It continued to be a busy week. I worked late Wednesday, in anticipation of getting off early. Thursday, I left work early. I went to the NASW meeting, and Thursday evening, I went to the book club. Friday, I stayed late, about 15 minutes, and then ran errands. Today, I went to the Bernie Sanders presentation. Now, it looks like Beto O'Rourke, Democratic candidate for US Senator from Texas will be in town on Sunday afternoon.
I am not sure when I am going to get housework done, but I want to go.
Showing posts with label activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label activities. Show all posts
Saturday, March 10, 2018
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Saturday Chores and Activities
This was a busy Saturday. I got up early and did housework. I was not planning to, until I learned of the deceased, but it was important to me to go to a funeral today. It was the funeral for a co-worker and I wanted to show support for her. Then I came home and watered in pre-emergent on my lawn. I did not finish. I quit to go to the Lady Raider game. And somewhere along the line, a friend from my book club called and said she had an extra ticket to the Lubbock Symphony. I would have loved to attend, but I am still hacking and coughing, and did not want to be a distraction at the symphony. So, when I got home from the Lady Raider game, I finished watering in the pre-emergent.
So, after all that, I was able to sit quietly with my cats and relax, do activities on the computer, and binge watch Blue Bloods.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Time Warp 2016
So, I went to the Drum Corps International Premiere show tonight at Cinemark. It started at 7:30 CDT, which sounded late. But that was correct. So that puts it starting in Indianapolis, Ind. at 8:30 EDT. Well, my prepaid ticket had the correct local time on it, so I showed up on time!
When they showed the schedule, it really flashed on the screen (why do they do that? A lot of things they showed on the screen were not on the screen long enough to finish reading it ). The last band was shown as due to play at 10:04 PM. So throughout the show, I kept trying to reconcile how a seven band performance, when each time slot is about 16 minutes long, could last 3 hours. Well, dummy, imagine my surprise when I left the theater and it was not yet 10 PM. Of course, the magic of time zones prevailed!
That was a nice surprise. I really was expecting to get home about 10:30 PM or close to 11 PM. It was not that the hour was so late, but when I go out at night, it takes me several hours to wind down before I can go to sleep. And I was worried about getting home that late and then trying to wind down. As it is, I am doing okay in the wind down department, and will not get to bed much later than I normally do.
When they showed the schedule, it really flashed on the screen (why do they do that? A lot of things they showed on the screen were not on the screen long enough to finish reading it ). The last band was shown as due to play at 10:04 PM. So throughout the show, I kept trying to reconcile how a seven band performance, when each time slot is about 16 minutes long, could last 3 hours. Well, dummy, imagine my surprise when I left the theater and it was not yet 10 PM. Of course, the magic of time zones prevailed!
That was a nice surprise. I really was expecting to get home about 10:30 PM or close to 11 PM. It was not that the hour was so late, but when I go out at night, it takes me several hours to wind down before I can go to sleep. And I was worried about getting home that late and then trying to wind down. As it is, I am doing okay in the wind down department, and will not get to bed much later than I normally do.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Taki and the Blanket
I have written before about Taki dragging an afghan around the house. The last few weeks, she has been very busy doing this. A couple of times I have seen her, and I think, when that happens, she is worried she is doing something wrong. I do not say anything. I just let her. I do move the afghan around, because often it ends up in places where I can trip over it. But I am glad to see her having some fun, or being active, or whatever.
She had stopped dragging the afghan around for a long time, but as I said, resumed the activity just recently. Hmmm.
She had stopped dragging the afghan around for a long time, but as I said, resumed the activity just recently. Hmmm.
Sunday, June 5, 2016
A Night to Remember
The major fundraiser for Catholic Charities, Diocese of Lubbock, is "A Night to Remember." It is a giant cocktail party with a silent auction, live auction, and give away drawing. It was a nice night tonight. The food was good: I ate shrimp and crab, among other things. The variety was good.
The prizes were good, but I did not bid on anything. There was not really anything I could justify. I could just give the agency money if I wanted. But the fervor and excitement were missing. That is too bad. A climactic ending gives momentum for the next year. Something we need to talk about for the future.
The prizes were good, but I did not bid on anything. There was not really anything I could justify. I could just give the agency money if I wanted. But the fervor and excitement were missing. That is too bad. A climactic ending gives momentum for the next year. Something we need to talk about for the future.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
A Busy Time
I have a full time job as a social worker at a psychiatric prison. I am task oriented, and I want the best I can offer for my patients, so I do not end my work week at 40 hours. I end each work day after I have finished the tasks for the day. I will admit that when I have personal plans after work, I adjust my work load accordingly so I can defer some tasks for the next day.
My volunteer work includes serving on the board of directors of a social service agency. I am the secretary of the board, and occasionally am involved in other committees or tasks. As the board secretary, I take the board meeting minutes. I use a table top recorder to help me with this task, and the board members are in agreement that doing so makes the minutes very accurate, as they should be. To do this, takes time. I am not a transcriptionist, and do not have a set up to transcribe the minutes. So, I also take notes at the meeting, and my first rough draft of the minutes comes from transcribing my notes. Then I correct the notes using the recorder, and do at least one if not two hard copy edits (for summarizing, grammar, etc.)
My volunteer work also includes work with the local branch of the National Association of Social Workers. I do most of the communication work for this branch. This used to mean sending postcards about branch activities, to NASW members, and printing labels for brochures for the annual ethics workshops to every social worker in our area for whom we could we could find an address. That was pre-personal computer days. Now, we do mass emails about our monthly activities. We also do emails regarding employment opportunities, other area CEU activities, and de-identified client needs.
So monthly, I update our membership list, and send out an announcement about our monthly CEU luncheon meeting. I also maintain email lists for area students, who are invited to our monthly CEU luncheons, and to non-members who are invited to our monthly CEU luncheons, and get the other emails such as employment opportunities and client needs. So keeping the up the email lists takes some work.
And, each message I send out does not include one message: the mass mailings are done by groupings: the NASW membership list; the few people who have notified me that their ISP filters do not allow them to get emails by mass mailings, and the several lists of mass emails, as there are only so many emails that can be included in one group. I also email to our local social work students. And when appropriate, to other interested professionals. So one email involves sending out 9 or 10 emails. That is not that difficult, and only somewhat time consuming. But still, time consuming.
We have some members of NASW for whom we do not have emails. Because they are members of our group, we send them snail mail announcements of our activities. This is not difficult: I print out envelopes addressed to each person, get copies of the announcement, and stuff the envelope, seal it, and affix a stamp and because I have so many complimentary return address labels, affix the labels.
This time of year, our local NASW branch has a lot of activities: in addition to our March monthly meeting, we have the annual March is Professional Social Work Month Awards Banquet. This involves sending out the call for nominations by email and snail mail to our members, and later, sending out the ballot by email and snail mail to our members. Then we send out the invitation for the banquet itself, to our members by email and snail mail, and by email to the area social workers and social work students.
Additionally, we are working on our annual ethics workshop. We used to send out mass mailings and I printed up the labels for the brochures, we sorted them by zip code, and mass mailed them from the US Post Office. Because the mailing rules changed, and because we have such a large group of social workers for whom we have emails, we mostly send out the brochures by email. We only send out snail mail to the few NASW members for whom we do not have emails.
All of this takes time: setting up mail merge to address envelopes, getting copies made, folding and stuffing envelopes, affixing return address labels and stamps, sealing envelops, and making the trip to the post office to mail these envelopes.
I do not mind doing this work, especially because so many of our area social workers take the time to thank me for my efforts. And, I have been named South Plains Branch Social Worker of the Year twice since 2006.
But the work is seasonal, and right now, the NASW work is busier than at other times of the year.
My volunteer work includes serving on the board of directors of a social service agency. I am the secretary of the board, and occasionally am involved in other committees or tasks. As the board secretary, I take the board meeting minutes. I use a table top recorder to help me with this task, and the board members are in agreement that doing so makes the minutes very accurate, as they should be. To do this, takes time. I am not a transcriptionist, and do not have a set up to transcribe the minutes. So, I also take notes at the meeting, and my first rough draft of the minutes comes from transcribing my notes. Then I correct the notes using the recorder, and do at least one if not two hard copy edits (for summarizing, grammar, etc.)
My volunteer work also includes work with the local branch of the National Association of Social Workers. I do most of the communication work for this branch. This used to mean sending postcards about branch activities, to NASW members, and printing labels for brochures for the annual ethics workshops to every social worker in our area for whom we could we could find an address. That was pre-personal computer days. Now, we do mass emails about our monthly activities. We also do emails regarding employment opportunities, other area CEU activities, and de-identified client needs.
So monthly, I update our membership list, and send out an announcement about our monthly CEU luncheon meeting. I also maintain email lists for area students, who are invited to our monthly CEU luncheons, and to non-members who are invited to our monthly CEU luncheons, and get the other emails such as employment opportunities and client needs. So keeping the up the email lists takes some work.
And, each message I send out does not include one message: the mass mailings are done by groupings: the NASW membership list; the few people who have notified me that their ISP filters do not allow them to get emails by mass mailings, and the several lists of mass emails, as there are only so many emails that can be included in one group. I also email to our local social work students. And when appropriate, to other interested professionals. So one email involves sending out 9 or 10 emails. That is not that difficult, and only somewhat time consuming. But still, time consuming.
We have some members of NASW for whom we do not have emails. Because they are members of our group, we send them snail mail announcements of our activities. This is not difficult: I print out envelopes addressed to each person, get copies of the announcement, and stuff the envelope, seal it, and affix a stamp and because I have so many complimentary return address labels, affix the labels.
This time of year, our local NASW branch has a lot of activities: in addition to our March monthly meeting, we have the annual March is Professional Social Work Month Awards Banquet. This involves sending out the call for nominations by email and snail mail to our members, and later, sending out the ballot by email and snail mail to our members. Then we send out the invitation for the banquet itself, to our members by email and snail mail, and by email to the area social workers and social work students.
Additionally, we are working on our annual ethics workshop. We used to send out mass mailings and I printed up the labels for the brochures, we sorted them by zip code, and mass mailed them from the US Post Office. Because the mailing rules changed, and because we have such a large group of social workers for whom we have emails, we mostly send out the brochures by email. We only send out snail mail to the few NASW members for whom we do not have emails.
All of this takes time: setting up mail merge to address envelopes, getting copies made, folding and stuffing envelopes, affixing return address labels and stamps, sealing envelops, and making the trip to the post office to mail these envelopes.
I do not mind doing this work, especially because so many of our area social workers take the time to thank me for my efforts. And, I have been named South Plains Branch Social Worker of the Year twice since 2006.
But the work is seasonal, and right now, the NASW work is busier than at other times of the year.
Monday, June 8, 2015
I Think I Did Too Much This Past Weekend
It started on Friday. I had my time in at work, and was able to go home early. I went to the Lifestyle Center early, went home and fed the cats, and went to the store for my weekly shopping.
That helped with Saturday, because I could get up and start on housework, which I did. Since I had a "head start," I decided this was the weekend I would get the much needed extra cleaning done, which meant, specifically, vacuuming the entire house. Well I started with housework Saturday morning, and discovered that I had some unexpected errands to run. So, after I went to the Lifestyle Center, I ran these errands. I had finished all of the housework on my plan before running errands, except the vacuuming. The vacuuming was physically taxing for me, and took much longer that it would have if I was feeling well.
I have to think it was because of the physical exertion, but it was not a good night, and I took aspirin, and used the tens device to help relieve the pressure, but about 2:30 AM, woke up in discomfort. After tossing and turning for an hour, I got up and moved to the sofa. Eventually, I was alert enough so I could start reading.
I took a brief nap early Sunday AM, but got up and fed cats, moved laundry, and started yard work. On Saturday, I thought if I felt well enough, I could mow the front yard. Since that did not happen, the plan was then changed on Sunday, to edge and mow in the front, mow the back, and weed eat the alley. Well, forget that.
I was hurting so bad, that I started with the much needed edging of the front yard, then mowing, then cleaning up the cast offs on the driveway, side of the road, and side walk from those two activities. I spent a lot of time resting while I was doing these chores.
I had planned to go to the Lifestyle Center to swim, but I ran out of time. I took a shower, finished laundry, fed the cats, and went to the Catholic Charities fundraiser Night To Remember http://cclubbock.org/. I was not sure how long I could last there, but I used an analgesic patch http://www.icyhot.com/patch/1/ on my back, and had some very rapid relief which told me that some of the pain was muscular, not nerve pain.
All this while, when I was taking breaks, I was reading Unbroken, A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Linda Hillenbrand. This is the story of Louie Zamperini, and the inhumane treatment he survived as a prisoner of war in Japan during World War II. But it is a story of much more. It is a story of how he turned his life of disrepute around, and became an honored Olympic athlete. And, how he turned his life around, after World War II and became a motivator for people who were struggling with the struggles of self-worth and faith with which he struggled.
I have not finished the book. But I will say this, maybe another day, I would not have pushed myself to do the yard work I did. Compared to Zamperini, my experience was a walk in the park. A little back ache. What am I complaining about?
The point being, we do not know how really bad we have it until we communicate with people who have it worse.
That helped with Saturday, because I could get up and start on housework, which I did. Since I had a "head start," I decided this was the weekend I would get the much needed extra cleaning done, which meant, specifically, vacuuming the entire house. Well I started with housework Saturday morning, and discovered that I had some unexpected errands to run. So, after I went to the Lifestyle Center, I ran these errands. I had finished all of the housework on my plan before running errands, except the vacuuming. The vacuuming was physically taxing for me, and took much longer that it would have if I was feeling well.
I have to think it was because of the physical exertion, but it was not a good night, and I took aspirin, and used the tens device to help relieve the pressure, but about 2:30 AM, woke up in discomfort. After tossing and turning for an hour, I got up and moved to the sofa. Eventually, I was alert enough so I could start reading.
I took a brief nap early Sunday AM, but got up and fed cats, moved laundry, and started yard work. On Saturday, I thought if I felt well enough, I could mow the front yard. Since that did not happen, the plan was then changed on Sunday, to edge and mow in the front, mow the back, and weed eat the alley. Well, forget that.
I was hurting so bad, that I started with the much needed edging of the front yard, then mowing, then cleaning up the cast offs on the driveway, side of the road, and side walk from those two activities. I spent a lot of time resting while I was doing these chores.
I had planned to go to the Lifestyle Center to swim, but I ran out of time. I took a shower, finished laundry, fed the cats, and went to the Catholic Charities fundraiser Night To Remember http://cclubbock.org/. I was not sure how long I could last there, but I used an analgesic patch http://www.icyhot.com/patch/1/ on my back, and had some very rapid relief which told me that some of the pain was muscular, not nerve pain.
All this while, when I was taking breaks, I was reading Unbroken, A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Linda Hillenbrand. This is the story of Louie Zamperini, and the inhumane treatment he survived as a prisoner of war in Japan during World War II. But it is a story of much more. It is a story of how he turned his life of disrepute around, and became an honored Olympic athlete. And, how he turned his life around, after World War II and became a motivator for people who were struggling with the struggles of self-worth and faith with which he struggled.
I have not finished the book. But I will say this, maybe another day, I would not have pushed myself to do the yard work I did. Compared to Zamperini, my experience was a walk in the park. A little back ache. What am I complaining about?
The point being, we do not know how really bad we have it until we communicate with people who have it worse.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Buzzed!
It has been an interesting day. I had a doctor appointment with good results, so that was good, but put me to work 1.5 hours late, for the third time this week (2 other medical appointments.) That was okay, I had a good handle on what I needed to do at work. But the primary ward where I am assigned was "popping" so seeing patients was difficult. The officers were awesome, and I eventually did see the patients I needed to see.
I could not leave early, because even working until 5 PM, I will use some sick leave this week. That is okay. But I like to leave early on Friday and get to the Lifestyle Center pool before going home, for my workout. Well, that did not happen, today.
I did go home and feed the cats. Then I went to the Lifestyle Center. I wanted to go to a co-worker's art show, but was afraid if I did, I would not get to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription. Since I am finally getting the results the provider and I want with my medication, I did not want to miss a dose, and I was out. Because I am going to a class in the morning, I did my regular Saturday morning shopping on Friday night. That got me home almost to 9 PM. I found the Lady Raider basketball game on the radio on the way home. It started late, so I did not miss much.
Finally, tonight, 2 days late, I had the information I needed to send out the announcement for the NASW meeting next week. Because some people get their emails on their smart phones, and that wakes them up if I send emails out late, I try not to do emails after 9 PM. But, it is Friday night, so I made an exception, since we are running so late. I also printed up all the snail mail announcements. The envelopes were already printed, so I got those announcements folded, stuffed, sealed and stamped. I can drop these in the mail box at the post office before I head downtown to the class in the morning.
The Lady Raiders lost. I just shut off the TV. I did not need the noise. Because I got home so late, and still had so many chores to do, I am a little buzzed, which means it will be difficult for me to go to sleep tonight.
I like being out and about and active. I just dislike not being able to wind down enough to get to sleep. Especially when I have a plan for the next morning. Oh well, it is what it is.
I could not leave early, because even working until 5 PM, I will use some sick leave this week. That is okay. But I like to leave early on Friday and get to the Lifestyle Center pool before going home, for my workout. Well, that did not happen, today.
I did go home and feed the cats. Then I went to the Lifestyle Center. I wanted to go to a co-worker's art show, but was afraid if I did, I would not get to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription. Since I am finally getting the results the provider and I want with my medication, I did not want to miss a dose, and I was out. Because I am going to a class in the morning, I did my regular Saturday morning shopping on Friday night. That got me home almost to 9 PM. I found the Lady Raider basketball game on the radio on the way home. It started late, so I did not miss much.
Finally, tonight, 2 days late, I had the information I needed to send out the announcement for the NASW meeting next week. Because some people get their emails on their smart phones, and that wakes them up if I send emails out late, I try not to do emails after 9 PM. But, it is Friday night, so I made an exception, since we are running so late. I also printed up all the snail mail announcements. The envelopes were already printed, so I got those announcements folded, stuffed, sealed and stamped. I can drop these in the mail box at the post office before I head downtown to the class in the morning.
The Lady Raiders lost. I just shut off the TV. I did not need the noise. Because I got home so late, and still had so many chores to do, I am a little buzzed, which means it will be difficult for me to go to sleep tonight.
I like being out and about and active. I just dislike not being able to wind down enough to get to sleep. Especially when I have a plan for the next morning. Oh well, it is what it is.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
A Busy Weekend
Hmmm, I do not know why, but this has felt like a busy weekend. I went to the pool on Friday. I did the usual housework and chores on Saturday, but if felt like I did not get much rest. I also went to the pool. There was no Tech football or basketball game, but that just made my day seem busier, not more restful (watching or listening to sports is restful to me.)
Today, more of the same. But some of that was because I did some extra shopping, and went to the Texas Tech Museum to see the Andrews Shaker Collection http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/exhsch11.html. I believe I have mentioned this exhibit before. It was good.
I was reminded about oval Shaker boxes. I love boxes, and used to be enamored of oval Shaker boxes.
I did go to the pool today, too.
But, I did relax, watching some NCAA women's basketball, and the New England Patriots football game. That helped me to relax.
Today, more of the same. But some of that was because I did some extra shopping, and went to the Texas Tech Museum to see the Andrews Shaker Collection http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/exhsch11.html. I believe I have mentioned this exhibit before. It was good.
I was reminded about oval Shaker boxes. I love boxes, and used to be enamored of oval Shaker boxes.
I did go to the pool today, too.
But, I did relax, watching some NCAA women's basketball, and the New England Patriots football game. That helped me to relax.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
I Stay Up Too Late
I stay up too late at night. It is not necessarily because I want to, but it is because my brain is too active. I may not be thinking about anything that is earth-shattering, depressing, upsetting, or exciting. I am just thinking about things. It might have to do with work, or a volunteer project, or the cats. It might have to do with something I am reading, or have read. It might be nothing. It might be a memory from the past or a hope for the future.
Tonight, I am not sleepy, and there was nothing on TV to watch. I could have started reading, but started working on a couple of other projects at the desk, where the computer is. So, that has kept me going.
Here it is after 1 AM and my mind is still pinging and winging, thinking of this and that. I feel like I am beginning to wind down.
I used to be able to read in bed, but with my back problem, sometimes, that aggravates the pain in my back, and it is touch and go. (It is a posture thing.) Sometimes, I read on the reclining sofa, and spend the night there. The sleep is not as restful as if I am in bed, but it is not bad. But I do not hear the alarm, and sleep through it.
Sometimes, it gets so late, and I just drop. I fall asleep at the computer desk or the sofa. But these are not restful nights, and usually, my eyeglasses have slipped off, and I have to hunt them down in the morning.
Well, tonight is one of those nights. In the morning, I have a 9 AM meeting at work, but am basically prepared for it, but still need to get to work at a reasonable time. I went to a Lady Raider Basketball game, and am still a little wired after that experience, 4 hours later. But I am not sure that is all the reason I am so wired.
I will crash soon, I hope.
Tonight, I am not sleepy, and there was nothing on TV to watch. I could have started reading, but started working on a couple of other projects at the desk, where the computer is. So, that has kept me going.
Here it is after 1 AM and my mind is still pinging and winging, thinking of this and that. I feel like I am beginning to wind down.
I used to be able to read in bed, but with my back problem, sometimes, that aggravates the pain in my back, and it is touch and go. (It is a posture thing.) Sometimes, I read on the reclining sofa, and spend the night there. The sleep is not as restful as if I am in bed, but it is not bad. But I do not hear the alarm, and sleep through it.
Sometimes, it gets so late, and I just drop. I fall asleep at the computer desk or the sofa. But these are not restful nights, and usually, my eyeglasses have slipped off, and I have to hunt them down in the morning.
Well, tonight is one of those nights. In the morning, I have a 9 AM meeting at work, but am basically prepared for it, but still need to get to work at a reasonable time. I went to a Lady Raider Basketball game, and am still a little wired after that experience, 4 hours later. But I am not sure that is all the reason I am so wired.
I will crash soon, I hope.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
It Has Been A Long Day
Well, so many of my days are long days. But by about 7 PM or so, I retreat to playing on the computer, watching TV, listening to music, reading, or some combination of these things.
Not so today. I slept a little late, mostly a function of my not hearing the alarm. I think this is a function of my diminished hearing, and the diminished volume of the alarm. That is okay. I awoke in plenty of time to get to work as scheduled, after tending to the various critters and their whims.
I saw patients with the new doctor at work. She is marvelous: she did not allow for long rambling, whiny stories, but kept her interviews focused on what is happening and what help do you need.
I saw some other patients, and went to a meeting, and of course, did the requisite paperwork.
I got off work at 5 PM. Because of traffic situations, I arrived home a little later then usual, but only a few minutes.
After feeding the cats, I went to the Lifestyle Center to exercise. Today's routine was one of the longer ones, and it took about 70 minutes to complete. By time I arrived home, it was almost 8 PM.
I checked on the status of our NASW workshop for next week; it is still pending. That was okay, because I was not prepared to print and send the snail mail announcements tonight. I do not worry as much about the email announcements. Those can go out within a day or two of the RSVP date.
I had to update the membership roster: this is a little complicated: I delete the expired members, but move their information to a different folder. If they have email, I move their email from the membership group to the general group. I added the new members, and if they have email, I add their email to the membership group email. If not, I have to add them to the mailing envelop roster. This used to be a simple task, before I changed to Microsoft 10 and got a new printer. Now it is very complex and time consuming. But, I completed it tonight. The other challenge in this is that the new printer I have behaves very differently from my old printer, and I am still learning about it.
I needed to do some bill pay, and remember to eat so I could take my PM medications, which I forgot to do last night.
There was nothing on TV that I wanted to watch, until the 10 PM news came on. I did not even want to listen to music. The cats came in and out while I was working, and I did spend some quiet time petting whoever was nearby.
I did my PT, which was brief as I did most of my exercises in the pool tonight.
So, now, it is closing in on midnight.
I have opened the house to get some fresh air: I was seasoning an iron skillet tonight and it got a little smoky in the house. And, the temperature is now in the 60's so it is a good night to get some fresh air into the house. Although I open the windows, they are opened in a lock position, making access to the house difficult, as if the windows were closed.
It is about time for bed. I have another full day tomorrow, although I doubt it will be as productive as today.
Not so today. I slept a little late, mostly a function of my not hearing the alarm. I think this is a function of my diminished hearing, and the diminished volume of the alarm. That is okay. I awoke in plenty of time to get to work as scheduled, after tending to the various critters and their whims.
I saw patients with the new doctor at work. She is marvelous: she did not allow for long rambling, whiny stories, but kept her interviews focused on what is happening and what help do you need.
I saw some other patients, and went to a meeting, and of course, did the requisite paperwork.
I got off work at 5 PM. Because of traffic situations, I arrived home a little later then usual, but only a few minutes.
After feeding the cats, I went to the Lifestyle Center to exercise. Today's routine was one of the longer ones, and it took about 70 minutes to complete. By time I arrived home, it was almost 8 PM.
I checked on the status of our NASW workshop for next week; it is still pending. That was okay, because I was not prepared to print and send the snail mail announcements tonight. I do not worry as much about the email announcements. Those can go out within a day or two of the RSVP date.
I had to update the membership roster: this is a little complicated: I delete the expired members, but move their information to a different folder. If they have email, I move their email from the membership group to the general group. I added the new members, and if they have email, I add their email to the membership group email. If not, I have to add them to the mailing envelop roster. This used to be a simple task, before I changed to Microsoft 10 and got a new printer. Now it is very complex and time consuming. But, I completed it tonight. The other challenge in this is that the new printer I have behaves very differently from my old printer, and I am still learning about it.
I needed to do some bill pay, and remember to eat so I could take my PM medications, which I forgot to do last night.
There was nothing on TV that I wanted to watch, until the 10 PM news came on. I did not even want to listen to music. The cats came in and out while I was working, and I did spend some quiet time petting whoever was nearby.
I did my PT, which was brief as I did most of my exercises in the pool tonight.
So, now, it is closing in on midnight.
I have opened the house to get some fresh air: I was seasoning an iron skillet tonight and it got a little smoky in the house. And, the temperature is now in the 60's so it is a good night to get some fresh air into the house. Although I open the windows, they are opened in a lock position, making access to the house difficult, as if the windows were closed.
It is about time for bed. I have another full day tomorrow, although I doubt it will be as productive as today.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Winding Down
Well, this topic came up last night, but I was too tired to write about it. I am almost too tired to write about it tonight. But last night, I went out to a musical comedy and returned home after 11 PM. It was a wonderful experience, but as usual, I had trouble winding down after the event. It was well after midnight before I was wound down enough to go to sleep. This is a problem for me.
I come home from work, take care of the cats, read, do computer stuff, and now physical therapy exercises, and work on winding down. It takes me two or three hours. So, when I go out to an activity such as the book club, the Lady Raiders basketball games, or a play, my winding down process just takes that much longer.
I am acutely aware of this, and try to plan accordingly. Including and especially during the work week. But I cannot go to bed and fall asleep if I am not actually at the point of being ready to fall asleep. This has been true my whole life. Why I think it should change now, I do not know.
I come home from work, take care of the cats, read, do computer stuff, and now physical therapy exercises, and work on winding down. It takes me two or three hours. So, when I go out to an activity such as the book club, the Lady Raiders basketball games, or a play, my winding down process just takes that much longer.
I am acutely aware of this, and try to plan accordingly. Including and especially during the work week. But I cannot go to bed and fall asleep if I am not actually at the point of being ready to fall asleep. This has been true my whole life. Why I think it should change now, I do not know.
Moonlight Musicals
I have been attending the Moonlight Musicals http://lubbockmoonlightmusicals.org/index.html since their inception in 2006. I have not seen all of the shows they present at the summer time outdoor theater, but I have seen most of them. I went to their inaugural dinner theater presentation of White Christmas in 2010 with a co-worker. I enjoyed it but find dinner theater a little intimidating going alone. I am not sure why, but I do. I should get over that. I have been to many activities by myself, and dinner theater should not be so bad.
I sat with a co-worker and her husband. She had been before, he had not been at all. I think he enjoyed himself. I know she did. She had distant relatives in the cast.
They commented on how the Moonlight Musicals are still not well known in Lubbock. I have seen the attendance grow over the years. I am pleased they are attracting good crowds. They deserve it. Even with the bare-bones equipment and staging of the first few years, they generally do a good job.
This is a really nice event for Lubbockites. While it is not a "destination attraction," I suspect that this attracts people from outside of Lubbock.
Thank you for your vision, Gerald Dolter!
I sat with a co-worker and her husband. She had been before, he had not been at all. I think he enjoyed himself. I know she did. She had distant relatives in the cast.
They commented on how the Moonlight Musicals are still not well known in Lubbock. I have seen the attendance grow over the years. I am pleased they are attracting good crowds. They deserve it. Even with the bare-bones equipment and staging of the first few years, they generally do a good job.
This is a really nice event for Lubbockites. While it is not a "destination attraction," I suspect that this attracts people from outside of Lubbock.
Thank you for your vision, Gerald Dolter!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Wide Awake
On Wednesday, June 11, 2014, my first day of travel went well. I was glad to have the time to get ready before flying out in the afternoon, but as I sat in the DFW airport http://www.dfwairport.com/, I was thinking "if I left early, I'd be there by now." Well, such as it is.
I flew American Airlines http://www.aa.com/homePage.do this time. Even figuring in the checked baggage fee, it was less expensive than Southwest http://www.southwest.com/. We were delayed because of traffic control issues at Bradley International Airport. Our pilot got us out of the gate about 30 minutes late, and into the queue for take-off quickly, so we were less late than the airline had anticipated.
I signed up for phone calls regarding flight update status, and received multiple updates. It was a little much after a while.
I thought seriously about packing my clothing into my carry on bag, and leaving all of my toys at home (those are the space consumers.) But, I am glad, after all, that I did pack my toys. I used the computer the first night, and enjoyed reading on the plane. I was reading The Closer http://www.amazon.com/The-Closer-Mariano-Rivera/dp/0316400734, about Mariano Rivera, who retired last year from the New York Yankees http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=nyy from a stunning career as a relief pitcher.
We were late getting into Bradley International Airport http://www.bradleyairport.com/ near Hartford, Ct. I got to the rental car agency, picked up my subcompact, and drove to the hotel, in Greenfield, Ma. I had thought to buy a late meal, but had been eating nuts and jerky all day, and had a frozen yogurt at the airport.
I also had a diet Coke http://us.coca-cola.com/home/ on the plane. I ordered a caffeine drink on purpose, wanting the effects to keep me awake on my drive north. I started getting sleepy, after 3 AM EST. I know some of that is excitement, too.
By the way, if you did not notice, this and other vacation posts will not be posted until I arrive home. I do not want to advertise my absence.
I flew American Airlines http://www.aa.com/homePage.do this time. Even figuring in the checked baggage fee, it was less expensive than Southwest http://www.southwest.com/. We were delayed because of traffic control issues at Bradley International Airport. Our pilot got us out of the gate about 30 minutes late, and into the queue for take-off quickly, so we were less late than the airline had anticipated.
I signed up for phone calls regarding flight update status, and received multiple updates. It was a little much after a while.
I thought seriously about packing my clothing into my carry on bag, and leaving all of my toys at home (those are the space consumers.) But, I am glad, after all, that I did pack my toys. I used the computer the first night, and enjoyed reading on the plane. I was reading The Closer http://www.amazon.com/The-Closer-Mariano-Rivera/dp/0316400734, about Mariano Rivera, who retired last year from the New York Yankees http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=nyy from a stunning career as a relief pitcher.
We were late getting into Bradley International Airport http://www.bradleyairport.com/ near Hartford, Ct. I got to the rental car agency, picked up my subcompact, and drove to the hotel, in Greenfield, Ma. I had thought to buy a late meal, but had been eating nuts and jerky all day, and had a frozen yogurt at the airport.
I also had a diet Coke http://us.coca-cola.com/home/ on the plane. I ordered a caffeine drink on purpose, wanting the effects to keep me awake on my drive north. I started getting sleepy, after 3 AM EST. I know some of that is excitement, too.
By the way, if you did not notice, this and other vacation posts will not be posted until I arrive home. I do not want to advertise my absence.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Life Without a Computer
I am really addicted to the computer. This past week, when the computer was being repaired, there were two nights that I did not have a computer. I felt a little lost: I use the computer for entertainment, news, communication. And, those two evenings, I did not have access to such.
The first night I was a little lost. Really. What to do. Of course, I had plenty to do: I spent the evening cooking and cleaning the kitchen. But that was strange for me.
I have several routines at night, and spending time on the computer is the most extensive one. Hmmm. I think I need to get a life!
The first night I was a little lost. Really. What to do. Of course, I had plenty to do: I spent the evening cooking and cleaning the kitchen. But that was strange for me.
I have several routines at night, and spending time on the computer is the most extensive one. Hmmm. I think I need to get a life!
Friday, January 17, 2014
Racing and Chasing Cats!
Well, i got home a little later than usual, but not that much. I tend to leave work between 5 PM and 6 PM, and the drive home is only about 12 minutes, 15 if the traffic is heavy, and of course, more in bad weather.
So, tonight I had an errand to run, and was home before 6 PM. When I arrived home, there was much racing and chasing among the cats. Sake was slapping and hissing at Taki, and all three cats were racing around the house. As I started feeding, this behavior settled down some, but continued for a while longer. I am not sure what precipitated this behavior. But I see it as a good sign. If Sake feels well enough to take on the other two cats, then she is feeling better. She is reasserting herself as the Queen of the May, if you will.
It was actually quite fun to watch the cats race, chase and scramble. I think they are better off when they are more interactive, even if some of the interaction is not totally friendly. I don't want them to fight, but I want them to assert themselves and stand their ground.
So, tonight I had an errand to run, and was home before 6 PM. When I arrived home, there was much racing and chasing among the cats. Sake was slapping and hissing at Taki, and all three cats were racing around the house. As I started feeding, this behavior settled down some, but continued for a while longer. I am not sure what precipitated this behavior. But I see it as a good sign. If Sake feels well enough to take on the other two cats, then she is feeling better. She is reasserting herself as the Queen of the May, if you will.
It was actually quite fun to watch the cats race, chase and scramble. I think they are better off when they are more interactive, even if some of the interaction is not totally friendly. I don't want them to fight, but I want them to assert themselves and stand their ground.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Sitting on the Desk
Taki has taken to sitting on the computer desk when I am working on the computer. She likes to sit on the laptop, whether the cover is down or up. I think it is the warmth that attracts her. But she also likes to sit next to the computer and watch me type, and sometimes, watch the screen. I have not seen her watching the screen saver, however, which is entitled "Aquarium" so use your imagination.
Sometimes when Taki sits next to the computer, she likes to nuzzle my hands, rub her cheeks against the edge of the computer, chew on the papers on the desk and explore the contents of the pencil holder next to the computer. She also likes to sit on the top of the printer. All the cats sit on top of the printer. Haiku does it the least. To get down, they step on the paper tray, which is just an unsupported piece of plastic. Why it has not broken, I do not know.
And, sometimes, as she has just now done, Taki likes to touch the keys. She is just exploring, I know, but somethings kitties do not need to do.
I have a wooden TV tray to the right of my computer chair. That is also a favorite perch of my cats. They sit there, waiting expectantly, but for what, I am unsure. Certainly, they want attention. Haiku likes to play fetch, but she drops the time from the tray, and I fetch.
Well, I am thankful for their attention, but am not sure I meet the desires of my cats.
Sometimes when Taki sits next to the computer, she likes to nuzzle my hands, rub her cheeks against the edge of the computer, chew on the papers on the desk and explore the contents of the pencil holder next to the computer. She also likes to sit on the top of the printer. All the cats sit on top of the printer. Haiku does it the least. To get down, they step on the paper tray, which is just an unsupported piece of plastic. Why it has not broken, I do not know.
And, sometimes, as she has just now done, Taki likes to touch the keys. She is just exploring, I know, but somethings kitties do not need to do.
I have a wooden TV tray to the right of my computer chair. That is also a favorite perch of my cats. They sit there, waiting expectantly, but for what, I am unsure. Certainly, they want attention. Haiku likes to play fetch, but she drops the time from the tray, and I fetch.
Well, I am thankful for their attention, but am not sure I meet the desires of my cats.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
A Biblical Plague
I really feel like I have been infested with a Biblical plague. I have chronicled my automobile and cell phone problems. Thursday night, my skin infection returned from out of nowhere! And, today, while I was doing laundry, my drains backed up. So that put the kibosh on laundry. The drain clean out was covered with leaves, so I thought I should clean that area of the backyard. And, of course, I ended up cleaning the entire back yard. I did not even plan to do that this weekend. I will say that between the celebrex and my physical therapy exercises, I am getting stronger. It only took about 2 hours to rake the entire yard, with only two rest breaks. That is about what it used to take before my back started bothering me. Of course, I am very sore tonight.
On the other hand, the snow and freezing rain we had last weekend and early this past week knocked most of the leaves off the trees around my house, except the Bradford Pear, to the east. I sometimes do not even rake leaves until New Years, because I want to wait until they are all down. The last couple of years, I have raked a couple of times for two reasons 1) I get tired of looking at the leaves and 2) it takes me so long to rake.
I still have to do the front and alley, but that is not so bad.
I did some serious house cleaning that I was not planning to do, but did not mess with the bathrooms until I can get the plumber in. Nor did I wash the kitchen floor, for the same reason. I called, but it was about 1 PM, and the on-call guy had 8 calls ahead of me. I will check in the morning and see what the prospect is for repairs tomorrow. Amazing, at 10:15 PM the plumber called. He has had a long day, but says they only take weekend call once a month. He was willing to come out tonight, but I told him not to: the cleanout is in a corner of the backyard where there are no lights, and he will have to get on the roof to do the washing machine cleanout. So we have an appointment for noon tomorrow. That makes me happy. I will be able to do the laundry in the afternoon.
The car starts once, but does not hold enough of a charge to start again. I am hoping it will start Monday morning so I do not have to bother a neighbor to get a jump start, but either way I need to be able to get to the repair shop.
The injection that Sake received last Tuesday just did not work as well as the first time. She runs to food, but does not eat. She smacks her lips, but does not eat. She did eat some baby food chicken, some hard treats, some turkey wing meat, and liver tonight. Just a little of each. It is so frustrating. She eats a little at a time, but will not go back to something she has eaten earlier in the day. I am thinking the next step is to have her teeth extracted. I hate to do that, because she will have so much trouble grooming. She will just have to let me help her more.
Well, the cell phone works. The car is safe in the garage. I can renew my library books online or by phone tomorrow. I did get groceries today, but had to get a jump start to get home. It takes almost nothing to start the car, so that is weird.
One thing that has come out of this is that I can now back the car into the garage. I did that for the first time Wednesday night, and I bet it took me 30 minutes. Maybe not, but I sweated over it and did it inch by inch, correcting and recorrecting. Yesterday, it did not take me that long, and today, it took even less time. Of course, I still need to be careful, but it is nice to know I have that skill.
What is really weird, is that I do not think twice about backing the car out of the garage, it is just a straight shot, but sometimes, I end up crooked off the driveway. Well, I am glad I have learned this new skill!
On the other hand, the snow and freezing rain we had last weekend and early this past week knocked most of the leaves off the trees around my house, except the Bradford Pear, to the east. I sometimes do not even rake leaves until New Years, because I want to wait until they are all down. The last couple of years, I have raked a couple of times for two reasons 1) I get tired of looking at the leaves and 2) it takes me so long to rake.
I still have to do the front and alley, but that is not so bad.
I did some serious house cleaning that I was not planning to do, but did not mess with the bathrooms until I can get the plumber in. Nor did I wash the kitchen floor, for the same reason. I called, but it was about 1 PM, and the on-call guy had 8 calls ahead of me. I will check in the morning and see what the prospect is for repairs tomorrow. Amazing, at 10:15 PM the plumber called. He has had a long day, but says they only take weekend call once a month. He was willing to come out tonight, but I told him not to: the cleanout is in a corner of the backyard where there are no lights, and he will have to get on the roof to do the washing machine cleanout. So we have an appointment for noon tomorrow. That makes me happy. I will be able to do the laundry in the afternoon.
The car starts once, but does not hold enough of a charge to start again. I am hoping it will start Monday morning so I do not have to bother a neighbor to get a jump start, but either way I need to be able to get to the repair shop.
The injection that Sake received last Tuesday just did not work as well as the first time. She runs to food, but does not eat. She smacks her lips, but does not eat. She did eat some baby food chicken, some hard treats, some turkey wing meat, and liver tonight. Just a little of each. It is so frustrating. She eats a little at a time, but will not go back to something she has eaten earlier in the day. I am thinking the next step is to have her teeth extracted. I hate to do that, because she will have so much trouble grooming. She will just have to let me help her more.
Well, the cell phone works. The car is safe in the garage. I can renew my library books online or by phone tomorrow. I did get groceries today, but had to get a jump start to get home. It takes almost nothing to start the car, so that is weird.
One thing that has come out of this is that I can now back the car into the garage. I did that for the first time Wednesday night, and I bet it took me 30 minutes. Maybe not, but I sweated over it and did it inch by inch, correcting and recorrecting. Yesterday, it did not take me that long, and today, it took even less time. Of course, I still need to be careful, but it is nice to know I have that skill.
What is really weird, is that I do not think twice about backing the car out of the garage, it is just a straight shot, but sometimes, I end up crooked off the driveway. Well, I am glad I have learned this new skill!
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Pace Yourself
For reasons I will not discuss in this blog, I have done a lot of extra housework this week. Housework is hard on me, it aggravates the sciatica problem that I have. I used to just do housework and get it done. Now, I have to stop and rest a lot. The physical therapy information I have received helps a lot, because it gives suggestions about posture and positioning while doing common tasks. And when I follow those suggestions, it really makes a difference. The other thing the information says is to take frequent breaks, more than I used to usually do... So I do take more breaks.
At work, we have changed assignments yet again. This is happening every few weeks it seems, but it is based on changes in personnel from other disciplines. I have been given an assignment that I think is a little light weight. Simply due to logistics of what makes sense, and I understand the sense. So, I will look for the opportunity to do more psychosocial evaluations, to help other social workers who have somewhat heavier assignments than I do.
I cannot be at work and not be busy. I cannot just visit, or twiddle my thumbs, or even, leave early. I have to have a full load. My supervisor understands, but keeps telling me to "pace yourself." I appreciate that. She has told me so many times that she worries that I go to work and just keep going and going and going.
Other people in my life have called me "The Energizer Bunny." There was time in my life when I was that active. With the increase in my joint and back pain, I have been content to let things slide, and sit around and just read, watch TV, play on the computer, listen to music and just veg. I have paid the price with reduced muscle power and weight gain.
Well, now that I am in physical therapy, I can see the benefit of easy, repetitive muscle building. Already, I am once again able to squat and rise when just a couple of years ago, once I squatted I was stuck and needed a brace to rise.
I am hoping my sciatica pain will decrease to the extent that I can enjoy walking like I used.to. Or maybe, walking at a reduced distance and/or a slower pace, but still, walking.
At work, we have changed assignments yet again. This is happening every few weeks it seems, but it is based on changes in personnel from other disciplines. I have been given an assignment that I think is a little light weight. Simply due to logistics of what makes sense, and I understand the sense. So, I will look for the opportunity to do more psychosocial evaluations, to help other social workers who have somewhat heavier assignments than I do.
I cannot be at work and not be busy. I cannot just visit, or twiddle my thumbs, or even, leave early. I have to have a full load. My supervisor understands, but keeps telling me to "pace yourself." I appreciate that. She has told me so many times that she worries that I go to work and just keep going and going and going.
Other people in my life have called me "The Energizer Bunny." There was time in my life when I was that active. With the increase in my joint and back pain, I have been content to let things slide, and sit around and just read, watch TV, play on the computer, listen to music and just veg. I have paid the price with reduced muscle power and weight gain.
Well, now that I am in physical therapy, I can see the benefit of easy, repetitive muscle building. Already, I am once again able to squat and rise when just a couple of years ago, once I squatted I was stuck and needed a brace to rise.
I am hoping my sciatica pain will decrease to the extent that I can enjoy walking like I used.to. Or maybe, walking at a reduced distance and/or a slower pace, but still, walking.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Activities and Exercise
I have experienced degenerative pain for some years, and have really limited my activities because of it. Over the years, I have not done a lot of things I enjoyed, but did everything I still absolutely wanted to do, even if it involved walking or standing, which aggravated the pain.
Sometimes doing things took several hours longer than I would have normally spent on the activity, because I needed to rest more than I would have before the degenerative pain started. I am referring to such things as house work and yard work.
Recently, I went to the doctor and obtained a prescription for medication, and was referred to physical therapy for the problem. The first weekend I had the prescription, I felt so much better, I really over did the physical activity. The second weekend, I rested.
Since I started going to physical therapy, I have made a point to do the exercises prescribed at home as instructed. I find most of them soothing, and while I sometimes have the TV on when I do the exercises, I find doing them to Gregorian Chants is even more soothing.
I also was given some very helpful reading materials about accommodations and adaptations I could use to help me. Amazingly, I had already made a lot of the accommodations: I use shorter strokes for raking, mopping, and vacuuming. I take lots of rest breaks, but probably not as many as I should have been taking. I recently bought a book stand to prop my book, as I was finding that I was looking for something to hold a book up while I was reading it.
I have learned about changing my posture and musculature positions to help me. It is difficult for me to remember to use these changes, but I am trying, at work and at home. It is a work in progress.
I have noticed that I have much more mental energy since I have been getting this help. Today, I wanted to do some serious house cleaning that is much past due, and makes me depressed to look at the dirtiness in the house. Well, I kept putting off getting started, because I kept thinking how it might hurt. It did not hurt as I expected it to, until near the end. And, I took breaks very frequently, much more so than I might have in the past. (I used to force myself to work through the pain.)
I have a plan to work in the front and back yard on Sunday (actually today). I will also go slow and take plenty of breaks, and try to use better positioning and posture.
I had also thought to go for a walk to get some things at a local store. I had not thought to walk like that in a long time. I did not do the walk, but just thinking about it vs more recently avoiding thinking about walking much less going for a walk, is a good thing.
I am hoping when the medication and physical therapy have done their thing, I will be able to walk around my neighborhood as I used to do. I miss these walks. I miss walking in the city parks, and walking to bird watch, as well as hiking at area parks.
I am not sure I will get back to miles of hiking but I am hoping to get back to a mile or two of walking.
Sometimes doing things took several hours longer than I would have normally spent on the activity, because I needed to rest more than I would have before the degenerative pain started. I am referring to such things as house work and yard work.
Recently, I went to the doctor and obtained a prescription for medication, and was referred to physical therapy for the problem. The first weekend I had the prescription, I felt so much better, I really over did the physical activity. The second weekend, I rested.
Since I started going to physical therapy, I have made a point to do the exercises prescribed at home as instructed. I find most of them soothing, and while I sometimes have the TV on when I do the exercises, I find doing them to Gregorian Chants is even more soothing.
I also was given some very helpful reading materials about accommodations and adaptations I could use to help me. Amazingly, I had already made a lot of the accommodations: I use shorter strokes for raking, mopping, and vacuuming. I take lots of rest breaks, but probably not as many as I should have been taking. I recently bought a book stand to prop my book, as I was finding that I was looking for something to hold a book up while I was reading it.
I have learned about changing my posture and musculature positions to help me. It is difficult for me to remember to use these changes, but I am trying, at work and at home. It is a work in progress.
I have noticed that I have much more mental energy since I have been getting this help. Today, I wanted to do some serious house cleaning that is much past due, and makes me depressed to look at the dirtiness in the house. Well, I kept putting off getting started, because I kept thinking how it might hurt. It did not hurt as I expected it to, until near the end. And, I took breaks very frequently, much more so than I might have in the past. (I used to force myself to work through the pain.)
I have a plan to work in the front and back yard on Sunday (actually today). I will also go slow and take plenty of breaks, and try to use better positioning and posture.
I had also thought to go for a walk to get some things at a local store. I had not thought to walk like that in a long time. I did not do the walk, but just thinking about it vs more recently avoiding thinking about walking much less going for a walk, is a good thing.
I am hoping when the medication and physical therapy have done their thing, I will be able to walk around my neighborhood as I used to do. I miss these walks. I miss walking in the city parks, and walking to bird watch, as well as hiking at area parks.
I am not sure I will get back to miles of hiking but I am hoping to get back to a mile or two of walking.
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