grandson asked him, so he did it.

I’m cooking and John’s home and I want to play with my new Blackberry.

Update: Roxy had another seizure just before 11pm.  I should have seen that one coming.  She’s had two seizures in one day that last couple of times, too.

Big Day

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I woke up to some unidentified noise exactly 15 minutes before my alarm was set to go off this morning.  I didn’t hear it again, I didn’t hear the sounds I associate with Roxy’s convulsing, and I didn’t hear Riley pacing back and forth like he does when he’s nervous (like when Roxy is convulsing), so I stayed in bed.  Wide awake.  I decided to take the dogs with me on my run.  I had an awful waking nightmare that the sound I heard was Roxy’s death cry and I would have to explain to my new employer, through my grief, that I wasn’t going to be able to come in today.  I told myself I was getting all crazy over nothing, Roxy’s fine, but maybe I should go for a short run to make sure I’ll have time to go through the 5 or so outfit changes it’ll take before I decide what to wear.

I got up.  Went downstairs to discover Roxy in recovery mode, wandering around the first floor checking things out like she’s never seen them before.  So she did have a seizure.  She’s fine now.  But the seizure meant I decided not to take them with me.  And my run got shorter.  Two miles is not enough to calm me down, but I did go a little faster than normal.  Anxiety is the ticket, apparently, for a speedy workout.  I’m inside, I’m warmed up, and I really need to stop typing and get ready.

A little nervous

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Not a lot nervous, but it’ll be interesting to see how well I sleep tonight.  I had my nails done today and managed to screw two of them up before I even left the salon.  Good timing, actually, since it was easy for my manicurist to fix them.  And I love my manicurist.  She was nice, we were able to have an actual conversation, and it wasn’t a big deal when we weren’t chatting.  Comfortable silence.  I will definitely see her again.  Assuming I make manicures a regular thing, which is not a given.  But I really do like how my hands feel now.

Tacos for dinner, so gotta go cook.

I’m living with Sting!

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On the advice of John’s grandmother’s live-in aide, Cheryl, we asked his new stylist, Jenny, to model his new haircut after Sting’s hair.  See exhibits A and B (we took these pictures with us):

Now, see John’s very cool, very Sting-like hair:

We’re discussing the possibility of a beard.  Short, a little scruffy, but neat.  And new glasses.  It’s almost like having a new husband!  Not that I was looking for one.  🙂  I like mine.

For Mom, pictures of my new haircut

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Here you go, Mom.  John took a bunch of pictures so you (and everyone else) can see my new haircut, properly blow-dried and hair-sprayed, in advance of us going out for Mexican food tonight.  ‘Cause you just can’t go out for Mexican food unless your hair looks good.  Please ignore the face and just look at the hair.

Happy New Year!

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So it’s 2010.  (I’ve decided to say “twenty-ten” and stop this “two thousand and ten” nonsense.)  The party (which was very fun) is over and everyone has gone home.  We cleaned a little (although the house really wasn’t a mess) and then decided to revisit the idea of rearranging the whole first floor.  I think we’re gonna do it.  Like, this weekend.  🙂  We have a three-day weekend, and once John’s semester starts, he won’t really have this kind of time.  The furniture moving really won’t be that hard.  The hardest part (or at least most complicated part, even though it’s not really hard.  According to John.  I think it’s hard.) is wiring the living room (which will become the family room) for the TV.  There’s no cable outlet there right now.  So we’re going to take the opportunity to run the TV cables behind the wall, hiding them from sight.  Means cutting holes in the wall (one behind where the TV will go and one near the floor) and running wires up from the basement.  A trip to Home Depot or Lowe’s is in our immediate future.

But right now, John is in the basement fixing the dryer.  The other dryer.  It’s the one we moved with, the one we bought when we moved to VA in 2003.  It started squealing shortly after we moved to this house, so we switched to the dryer the previous owners left behind.  Anyway, he’s fixing it, and once that’s done, we can move the extra washer and dryer to the garage and put them on craigslist.  I’m pretty sure none of our friends are in the market for a washer and dryer at the moment.  If you’re reading this and you need a free washer and dryer (they work great, we just don’t need two sets), let me know.

The fun part about rearranging the house will be discovering what new furniture we need and/or want.  Obviously, this will work great for our new dining room table (that we still haven’t bought yet).  I want a little bistro table and two chairs for the bay window in the dining room that is turning to the living room because I like having breakfast in that room.  It gets lots of sunlight.  I want a little armchair and a very small table and lamp so I can have a little reading nook in the dining room, next to the fireplace.  We’ll need a little loveseat and chair or something to go in the middle of the new living room (that used to be the dining room).  We’ll need to go find the entertainment center we’ve been discussing for years to go under the TV in the new family room, and, of course, we’ll need lots more bookshelves.  A big reason for doing this whole rearrangement thing is to free up wall space in the family room (new dining room) for bookshelves.  At least four big bookshelves will fit in the new living room, with room for some narrow shelves or a corner shelf in a couple of places.  The new family room will have at least two big bookshelves flanking the TV, and there should be room for three or four bookshelves (at LEAST) in the new dining room.  That’s at least three or four more big bookshelves than we have right now, plus the smaller ones.  And we desperately need them.  My poor books are doubling up on the shelves so you can’t even see half of them.  Poor, sad books.

Okay, change of plans.  We’re still going to rearrange the house, just not this weekend.  There are other things John wants to do, and I can use this last bit of extended free time to try to finish my filing project.  I’ve got six boxes, plus a few things in random plastic filing cabinets.  I want to knock out at least three of those boxes.  Hopefully more.

John fixed the dryer.  He’s very handy.  🙂  Now we just need to make sure it still, you know, dries.

Happy New Year!