Saturday, September 15, 2007
I was wrong in yesterday's post. Shortly after sending it off I decided to give up and go to bed, at 7 pm, where I immediately started sweating. Took my temperature. 100.4. Not all that high, but at least I know it's not all in my head, there's something going on.
I took some aspirin, and by midnight the feverish feeling was gone. I felt fine this morning, but I have a feeling I'll be rocky again by sundown. Probably a virus.
The friend I visited last Thursday was also feverish last night, and reports several acquaintances who are ill. A local friend reports feeling icky too. Most of them have a sore throat. I don't.
A friend in Newburgh invited me to a bonfire this afternoon. They're burning the trimmed branches from an apple orchard. There'll be some very interesting people there, and I love bonfires anyway. For all my fear of uncontrolled fire, there's a bit of pyromania in me. But I suspect I'll feel better tomorrow if I stay in and quiet today. So. Disappointment.
Tomorrow is the annual "Thank You" Hudson River cruise and dinner for the maritime museum volunteers, and again I have to miss it. Very annoying. But the second (and I hope final) meeting of the Mensa bylaws revision committee is tomorrow, and I can't miss that. I've got a big emotional investment in seeing that the bylaws are done right this time. If it's nasty weather tomorrow (oops, sorry, all you other volunteers) that'll at least make it bearable.
I've been distracted several times during the composing of this entry by IM-like emails and calls from friends, and dealings with an online customer service department over whether they can get an order to me by Wednesday, so I can deliver a portion of it to Daughter before next weekend, and requests from eBay for help with a very convincing spoof email. EBay confirmed that it wasn't from them, and wants the headers so they can trace it. I don't know HOW to get the headers for my AOL email, but eBay has very helpfully linked some websites that tell one how, so I guess I get to learn something new today.
Anyway, I started this entry at 3:43 pm, and it's now 4:54, and my cheeks are beginning to feel hot. So I guess the virus is waking up and moving again. I kinda figured it would....
Tea time.
.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
1472 Time Passing
Friday, September 14, 2007
I don't understand how time can pass so slowly and so quickly, both at the same time.
I don't feel so well, haven't for a few days. I have that loggy feeling like you get with a fever, but there's no fever. That cottony feeling like when you haven't slept in 36 hours, but I've had plenty of sleep. The achy feeling like the leg muscles were overused and put away wet, but they're working just fine. It was 72 degrees outside today, but I felt cold. I want to crawl into bed.
I ordered some clothes from my favorite online store today. They're having a sale - all jackets are 25% off. Plus, they'd take $25 off any order over $75. PLUS, I had some coupons for $20 off any order. I can use one coupon per order. So I bought some blazers and jackets.
My first version of the order came to about $180. They took the $25 off, and then my $20 coupon. I sat there and thought about that for a minute before hitting the "place order" button.
An aside - Some Mensans thought Jay and I were terrible, because even though Jay took the test and qualified for Mensa, he never joined, for the simple reason that since I was a life member, there was no advantage to paying small fortune for a second membership. He got all the benefits through me. The way I see it, it's silly for more than one member of a household to join, except for bragging rights. I've had some members get angry at me for that. I guess they don't want to admit they want bragging rights. It sure isn't altruism toward the organization.
So anyway, I thought about the order a bit, and then went back and started over. I broke it up into two separate orders. This way each of the orders got the $25 discount, and I could use a $20 coupon on each. So instead of saving $45, I saved $90.
I'm rather pleased with myself.
.
I don't understand how time can pass so slowly and so quickly, both at the same time.
I don't feel so well, haven't for a few days. I have that loggy feeling like you get with a fever, but there's no fever. That cottony feeling like when you haven't slept in 36 hours, but I've had plenty of sleep. The achy feeling like the leg muscles were overused and put away wet, but they're working just fine. It was 72 degrees outside today, but I felt cold. I want to crawl into bed.
I ordered some clothes from my favorite online store today. They're having a sale - all jackets are 25% off. Plus, they'd take $25 off any order over $75. PLUS, I had some coupons for $20 off any order. I can use one coupon per order. So I bought some blazers and jackets.
My first version of the order came to about $180. They took the $25 off, and then my $20 coupon. I sat there and thought about that for a minute before hitting the "place order" button.
An aside - Some Mensans thought Jay and I were terrible, because even though Jay took the test and qualified for Mensa, he never joined, for the simple reason that since I was a life member, there was no advantage to paying small fortune for a second membership. He got all the benefits through me. The way I see it, it's silly for more than one member of a household to join, except for bragging rights. I've had some members get angry at me for that. I guess they don't want to admit they want bragging rights. It sure isn't altruism toward the organization.
So anyway, I thought about the order a bit, and then went back and started over. I broke it up into two separate orders. This way each of the orders got the $25 discount, and I could use a $20 coupon on each. So instead of saving $45, I saved $90.
I'm rather pleased with myself.
.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
1471 Flunking Football
Thursday, September 13, 2007
On King of the Hill this evening, Peggy Hill gets in trouble with the town for flunking the star football player.
I did that once, with pretty much the same result. It was 1966, G----sburg High School. I flunked the star football player (probably Algebra II).
The coach came tearing into my classroom and angrily told me I couldn't do that. I (all 4'10", 98 lbs, and 21 years of me) stood my ground and informed him I had to, that I had no other choice. He said he'd take it to the principal and the school board.
I got battered from several directions, but I prevailed because I was on firm ground.
I had told the boy he was likely to fail. I had always stayed every day after school for an hour to help anyone who wanted to come in. The kid missed class at least one day every week for practice, but he never came in after school to catch up on what he'd missed. If he hadn't warned the coach, it was because of his own arrogance, figuring that he would be allowed to coast.
Uh uh. No coasting past me. And it wasn't fair to the other kids, who worked for their grades.
My grade stood, the kid didn't play the next quarter, and they stopped having sports practice during school hours.
Unlike King of the Hill's booster club, G----sburg "got" it.
.
On King of the Hill this evening, Peggy Hill gets in trouble with the town for flunking the star football player.
I did that once, with pretty much the same result. It was 1966, G----sburg High School. I flunked the star football player (probably Algebra II).
The coach came tearing into my classroom and angrily told me I couldn't do that. I (all 4'10", 98 lbs, and 21 years of me) stood my ground and informed him I had to, that I had no other choice. He said he'd take it to the principal and the school board.
I got battered from several directions, but I prevailed because I was on firm ground.
I had told the boy he was likely to fail. I had always stayed every day after school for an hour to help anyone who wanted to come in. The kid missed class at least one day every week for practice, but he never came in after school to catch up on what he'd missed. If he hadn't warned the coach, it was because of his own arrogance, figuring that he would be allowed to coast.
Uh uh. No coasting past me. And it wasn't fair to the other kids, who worked for their grades.
My grade stood, the kid didn't play the next quarter, and they stopped having sports practice during school hours.
Unlike King of the Hill's booster club, G----sburg "got" it.
.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
1470 Conservative v Liberal
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Another one of those "duh" studies. They've discovered that the brains of people who define themselves as politically liberal and those of people who define themselves as politically conservative work differently. http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/237131/
No kidding.
Let's take politics out of it, and just define the people as conservative or liberal. Now what they've "discovered" is simply the definitions of conservative and liberal.
Sheesh.
.
Another one of those "duh" studies. They've discovered that the brains of people who define themselves as politically liberal and those of people who define themselves as politically conservative work differently. http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/237131/
No kidding.
Let's take politics out of it, and just define the people as conservative or liberal. Now what they've "discovered" is simply the definitions of conservative and liberal.
Sheesh.
.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
1469 DoNotCall; Museum Cookbook
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
If you registered your number on the national 'do not call' registry as soon as it was available, as I did, then you will have to reregister soon. Numbers stay on the Do Not Call list for 5 years, then they either fall off, or you have to re-submit them. The registry was started on September 15th, 5 years ago.
---------------------------
If your otherwise well-mannered rescue kitty, who doesn't really understand houses and litter boxes, has been unpotting your houseplants and using the dirt on the carpet for potty purposes, and I won't name names here (but we know who you are, Jasper!), well, said kitty also doesn't know about bubble wrap - and it works just fine.
---------------------------
I went to the museum yesterday and finished up my work on the membership database. As the next set of memberships and renewals come in, I'll be handing them off to the new (old) guy.
Betty has warned me that "He won't read instructions. You have to tell him everything." Well, I'm sorry, but I spent several hours writing up a cookbook, and he WILL by damn read it! Working with that database is non-intuitive, and things can get weird randomly, and I cannot sit around and hold his hand forever. I intend to hand him the cookbook (4.5 pages, step by step for each of the four tasks) and then retire to a corner with a book. I refuse to hold his hand. He will be forced to use the coookbook.
-----------------------------
After the museum, I had dinner in Poughkeepsie with a friend. We talked about mixed signals and motives and, I don't know, I think we're a bit clearer on where the line is drawn. The main trouble, of course, is that I'm not completely sure myself where the line should be, so it's no wonder he's thinks he's getting mixed signals.
I'm trying. I know what's right, but it's hard.
.
If you registered your number on the national 'do not call' registry as soon as it was available, as I did, then you will have to reregister soon. Numbers stay on the Do Not Call list for 5 years, then they either fall off, or you have to re-submit them. The registry was started on September 15th, 5 years ago.
---------------------------
If your otherwise well-mannered rescue kitty, who doesn't really understand houses and litter boxes, has been unpotting your houseplants and using the dirt on the carpet for potty purposes, and I won't name names here (but we know who you are, Jasper!), well, said kitty also doesn't know about bubble wrap - and it works just fine.
---------------------------
I went to the museum yesterday and finished up my work on the membership database. As the next set of memberships and renewals come in, I'll be handing them off to the new (old) guy.
Betty has warned me that "He won't read instructions. You have to tell him everything." Well, I'm sorry, but I spent several hours writing up a cookbook, and he WILL by damn read it! Working with that database is non-intuitive, and things can get weird randomly, and I cannot sit around and hold his hand forever. I intend to hand him the cookbook (4.5 pages, step by step for each of the four tasks) and then retire to a corner with a book. I refuse to hold his hand. He will be forced to use the coookbook.
-----------------------------
After the museum, I had dinner in Poughkeepsie with a friend. We talked about mixed signals and motives and, I don't know, I think we're a bit clearer on where the line is drawn. The main trouble, of course, is that I'm not completely sure myself where the line should be, so it's no wonder he's thinks he's getting mixed signals.
I'm trying. I know what's right, but it's hard.
.
Monday, September 10, 2007
1468 Ninja Warrior
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1anoHXphvas)
Nine-minute video, worth every second. He's good. Gypsy, your man will like this.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
1467 Since Thursday...
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Thursday I went to NJ. The 2.5 hour trip took 5.0 hours because of an accident on (the OTHER side of) the Garden State Parkway.
Explored the kids' new house. It's very small, but it's in a pleasant neighborhood, I think.
Then I went to meet a friend for the evening. Daughter gave me directions and a map, and the 40 minute trip took me 75 minutes, because I had to keep pulling over to consult the map, kept missing turns, and most of the turns where that happened you have to go quite a distance to find a "jughandle" to make a U-turn, so I was very late meeting him. Central NJ is one of those places where it really is true that "you can't get there from here". But it worked out ok, and we had some good talking time together. Which we needed.
Friday I went back to the kids' new house and spent the day spackling and sanding walls, and the evening helping pack. The moving truck was to come Saturday morning.
The drive home was uneventful. I don't remember what time I got home, but I didn't get to bed until after 4 am Saturday. I got up about noon, handled some business, and then the power went out about 6 pm (storm with very bad very close lightning). That also means no water, and no house phone.
Lit some candles, read some magazines, called Daughter (cell) - move went well, bed was set up and made and they were going to sleep in the new house, but they couldn't find their pillows. My power came back on at about midnight. I had some research I had been doing on the internet, so I got back to that, and didn't get to bed until, again, 4 am-ish.
A friend and I planned to hike around the lake at Mohonk Mountain House (do go look at these pictures, too), so I was up at 7:30 am Sunday. The hike around the lake was nice. I've been there many times before, but on the Overcliff/Undercliff/Tower trails. The lake trail was new to me. It was short. So then we got feisty and decided to walk the 1.5 miles back to the day-hike parking area instead of taking the shuttle. Piece of cake, right?
Well, the trails were marked with "to 'name'" signs, but badly marked. Hell, half the trails led to 'name' one way or another! We had a map, but at an intersection, there was no way to tell exactly where you were on the map, which intersection, which made the map useless. I was confident that we'd eventually find the parking lot, because when we left the hotel grounds the shuttle road was to our right and to the left was a steep dropoff to the valley below (the hotel is on a ridge, as you can see from the photos. The mountain drops off behind the hotel). So as long as we didn't cross the shuttle road or fall off a cliff, we'd be heading the right direction. But my companion panicked. I think if she'd been able to tell them accurately where she was, she'd have called 911.
When we finally came out on the highway, she insisted that we had to turn to the left and go down the (steep!) road to get to the parking lot. I knew that the parking lot was on the ridge at the top of the mountain, to our right, up the road, but she was so freaked at that point I knew there was no point arguing. So I just followed her, and hoped she'd reconsider or figure it out on her own. She didn't. We went down about a half mile of "trucks use first gear" road, when I flagged down a pickup truck and asked the driver "Parking lot that way, right? (pointing up.)" He confirmed, I called to my companion (who wasn't interested in anything I had to say at that point), and we turned around and started up again. She started sticking her thumb out, and (wow) the fifth car or so stopped and picked her up. I chose to walk. Those last fifteen pounds, dontcha know....
When I got to the parking lot, she was nowhere to be seen. I called her cell and left a message that I hoped she got home ok, and I went home. Did some grocery shopping on the way home, and arrived to find a message from her that she had complained to the gate staff and customer service people about their maps and signs, and they had refunded her money.
As a member, she had paid $2 for the day. I had paid $21. It had never occurred to me to complain. I still wouldn't. They've been using those same maps for thirty years that I know of, and they haven't lost any guests yet. We just didn't use the map properly, didn't keep track of where we were, didn't really think about it. She had the map in her pack and had spent more time waving it around and complaining than looking at it.
Well, except for the minor hysterics, **I** enjoyed the day.
.
Thursday I went to NJ. The 2.5 hour trip took 5.0 hours because of an accident on (the OTHER side of) the Garden State Parkway.
Explored the kids' new house. It's very small, but it's in a pleasant neighborhood, I think.
Then I went to meet a friend for the evening. Daughter gave me directions and a map, and the 40 minute trip took me 75 minutes, because I had to keep pulling over to consult the map, kept missing turns, and most of the turns where that happened you have to go quite a distance to find a "jughandle" to make a U-turn, so I was very late meeting him. Central NJ is one of those places where it really is true that "you can't get there from here". But it worked out ok, and we had some good talking time together. Which we needed.
Friday I went back to the kids' new house and spent the day spackling and sanding walls, and the evening helping pack. The moving truck was to come Saturday morning.
The drive home was uneventful. I don't remember what time I got home, but I didn't get to bed until after 4 am Saturday. I got up about noon, handled some business, and then the power went out about 6 pm (storm with very bad very close lightning). That also means no water, and no house phone.
Lit some candles, read some magazines, called Daughter (cell) - move went well, bed was set up and made and they were going to sleep in the new house, but they couldn't find their pillows. My power came back on at about midnight. I had some research I had been doing on the internet, so I got back to that, and didn't get to bed until, again, 4 am-ish.
A friend and I planned to hike around the lake at Mohonk Mountain House (do go look at these pictures, too), so I was up at 7:30 am Sunday. The hike around the lake was nice. I've been there many times before, but on the Overcliff/Undercliff/Tower trails. The lake trail was new to me. It was short. So then we got feisty and decided to walk the 1.5 miles back to the day-hike parking area instead of taking the shuttle. Piece of cake, right?
Well, the trails were marked with "to 'name'" signs, but badly marked. Hell, half the trails led to 'name' one way or another! We had a map, but at an intersection, there was no way to tell exactly where you were on the map, which intersection, which made the map useless. I was confident that we'd eventually find the parking lot, because when we left the hotel grounds the shuttle road was to our right and to the left was a steep dropoff to the valley below (the hotel is on a ridge, as you can see from the photos. The mountain drops off behind the hotel). So as long as we didn't cross the shuttle road or fall off a cliff, we'd be heading the right direction. But my companion panicked. I think if she'd been able to tell them accurately where she was, she'd have called 911.
When we finally came out on the highway, she insisted that we had to turn to the left and go down the (steep!) road to get to the parking lot. I knew that the parking lot was on the ridge at the top of the mountain, to our right, up the road, but she was so freaked at that point I knew there was no point arguing. So I just followed her, and hoped she'd reconsider or figure it out on her own. She didn't. We went down about a half mile of "trucks use first gear" road, when I flagged down a pickup truck and asked the driver "Parking lot that way, right? (pointing up.)" He confirmed, I called to my companion (who wasn't interested in anything I had to say at that point), and we turned around and started up again. She started sticking her thumb out, and (wow) the fifth car or so stopped and picked her up. I chose to walk. Those last fifteen pounds, dontcha know....
When I got to the parking lot, she was nowhere to be seen. I called her cell and left a message that I hoped she got home ok, and I went home. Did some grocery shopping on the way home, and arrived to find a message from her that she had complained to the gate staff and customer service people about their maps and signs, and they had refunded her money.
As a member, she had paid $2 for the day. I had paid $21. It had never occurred to me to complain. I still wouldn't. They've been using those same maps for thirty years that I know of, and they haven't lost any guests yet. We just didn't use the map properly, didn't keep track of where we were, didn't really think about it. She had the map in her pack and had spent more time waving it around and complaining than looking at it.
Well, except for the minor hysterics, **I** enjoyed the day.
.
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