Thursday, June 14, 2007
Lots of stuff to do yet today. Pay bills, get money, wash hair, pack suitcase, get maps & directions, clean out minivan, clean litter box, send Father's Day card, send a birthday card, ....
Whoa. Maybe I should get started.
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Thursday, June 14, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
1306 Proxy / Pictures
Anybody know how to make Proxylord.com show pictures? Anonymous browsing via Proxylord is pretty boring.
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1304 Finished May Museum
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Went in to the museum today, and finished sending the membership cards. Alone. The last 36 were the complicated ones with all the fancy premiums, but it took me only 2 hours. Of course, I screwed up four of the envelopes, and had to reopen them and close them with tape. Big deal. I'm a volunteer, darn it! I'm allowed to screw up!
The volunteer coordinator says it's looking good for getting rid of the premiums. Of course, the renewal reminders I sent out last week still mention them, so there will be one more month of complicated mailings, and then it should get easier.
----------------------------------------------
I'm doing laundry. Need stuff for the weekend.
Which reminds me -
Four people in the past few weeks have told me they like the way I dress.
They: "I like the way you dress."
Me: "??? (raise eyebrows, tilt head)"
They: "Classy, with a hint of naughty."
They didn't all use the exact same words, those are the words of the male commenter, but that's pretty much what it came down to in each case.
I think I've finally found my style.
When I started to get the wattles under my chin, I started wearing more high collars, turtlenecks and so on. Then I read somewhere that the older neck actually looks better with MORE rather than less exposed. The older woman should wear wide low necklines that show the collarbones and the sides of the neck that slope toward the shoulders, and more of the upper chest (but not a lot of cleavage). It draws attention away from the neck, makes it look longer and tighter.
It works!
Below the hips, I like drapey long stuff, that swings or flutters when I move. Otherwise the lower neckline makes me look wider and shorter. Above the hips, clingy drapey tops with 3/4 sleeves (or at least to the elbow), and top-of-the-hip length collarless jackets.
This is maybe the first time in my life that I like most of my clothes. And all of it's comfortable.
.
Went in to the museum today, and finished sending the membership cards. Alone. The last 36 were the complicated ones with all the fancy premiums, but it took me only 2 hours. Of course, I screwed up four of the envelopes, and had to reopen them and close them with tape. Big deal. I'm a volunteer, darn it! I'm allowed to screw up!
The volunteer coordinator says it's looking good for getting rid of the premiums. Of course, the renewal reminders I sent out last week still mention them, so there will be one more month of complicated mailings, and then it should get easier.
----------------------------------------------
I'm doing laundry. Need stuff for the weekend.
Which reminds me -
Four people in the past few weeks have told me they like the way I dress.
They: "I like the way you dress."
Me: "??? (raise eyebrows, tilt head)"
They: "Classy, with a hint of naughty."
They didn't all use the exact same words, those are the words of the male commenter, but that's pretty much what it came down to in each case.
I think I've finally found my style.
When I started to get the wattles under my chin, I started wearing more high collars, turtlenecks and so on. Then I read somewhere that the older neck actually looks better with MORE rather than less exposed. The older woman should wear wide low necklines that show the collarbones and the sides of the neck that slope toward the shoulders, and more of the upper chest (but not a lot of cleavage). It draws attention away from the neck, makes it look longer and tighter.
It works!
Below the hips, I like drapey long stuff, that swings or flutters when I move. Otherwise the lower neckline makes me look wider and shorter. Above the hips, clingy drapey tops with 3/4 sleeves (or at least to the elbow), and top-of-the-hip length collarless jackets.
This is maybe the first time in my life that I like most of my clothes. And all of it's comfortable.
.
1303 Quit Bugging Me!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The next time you find yourself on a plane, sitting next to someone who cannot resist chattering to you endlessly, quietly pull your laptop out of your bag, carefully open the screen (ensuring the irritating person next to you can see it), and hit this link.
(Can anyone tell me what the writing says, if anything?)
.
The next time you find yourself on a plane, sitting next to someone who cannot resist chattering to you endlessly, quietly pull your laptop out of your bag, carefully open the screen (ensuring the irritating person next to you can see it), and hit this link.
(Can anyone tell me what the writing says, if anything?)
.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
1301 What Managers Like to Hear
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Talking with a friend today, about managers in general. I mentioned that with one exception (and he didn't last long), I got along well with my managers. Managers and I "had an understanding".
At some point early in our relationship, in the initial interview, a new manager would ask me what I saw as my job, how would I define my responsibilities (yeah, they all asked. They all went to the same management training course.)
Other people said stuff like designing this, coding that, whatever. My answer was always, "My primary responsibility is to keep you out of trouble." And that really IS what I saw as my job, and what I mainly did.
They would also ask what I expected from them, what I saw as their job.
Other people said stuff like assign projects, help me further my career, and so on. My answer was always, "Trust me, run interference for me, and otherwise keep out of my way."
A third standard question was what are my career aspirations, where did I want to be in ten years.
Other people said stuff like that they wanted the manager's job, or they wanted to make senior, and so on. My answer was "I think that setting a specific goal, and doing things to achieve that goal, is limiting myself. I prefer to learn all I can about everything around me, and then take utmost advantage of opportunities as they appear. Or as I create them. I do intend to stay technical. No management aspirations, so that makes it easier. But I don't see that as limiting."
Mgr: "But you have to have some way to measure yourself."
Me: "Well, I sort of do. When I say something in a meeting, I want everyone to shut up, listen carefully, and think about what I said."
Mgr: "Technical respect. You have that now."
Me: "That's how I know it's time to expand into something I don't know anything about. Got any opportunities?"
Most of my managers grew to depend on me. The more imagination they had, the better the working relationship. I didn't start getting strange reactions until the last few years, when I ran into Corporate honchos.
No imagination there. They were stiff, rule-bound, and running scared. That's when retirement started looking good.
I guess my goal all along was to retire young and comfortably.
P.S. I retired, comfortably, at 49.
.
Talking with a friend today, about managers in general. I mentioned that with one exception (and he didn't last long), I got along well with my managers. Managers and I "had an understanding".
At some point early in our relationship, in the initial interview, a new manager would ask me what I saw as my job, how would I define my responsibilities (yeah, they all asked. They all went to the same management training course.)
Other people said stuff like designing this, coding that, whatever. My answer was always, "My primary responsibility is to keep you out of trouble." And that really IS what I saw as my job, and what I mainly did.
They would also ask what I expected from them, what I saw as their job.
Other people said stuff like assign projects, help me further my career, and so on. My answer was always, "Trust me, run interference for me, and otherwise keep out of my way."
A third standard question was what are my career aspirations, where did I want to be in ten years.
Other people said stuff like that they wanted the manager's job, or they wanted to make senior, and so on. My answer was "I think that setting a specific goal, and doing things to achieve that goal, is limiting myself. I prefer to learn all I can about everything around me, and then take utmost advantage of opportunities as they appear. Or as I create them. I do intend to stay technical. No management aspirations, so that makes it easier. But I don't see that as limiting."
Mgr: "But you have to have some way to measure yourself."
Me: "Well, I sort of do. When I say something in a meeting, I want everyone to shut up, listen carefully, and think about what I said."
Mgr: "Technical respect. You have that now."
Me: "That's how I know it's time to expand into something I don't know anything about. Got any opportunities?"
Most of my managers grew to depend on me. The more imagination they had, the better the working relationship. I didn't start getting strange reactions until the last few years, when I ran into Corporate honchos.
No imagination there. They were stiff, rule-bound, and running scared. That's when retirement started looking good.
I guess my goal all along was to retire young and comfortably.
P.S. I retired, comfortably, at 49.
.
1300 Museum With Helper
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
They brought in a helper for me today. We had 60-some envelopes to stuff with membership cards, various letters, and premium gifts.
The coordinator said, "He's challenged, but he learns quickly." He's sweet, but it think it might have taken longer with him helping. I had him folding letters and putting them in the envelopes, and he was soooooooo precise! I was putting other stuff in the envelopes as he finished them, and stamping and sealing them. When we got down to the last four envelopes for today, I handed him the stamps and told him to put the stamps on those envelopes, and seal them.
He put the stamps on, then he went to the men's room. He took the first of the four envelopes with him. Duh? I heard the water running. When he came back out, the flap of the envelope was soaked, and he was frustrated because it wouldn't stick.
I licked and sealed the other three real quick, while he was waving that one in the air trying to dry it.
We got only 24 done.
One of them is covered in tape.
More to do tomorrow.
.
They brought in a helper for me today. We had 60-some envelopes to stuff with membership cards, various letters, and premium gifts.
The coordinator said, "He's challenged, but he learns quickly." He's sweet, but it think it might have taken longer with him helping. I had him folding letters and putting them in the envelopes, and he was soooooooo precise! I was putting other stuff in the envelopes as he finished them, and stamping and sealing them. When we got down to the last four envelopes for today, I handed him the stamps and told him to put the stamps on those envelopes, and seal them.
He put the stamps on, then he went to the men's room. He took the first of the four envelopes with him. Duh? I heard the water running. When he came back out, the flap of the envelope was soaked, and he was frustrated because it wouldn't stick.
I licked and sealed the other three real quick, while he was waving that one in the air trying to dry it.
We got only 24 done.
One of them is covered in tape.
More to do tomorrow.
.
1299 Surfing by Proxy
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
One of my favorite blogs to visit is "Sweet Rose Ramblings (AKA The Call-Waiting Blog)". Shoshana has an eclectic mind and a talent for locating interesting items around the internet. Go see what she's found recently about invisibility, and molecular photography become art, and psychology, who knows what next.
She does my surfing for me!
.
One of my favorite blogs to visit is "Sweet Rose Ramblings (AKA The Call-Waiting Blog)". Shoshana has an eclectic mind and a talent for locating interesting items around the internet. Go see what she's found recently about invisibility, and molecular photography become art, and psychology, who knows what next.
She does my surfing for me!
.
Monday, June 11, 2007
1298 The Ebay Song
Monday, June 11, 2007
This is dedicated to all of us who at one time or another have been addicted to eBay.
(If you're viewing this on a feeder, and don't see a video whatsis here, click on the post title.)
This is dedicated to all of us who at one time or another have been addicted to eBay.
(If you're viewing this on a feeder, and don't see a video whatsis here, click on the post title.)
1297 Masses of Moca
Monday, June 11, 2007
So, Roman and I went to Mass MOCA yesterday. He came here and then we took my minivan, because the a/c in his car is on the fritz. Turned out we didn't need a/c anyway - the day was cloudy and cool. Mapquest said it should take us a little over two hours to get there. It was actually more like three.
The "CA" stands for "Contemporary Art". Turns out that's pretty much the same as modern art, which we have already determined I don't fully appreciate.
One room absolutely cracked me up. It contained several large framed sheets of plain white paper. Plain, as in pristine. Little labels described the "art". One sheet had been exposed to full sunlight for several hours. One sheet had had a few snowflakes land on and melt on it. One sheet was titled a self-portrait - the artist had positioned his face 14" from the paper and stared at it motionlessly for a while. And so on.
OMG! I cracked up. Literally. The cognoscenti were frowning at me because I was laughing so hard. You've got to admire the salesmanship, anyway.
I ended up admiring the buildings instead (an old textile factory complex). Beautiful craftsmanship and artistry in the exterior brickwork, unexpectedly powerful yet delicate interior trusses.
I could have passed on the factory theme in the restrooms, though.
This is the place that has the trees growing upside down in the courtyard. They don't look at all like the photo any more. Two of the six trees are dead, one is dying, and the rest are almost leafless, struggling, trying to cope. Their "tops" and branches are curving up, twisting, trying to grow up. They look terribly unbalanced, desperately unhappy.
MOCA should do something about them.
We closed the place down, drove back to the Hudson valley, and had a very good dinner at a restaurant near Bard College.
A few weeks ago, we had attended a seminar on Asperger's Syndrome, at which the speaker had recommended the movie "Napoleon Dynamite", for examples of an Aspie's reactions. Roman mentioned that he had borrowed the movie from the library and had meant to bring it to me.
So we went to his house and watched it.
.
So, Roman and I went to Mass MOCA yesterday. He came here and then we took my minivan, because the a/c in his car is on the fritz. Turned out we didn't need a/c anyway - the day was cloudy and cool. Mapquest said it should take us a little over two hours to get there. It was actually more like three.
The "CA" stands for "Contemporary Art". Turns out that's pretty much the same as modern art, which we have already determined I don't fully appreciate.
One room absolutely cracked me up. It contained several large framed sheets of plain white paper. Plain, as in pristine. Little labels described the "art". One sheet had been exposed to full sunlight for several hours. One sheet had had a few snowflakes land on and melt on it. One sheet was titled a self-portrait - the artist had positioned his face 14" from the paper and stared at it motionlessly for a while. And so on.
OMG! I cracked up. Literally. The cognoscenti were frowning at me because I was laughing so hard. You've got to admire the salesmanship, anyway.
I ended up admiring the buildings instead (an old textile factory complex). Beautiful craftsmanship and artistry in the exterior brickwork, unexpectedly powerful yet delicate interior trusses.
I could have passed on the factory theme in the restrooms, though.
This is the place that has the trees growing upside down in the courtyard. They don't look at all like the photo any more. Two of the six trees are dead, one is dying, and the rest are almost leafless, struggling, trying to cope. Their "tops" and branches are curving up, twisting, trying to grow up. They look terribly unbalanced, desperately unhappy.
MOCA should do something about them.
We closed the place down, drove back to the Hudson valley, and had a very good dinner at a restaurant near Bard College.
A few weeks ago, we had attended a seminar on Asperger's Syndrome, at which the speaker had recommended the movie "Napoleon Dynamite", for examples of an Aspie's reactions. Roman mentioned that he had borrowed the movie from the library and had meant to bring it to me.
So we went to his house and watched it.
.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
1296 Crocs?
Saturday, June 9, 2007
I've been hearing about how comfortable Crocs are. So I thought maybe I'd try a pair. Went to the official Crocs website. The smallest women's size is a 6.
They've gotta be kidding.
.
I've been hearing about how comfortable Crocs are. So I thought maybe I'd try a pair. Went to the official Crocs website. The smallest women's size is a 6.
They've gotta be kidding.
.
1295 Cat Camera
Saturday, June 9, 2007
In Mr. Lee's owner's own words:
"Sometimes I have some challenging ideas, or crazy like some other people would say. This time I thought about our cat who is the whole day out, returning sometimes hungry sometimes not, sometimes with traces of fights, sometimes he stay also the night out.When he finally returns, I wonder where he was and what he did during his day. This brought me to the idea to equip the cat with a camera. The plan was to put a little camera around his neck which takes every few minutes a picture. After he is returning, the camera would show his day. "
Thus was born the CatCam.
You can read the technical details, special considerations, and see photos from Mr. Lee's rambles at http://www.mr-lee-catcam.de/index.htm.
I was surprised that he hung out with so many other cats. I kinda expected him to be solitary, except for amour, perhaps.
.
In Mr. Lee's owner's own words:
"Sometimes I have some challenging ideas, or crazy like some other people would say. This time I thought about our cat who is the whole day out, returning sometimes hungry sometimes not, sometimes with traces of fights, sometimes he stay also the night out.When he finally returns, I wonder where he was and what he did during his day. This brought me to the idea to equip the cat with a camera. The plan was to put a little camera around his neck which takes every few minutes a picture. After he is returning, the camera would show his day. "
Thus was born the CatCam.
You can read the technical details, special considerations, and see photos from Mr. Lee's rambles at http://www.mr-lee-catcam.de/index.htm.
I was surprised that he hung out with so many other cats. I kinda expected him to be solitary, except for amour, perhaps.
.
1294 Cluster Map
Saturday, June 9, 2007
I just added a "cluster map" to the right sidebar. It shows where visitors are coming from, or will, once it gets torqued up.
It probably won't be very accurate, because AOL folks never show a location other than simply "USA", for example, and my own ISP location field sometimes shows Boston, sometimes somewhere in Maryland, sometimes upstate New York, and sometimes "undetermined". Weird.
But it'll be fun anyway, I hope.
-------------------------------------
Roman and I are going to Mass MOCA tomorrow. The local Mensa group went last year, but that was the weekend Roman and I had gone to visit my mountain, so we missed it.
Now that he's free on weekends, I suggested that we go. Make up for what we missed last year. I think we'd have more fun on our own anyway.
Next weekend, The Man and I are going to my mountain.
.
I just added a "cluster map" to the right sidebar. It shows where visitors are coming from, or will, once it gets torqued up.
It probably won't be very accurate, because AOL folks never show a location other than simply "USA", for example, and my own ISP location field sometimes shows Boston, sometimes somewhere in Maryland, sometimes upstate New York, and sometimes "undetermined". Weird.
But it'll be fun anyway, I hope.
-------------------------------------
Roman and I are going to Mass MOCA tomorrow. The local Mensa group went last year, but that was the weekend Roman and I had gone to visit my mountain, so we missed it.
Now that he's free on weekends, I suggested that we go. Make up for what we missed last year. I think we'd have more fun on our own anyway.
Next weekend, The Man and I are going to my mountain.
.
Friday, June 08, 2007
1293 Sad Sight on the Rondout
Friday, June 8, 2007
I went in to the museum today for the third day in a row. I'll need one more day early next week, and then we'll be back on schedule. That one day (I hope it's only one) will be a hard day. I'll have to stuff envelopes for sixty new and renewing members, and I hope this will be the last time I have to make four individual decisions for each and every envelope.
There's a high deck on the back of the museum, where I take breaks (it was 85 degrees inside today). The deck overlooks the Rondout Creek, so I can watch boats, ducks, and geese going up and down the creek, and catch a little breeze.
Yesterday I watched a pair of duck parents trying to corral and guide ten fluffy little ducklings. In photos and stories you always see ducklings following a parent in single file, very obediently. Uh uh. Not the way it works on the Rondout. The ducklings were scattering every which way, and the parents were frantic, quacking and nudging, as the ducklings were weaving in and out through the docks. I truly believe Momma Duck could count.
Today a flotilla of Canada geese were moving down the creek. They were travelling in a loosely spread out group, but obviously in definite pairs. Except for one goose, who was alone. I felt very sorry for that goose. They mate for life, and at this time of year should absolutely be paired. So I guess that goose must have recently lost his or her mate. I felt sorry for it, alone among so many pairs.
In the group of seven pairs and one singleton, only one couple had a gosling, and only one gosling. The other pairs must have failed or lost their chicks, because if they still had eggs in a nest, they wouldn't both be travelling up the creek. They'd stay near the nest. That was very sad, to see out of fifteen adults only one baby.
It was cute, though. The geese were having the same problem as the ducks the day before. The fluffy tan gosling kept veering off between the docks. At one point the mother lost him entirely, and went paddling back up, honking the whole way. "Honk" is a four-letter word, and it sounded like it when she finally found him. I think he may have been tired, and went between the docks to get out of the breeze.
The parents wanted to catch up with the rest of the geese, and I was fascinated with Mother Goose's pantomime. The gosling was paddling beside her, and she lowered her head and made a scooping forward motion with her beak, several times. It so obviously said, "Keep paddling, come on, let's move."
I've always thought that animals have a lot more going on in their heads than we give them credit for.
.
I went in to the museum today for the third day in a row. I'll need one more day early next week, and then we'll be back on schedule. That one day (I hope it's only one) will be a hard day. I'll have to stuff envelopes for sixty new and renewing members, and I hope this will be the last time I have to make four individual decisions for each and every envelope.
There's a high deck on the back of the museum, where I take breaks (it was 85 degrees inside today). The deck overlooks the Rondout Creek, so I can watch boats, ducks, and geese going up and down the creek, and catch a little breeze.
Yesterday I watched a pair of duck parents trying to corral and guide ten fluffy little ducklings. In photos and stories you always see ducklings following a parent in single file, very obediently. Uh uh. Not the way it works on the Rondout. The ducklings were scattering every which way, and the parents were frantic, quacking and nudging, as the ducklings were weaving in and out through the docks. I truly believe Momma Duck could count.
Today a flotilla of Canada geese were moving down the creek. They were travelling in a loosely spread out group, but obviously in definite pairs. Except for one goose, who was alone. I felt very sorry for that goose. They mate for life, and at this time of year should absolutely be paired. So I guess that goose must have recently lost his or her mate. I felt sorry for it, alone among so many pairs.
In the group of seven pairs and one singleton, only one couple had a gosling, and only one gosling. The other pairs must have failed or lost their chicks, because if they still had eggs in a nest, they wouldn't both be travelling up the creek. They'd stay near the nest. That was very sad, to see out of fifteen adults only one baby.
It was cute, though. The geese were having the same problem as the ducks the day before. The fluffy tan gosling kept veering off between the docks. At one point the mother lost him entirely, and went paddling back up, honking the whole way. "Honk" is a four-letter word, and it sounded like it when she finally found him. I think he may have been tired, and went between the docks to get out of the breeze.
The parents wanted to catch up with the rest of the geese, and I was fascinated with Mother Goose's pantomime. The gosling was paddling beside her, and she lowered her head and made a scooping forward motion with her beak, several times. It so obviously said, "Keep paddling, come on, let's move."
I've always thought that animals have a lot more going on in their heads than we give them credit for.
.
1292 Guan Yin Dancers Rehersal
Friday, June 8, 2007
If you liked the clip in the previous post, you might like this - it's the performance interspersed with rehearsal footage. I didn't realize that the dancers in the rear are male!
By the way, I noticed that the video screen in the previous post (and perhaps this one?) didn't show up in the Bloglines feed. If you use Bloglines only and didn't see it, go to the actual blog (click on the title).
.
If you liked the clip in the previous post, you might like this - it's the performance interspersed with rehearsal footage. I didn't realize that the dancers in the rear are male!
By the way, I noticed that the video screen in the previous post (and perhaps this one?) didn't show up in the Bloglines feed. If you use Bloglines only and didn't see it, go to the actual blog (click on the title).
.
1291 Thousand Hands
Friday, June 8, 2007
Here, for your enjoyment, 20-some hearing-impaired young women, performing the beautiful Thousand Hand Guan Yin:
Via: Flixya
You will find more information, and perhaps a version that works better on your system (some of them out there don't like Firefox, some don't like Mac), by Googling "Thousand Hand".
.
Here, for your enjoyment, 20-some hearing-impaired young women, performing the beautiful Thousand Hand Guan Yin:
Via: Flixya
You will find more information, and perhaps a version that works better on your system (some of them out there don't like Firefox, some don't like Mac), by Googling "Thousand Hand".
.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
1290 Pain
Thursday, June 7, 2007
I've mentioned before that I have fibromyalgia. That combined with old badly healed back injuries means I have a constant low level of muscle grumbling or flashing fiery nerve pain somewhere in my body, every day.
Mostly I ignore it.
Occasionally it gets insistent.
It hasn't been as bad the past ten years, which I sort of attributed to lower levels of estrogen or something, but I noticed that sometimes it would flare up again. Like right now - my left palm is on fire, there's a twisty feeling in my lower right abdomen, the left thigh burns, and my left shoulder feels full of gravel.
I think I may have made a connection.
After Jay and I had been married a while, he gradually got me started with supplements, the same things he was taking (fat lot of good it did him...). I currently take mini-aspirin, calcium + Vit D, Vit C, Vit E, fish oil, magnesium, lecithin, and a multi-vitamin without iron. It seems like ever since I've been taking them, the pain level has been reduced.
Lately I've been traveling a bit more, and sometimes I forget to take the week-long pill container with me and then I neglect to start up again when I get home, or it runs out and I neglect to refill it.
Surprise. I'm beginning to notice that after a week without the supplements, I start to hurt again. Hmmmm.
I'm pretty sure it's not the mini-aspirin, because that's the one that runs out the fastest, and I often don't buy more until something else runs out.
It's not worth experimenting to see which may be controlling the whatever goes wrong. I'll just be more careful about being consistent about the whole program.
One place I've already definitely made a connection - because I take the fish oil and lecithin, henna won't stain my skin (well, it won't stay for more than two days). A guy doing henna tattoos at Rakkasah one year told me he'd noticed that, too, that lecithin and fish oil make the skin too oily (note - not oil glands kind of oily - individual cells kind of oily!) But more significantly, my skin is definitely dryer when I haven't been taking them. I noticed my face was very dry this morning.
Excuse me while I go fill the pill case.
.
I've mentioned before that I have fibromyalgia. That combined with old badly healed back injuries means I have a constant low level of muscle grumbling or flashing fiery nerve pain somewhere in my body, every day.
Mostly I ignore it.
Occasionally it gets insistent.
It hasn't been as bad the past ten years, which I sort of attributed to lower levels of estrogen or something, but I noticed that sometimes it would flare up again. Like right now - my left palm is on fire, there's a twisty feeling in my lower right abdomen, the left thigh burns, and my left shoulder feels full of gravel.
I think I may have made a connection.
After Jay and I had been married a while, he gradually got me started with supplements, the same things he was taking (fat lot of good it did him...). I currently take mini-aspirin, calcium + Vit D, Vit C, Vit E, fish oil, magnesium, lecithin, and a multi-vitamin without iron. It seems like ever since I've been taking them, the pain level has been reduced.
Lately I've been traveling a bit more, and sometimes I forget to take the week-long pill container with me and then I neglect to start up again when I get home, or it runs out and I neglect to refill it.
Surprise. I'm beginning to notice that after a week without the supplements, I start to hurt again. Hmmmm.
I'm pretty sure it's not the mini-aspirin, because that's the one that runs out the fastest, and I often don't buy more until something else runs out.
It's not worth experimenting to see which may be controlling the whatever goes wrong. I'll just be more careful about being consistent about the whole program.
One place I've already definitely made a connection - because I take the fish oil and lecithin, henna won't stain my skin (well, it won't stay for more than two days). A guy doing henna tattoos at Rakkasah one year told me he'd noticed that, too, that lecithin and fish oil make the skin too oily (note - not oil glands kind of oily - individual cells kind of oily!) But more significantly, my skin is definitely dryer when I haven't been taking them. I noticed my face was very dry this morning.
Excuse me while I go fill the pill case.
.
1289 More Museum Day
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Back to the Maritime Museum today, to process last month's renewals forms and payments. There's about 65 of them, and in three and a half hours I got through about 40. I'll have to go in tomorrow to finish.
I talked to the volunteer coordinator, Betty, about the envelope stuffing. She kept interrupting to object, and I got mad. I don't often snap, but this time I did. I told her to please shut up the hell up and hear me through to the end.
When I got to the end, she agreed with me. Wonder of all wonders. She said to write it all up and submit it to Russ. He may or may not have to take it to the Board.
It took me three hours to stuff 24 envelopes yesterday for the April renewals, and tomorrow or next week I'll have to stuff 65! And, when Betty took the 24 to the post office yesterday to mail them, because of the different premiums for the different membership levels stuffed into them, and the differing amounts of paper, every single one of them had to be weighed separately to calculate the postage.
But from talking with Betty, I learned that arguing "time" isn't going to get me anywhere. I'll have to approach it from a cost angle.
Many of the premiums are such that they probably get immediately tossed into the trash (the window decals, magnets, maybe even the notecards). And yet each of them does cost the museum some amount. Plus, postage has just gone up, and if gas prices continue to rise it will likely go up again, so mailing premiums that most people don't really want is an extravagance.
The two changes I'd like to make are to:
1) Consolidate the new and returning members' letters into one. No one will be offended if it's not personal. And...
2a) Do away with the premiums altogether. Betty says that the premiums are to encourage people to join, but really! No one is going to pay $50 for a "friend" membership just to get a randomly chosen refrigerator magnet with a photo of a lighthouse on it, when they can buy one in the gift shop for less than a tenth of that. All members get free admission, and a 10% discount on all merchandise and events anyway. What more do they need? If Russ or the Board insist on the premiums, then...
2b) Print up a paper coupon for inclusion in the envelope, which will allow the member to show his membership card and the coupon in the gift shop, and select a gift or a rebate appropriate to the membership level. If members want the premium, and live too far away to visit the gift shop, then they can request that it be mailed. That's still cheaper than mailing them in mass to everyone.
I have to go in tomorrow. And probably next Monday. When I have so much yard work and house work I should be doing. This is exactly the situation I wanted to avoid when I kept refusing any volunteer assignments with continuing responsibility!!!!!!
Unhappiness.
I didn't write it yesterday, but I came seriously very very close to saying "I quit", and walking out, when the data base was screwing up on searches again. NO STRESS ALLOWED!
I didn't, only because no one else knows the procedures, and I didn't want to leave them in the lurch.
Once I get this envelope stuffing situation under control (or determine that the powers that be refuse to recognize it as a problem needing fixing), I'm going to write up the procedures to be followed in such a way, with such clarity, that an idiot can pick them up in mid-month and follow them. Once those things are done,
the next time the stress starts
I will feel able to quit and walk out
without feeling the least bit guilty or worrying about what anyone thinks.
So there.
.
Back to the Maritime Museum today, to process last month's renewals forms and payments. There's about 65 of them, and in three and a half hours I got through about 40. I'll have to go in tomorrow to finish.
I talked to the volunteer coordinator, Betty, about the envelope stuffing. She kept interrupting to object, and I got mad. I don't often snap, but this time I did. I told her to please shut up the hell up and hear me through to the end.
When I got to the end, she agreed with me. Wonder of all wonders. She said to write it all up and submit it to Russ. He may or may not have to take it to the Board.
It took me three hours to stuff 24 envelopes yesterday for the April renewals, and tomorrow or next week I'll have to stuff 65! And, when Betty took the 24 to the post office yesterday to mail them, because of the different premiums for the different membership levels stuffed into them, and the differing amounts of paper, every single one of them had to be weighed separately to calculate the postage.
But from talking with Betty, I learned that arguing "time" isn't going to get me anywhere. I'll have to approach it from a cost angle.
Many of the premiums are such that they probably get immediately tossed into the trash (the window decals, magnets, maybe even the notecards). And yet each of them does cost the museum some amount. Plus, postage has just gone up, and if gas prices continue to rise it will likely go up again, so mailing premiums that most people don't really want is an extravagance.
The two changes I'd like to make are to:
1) Consolidate the new and returning members' letters into one. No one will be offended if it's not personal. And...
2a) Do away with the premiums altogether. Betty says that the premiums are to encourage people to join, but really! No one is going to pay $50 for a "friend" membership just to get a randomly chosen refrigerator magnet with a photo of a lighthouse on it, when they can buy one in the gift shop for less than a tenth of that. All members get free admission, and a 10% discount on all merchandise and events anyway. What more do they need? If Russ or the Board insist on the premiums, then...
2b) Print up a paper coupon for inclusion in the envelope, which will allow the member to show his membership card and the coupon in the gift shop, and select a gift or a rebate appropriate to the membership level. If members want the premium, and live too far away to visit the gift shop, then they can request that it be mailed. That's still cheaper than mailing them in mass to everyone.
I have to go in tomorrow. And probably next Monday. When I have so much yard work and house work I should be doing. This is exactly the situation I wanted to avoid when I kept refusing any volunteer assignments with continuing responsibility!!!!!!
Unhappiness.
I didn't write it yesterday, but I came seriously very very close to saying "I quit", and walking out, when the data base was screwing up on searches again. NO STRESS ALLOWED!
I didn't, only because no one else knows the procedures, and I didn't want to leave them in the lurch.
Once I get this envelope stuffing situation under control (or determine that the powers that be refuse to recognize it as a problem needing fixing), I'm going to write up the procedures to be followed in such a way, with such clarity, that an idiot can pick them up in mid-month and follow them. Once those things are done,
the next time the stress starts
I will feel able to quit and walk out
without feeling the least bit guilty or worrying about what anyone thinks.
So there.
.
1288 Why Did You Start Blogging?
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Jack at "Random thoughts- Do they have meaning?" asks why people started blogging. This is my comment on his blog:
~~Silk said...
My husband and I fought his brain cancer for three years, during which I lost touch with friends. Then after he died, I went into three years of social and emotional seclusion. When I was ready to come out of it, I had no one to talk to.
I talked to my blog. I didn't care if no one read it.
6/07/2007 08:49:00 AM
.
Jack at "Random thoughts- Do they have meaning?" asks why people started blogging. This is my comment on his blog:
~~Silk said...
My husband and I fought his brain cancer for three years, during which I lost touch with friends. Then after he died, I went into three years of social and emotional seclusion. When I was ready to come out of it, I had no one to talk to.
I talked to my blog. I didn't care if no one read it.
6/07/2007 08:49:00 AM
.
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