I like math
End of story.
My commute to Saturn
I have weeks where work takes over my life, when even though I’m home doing things I enjoy, work is still on my mind. What I’m going to do tomorrow, how I’m going to solve that problem, what I’m going to tell the client in the next meeting – those things buzz around in my brain when I’m trying to relax.
Then I have weeks where work might as well be on another planet as far as my brain is concerned. It’s taking everything I have to concentrate on work today (and clearly, since I’m here, I’m not doing a very good job). My brain would rather be making phone calls and appointments, taking placement exams and registering for classes. Or READING. I had an appointment today (x-rays that determined I will have to have a sinus lift before I get a new molar), and I was able to finish No Second Chance. Good. It was good. I want more! It’s cold outside, but it’s sunny. Why can’t I be out there enjoying the sunlight? I’m not stressed – far from it – but I’d like to be able to enjoy my zen-ish state somewhere other than this gray cubicle.
Multi-tasking
I’m doing something I usually make fun of John for doing: I’m reading three books at once. Not at once, but at the same time. Nope, that’s not right either. I don’t have that many hands, eyes, or brains. I’m in the middle of three books, and I plan to go from one to the next as the spirit moves me, without finishing one first. And – hold on to your hats – one of them is non-fiction! Crazy, right? For me, a little unusual. Also, I say I make fun of John for reading several books at once, but it’s not really something to make fun of (and I’m not really successful at it. That making fun part.). He’s often doing it because he can’t decide what he’s in the mood for, and when one of his books is non-fiction and the other is fiction, I can sometimes see his point. Why am I doing it? I couldn’t decide what to read next. I finished my last book, picked up a book Mom just sent me (a memoir called My Love Affair with England), left it upstairs and, a little absently, picked up No Second Chance to see if I could remember why it was recommended to me, got totally sucked into it (it’s really good!), and then remembered that Hulu is offering a free download from Audible.com and I’d like to listen to a book while I work out at the gym, so I logged in and downloaded The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (which I had already started reading in PDF). And now you have the long version (and longer sentence) of why I’m reading three books at once. Although if No Second Chance keeps going the way it is, I’ll be back down to two books by morning.
Note for those who care: Audible.com uses DRM, so I’m really glad this book was free. I’m not a fan of DRM.
‘Tis the season…
…for things to get stuck in trees. At the corner of the park down the street, a kite. Makes sense. Kites, trees – there’s a connection. A few streets over, a tree in somebody’s front yard has a football stuck at the very top. About halfway up in the same tree, a tennis ball is wedged in the junction where a branch meets the trunk. As I walked by, three boys came tumbling out the front door with a mini Nerf football, arguing about whose aim was better. Now I know how the football and the tennis ball got stuck. Tomorrow, I’ll probably see the Nerf football up there, too.
I’m trying to get through my to-do list, but I don’t have the motivation. I tried today. Called the insurance company to check on coverage. Got frustrated and wasn’t able to mark it off my list. I understand the necessity of menus and options when you call companies, particularly on weekends, but I really hate the ones you have to talk to. I had to go through three minutes of “Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Did you say medical or help?” just to find out that my insurance company’s customer service center is closed on weekends. Tell me that up front! I much prefer using the keypad. Actually, I’d rather do it online, but I can’t get to that level of detail online.
I hate missing the joke
When I don’t get geek humor, rather than feel good that maybe I’m not as far gone into geekery as sometimes seems to be case, I feel stupid. Well, I guess it depends on what kind of joke it is I’m not getting. Today’s XKCD is an example of the kind of geek humor that makes me feel dumb. My education didn’t include whatever the hell makes this funny.
Things I do find funny? I’m so glad you asked!
Air guitar in Parliament (from The Daily What):
Sign I think I want to post around my neighborhood (also from The Daily What):
Beyond those things, nothing is funny. Nothing in the world. Ever. And ever.
It’s not cool to complain about work all the time.
Grumble grumble work grumble grumble. I had a nice afternoon all planned out. I was going to be home from DC a little after four, take advantage of the nice weather to walk the dogs, all the while relaxing and enjoying myself and NOT thinking about work, and then I was going to go to my Muscle Blast class at the gym. Instead, on our drive back from DC, the world exploded (where world = system I support for work) and I spent my pleasant two hours at home on the computer, on the phone, planning out how to contain the explosion. I did still go to my class, where from the minute I walked in, it didn’t even occur to me to think about work (which was an unexpected bonus – I didn’t realize my head was so clear until I got back home and remembered work). Unfortunately, because the world exploded this afternoon (see previous definition), I have a conference call at 8:30.
Dinner will have to be quick.
Little bits of sunshine
Work has been hard, and I’m not looking forward to going. This morning, I found myself trying to find a day in the next week or so when I can call in sick.
I’m about to leave the house, and when I leaned forward just a few minutes ago to shut down my laptop, I saw lots of cheerful little rainbows on the wall in front of me. The buttons on my sweater are beveled glass, and the sunlight must be coming in the window at just the right angle to refract (it’s refraction, right? It’s been a while.) through them. Made me feel a little better.
Skipping tonight
I have nothing but work stuff on my mind tonight, so I’ve decided not to post. And I came straight here to post that. Probably counts as cheating.
Storing up exercise
Sadly, I don’t think it works that way. I did two classes back to back this evening at the gym. Work today was a nightmare, I left late with no time to stop at the store, got home with barely enough time to change and get to class, and I still had to pick up my dry-cleaning first. So I dashed into class and found a spot near my neighbor (Have I mentioned that my next-door neighbor comes to this class? We’ve chatted more in three evenings than in the last five years.), a little out of breath, and within two minutes, I was calm, relaxed, and happy. It was SO nice to not have to rush, to just BE there. I didn’t get that any other place today. I’ll be looking for it the rest of this week, but with three days in DC in a row (starting tomorrow), I don’t think I’ll find it.
This turned into free association. Let me apologize in advance. I’m sorry.
I need a vacation. A home vacation. The kind where you stay home for a week and get things done. It’s not necessarily relaxing, but it’s good for your peace of mind because all those little home projects that have been driving you crazy while undone can finally get done. But I don’t want to use up precious vacation days. I don’t see a solution. Nope, no possible solution. None at all. Sorry, can’t be done. I’ll just have to live with it. All or nothing. Now or never. Looks like the end of the line. No light at the end of the tunnel. Carpal tunnel. Carpe diem. Seize the carp! I don’t want a fish pond in my backyard. I’d be inviting all the mosquitoes to move in, get drunk, and have lots of mosquito babies. Running water would be better. I could totally live with a babbling brook. As long as I couldn’t hear it from my bedroom at night. You know you have to pee in the middle of the night when your dreams involve frantic searches for toilets.
I need a vacation from my brain.
Somebody needs to write a story about this
The first annual Waddle for Winter Ultra-Marathon:
Thanks to The Daily What for finding it.
True Blood, kinda
I just finished the first Sookie Stackhouse novel (Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris), and I can’t decide if I want to keep reading them. This is the series that the HBO show True Blood is based on, and I have kind of a love-hate relationship with the show. John and I have talked about reading the books a few times, so he picked the first one up for my birthday. He asked how it was going. You know how Sookie babbles (I mean on the show, of course)? Way more information in one sentence than anyone needs? Well, Anna Paquin does a good Sookie Stackhouse. And she’s the narrator. And if you think her relationship with Bill is messed up on TV? Reading the book will not change your mind. On the other hand, it’s quick, it’s entertaining, but for once (twice, really – I feel this way about Jodi Picoult novels), I think I don’t need to own these books before I read them. The library will do just fine.
Where’s Phoebe when you need her?
John got up around 4:30 this morning. I assumed he was just getting up to go to the bathroom. I certainly didn’t hear anything, but I did wake up. I heard a strange sort of beep when he closed the door, but I assumed it was the hinges. I heard it again when he came back out. So, definitely hinges, right? But not your normal hinge noise. I blinked and realized that John was now in the room across the hall with the light on, and the noise was getting louder (or maybe I was just more awake).
Sleepy and confused me: “What is that? What’s going on?”
Wide awake and thoroughly irritated John: “It’s the smoke alarm. It’s not hooked up to anything, and I’ve removed the battery, but it won’t stop beeping.”
It was our very own re-enactment of a Friends episode. Except I’m pretty sure John just replaced the battery and came to bed. I think. I didn’t ask.
Don’t be so melodramatic
Work today was not cool. There was drama, and I cried. (Less than five minutes, alone in a bathroom stall – that sounds really pathetic, but it wasn’t that bad. It was after I got an apology of sorts, not while the drama was going on.) It’s over, I’m home, I exercised, John made dinner – all is well. But I’m tired. Drama wears me out.
Insert your own obscure song lyric
Some days, I’m just not capable of thinking up things to write about. Even boring things, like the weather (we had ice this morning and I went in to work late – it didn’t make work more exciting). I promised pictures of the new bookshelves, but I was hoping for sunlight. And I’ll probably wait until there’s stuff on the ones in the dining room. It’ll make for a better picture. The house is shaping up pretty nicely, though. The first floor only. The second floor needs some work. We’re almost in the market for a futon to replace the twin trundle beds in the guest room. (I say almost because we spent WAY lots of money this weekend. More furniture will have to wait.) Before the dining is done, however, I need wine racks. Wine racks that will fit on bookshelves. I’ve seen a couple, but nothing I love. And I don’t want to turn the whole bookcase into a wine rack. Which means I’ll need other places to store wine. I haven’t yet given up on this (it would look quite nice next to a chair by the fireplace or near a chair (that I would need to buy – what was I just saying about money?) in the library), and I’m looking for similar items…
In the meantime, I found this picture on Bookshelf Porn, and I’m torn between wanting to swim through the books (like Scrooge McDuck in his money pit) and itching to organize them. They’re crying out to be sorted by genre and alphabetized!
Can't you hear them? "Sort us, please! We're so confused!"
Zombie workout
Tonight’s Kukuwa class only had three students (including me), and all three of us came straight from the Monday night strength and toning class. No energy left. The mirrors reflected a line of zombies shuffling their way across the room. No coordination, no life – just stumbling from step to step with one eye on the clock. Not a good workout.
Awesome birthday present
If you love books and need decorating ideas (for your books – no, also in general), visit these websites. SuzRocks told me about one in yesterday’s comments (best birthday present from the internet ever), and I just don’t know what to do with myself now. Other than get lost in these sites.
The best part of the timing of my birthday is, of course, the three-day weekend it usually falls on. So even though, technically, my birthday will be over in just under two hours, I really get another day. A day with a trip to a used bookstore. You know what I don’t have enough of? Goats. Books.
A new tradition!
This weekend last year, we went to Ikea, bought bookshelves, put them together, and re-shelved all the books. This weekend this year, we went to Ikea, bought bookshelves, and will be putting them together and re-shelving all the books tonight and tomorrow. I’d like to make this my new birthday tradition. Very few things make me as happy as puttering around with my books. Tomorrow (maybe Monday – there’s a lot to reorganize), I’ll have pictures.
Stop toying with me!
February is a big tease. Or in desperate need of medication. It was 75 and sunny and wonderful today, but this is our forecast for next week:
Mother Nature might be bipolar.
An evening to myself
John is in class tonight, so I have the evening to myself. What have I done so far? I’ve watched TV. TV John isn’t interested in. Two episodes of Glee and the Valentine’s Day episode of Cougartown (which, if you can get past the stupid name, was really good last season – not quite up there this season) later, it’s 8:30, and if it weren’t for the laundry, I’d be able to say I haven’t left the couch since I got home. Sounds lazy (I’m not a couch potato!), but that’s what I wanted. After last night’s class and this morning’s workout, I can barely move my shoulders. Feeding myself hurt a little. Good hurt. Ooh, a bath! I’m totally taking a bubble bath. With candles and music and my book. If I only I could figure out how to hold my book so I can see it without having to use my arms.
The dryer is buzzing at me. Must go.