Great Big World Out There

yay football

So, I've had trouble with typepad not posting my posts.  Stupid thing.  They appear to have fixed that now, so I will recount my day.

I am pleased that my eskimos won tonight - even more pleased that the game went quickly.  It was cold out there tonight.  We weren't playing the first team but still.  We won. 

I'm reaching the end of the negatives.  If I'd managed to get them done sooner I could have gotten a discount on the book I am making, but that's just the way life goes.  I'll work on the scanning tomorrow.  It's saturday and I can't think of anything else I'd rather do. 

Except water my trees.  Again.  It's been so dry my cedar trees are looking parched - they need a solid inch or two of water and I intend to give it to them. 

I'll also maybe start reading the twilight series.  I haven't cracked it open even though I've had it for a month.  I wonder if I'll be hooked like everyone else has been? 

stupid day

I had a meeting tonight, I played with my nieces and wrecked my neck.  I want to go have a nice long bath and think happy thoughts about the weekend that is coming.

Yay for the weekend.  I cannot wait.

I am just putting in a stampin up order, I wasn't going to do it but alas, now I am.  I can't help it. 

I am out of things to say right now, my neck really is bothering me.

The end of the beginning

I finished the first draft of my first thesis chapter today. 

I am pleased.

I have celebrated by soaking in a hot bath and reading my lovely, lovely book. I bought a copy of the Time Traveler's wife when I was in Banff earlier this month and since I've been embroiled in Harry Potter since then I had to wait.

I am loving this book.  It's lovely, and different, and entertaining.  I haven't quite figured out how it will all end, and I'm prepared to either be surprised very soon or very slightly disappointed.  Time will tell. 

***

I laid in provisions the other day - microwavable meals for my office for nights when I need to work late.  I've been writing fiendishly all week - I've managed lots of little progress over the past month, but mostly til now I've been busy reading, organizing and trying to make sense of what I've been doing.  Farting around with my stats, and so on. 

Tomorrow I'm going to treat myself to just a morning of writing on the next chapter - I've sent away this chapter for some comments. 

Then in the afternoon I shall really treat myself to a glorious few hours setting up an experiment.  I am remarkably amused by the mental exercise required to get everything sorted properly.  It can take hours and I adore it. 

***

Friday I shall do no writing.  I am going to clean my office and help with cleaning out other offices.  I have a glorious spate of organizing planned and I simply cannot wait. 

For now, I shall haul myself upstairs, have a sandwich and crawl into my bed.  I might treat myself to a bit of a lie in tomorrow morning seeing as I've working til after 8pm the last two nights. 

another day, another 1000 words

I got a lot written today, of that I am quite proud.  I stayed late because I find that I am less likely to be distracted by something shiny when people aren't walking by my door every 10 minutes asking me to do something or just being interesting. 

I am ill again.  Nausea is not my friend, but it is my constant companion. 

***

I have been buying Christmas presents for people, and hiding them throughout the house.  I suck at this, because last night I dropped an Elmo Live doll behind the couch so I could clean the floor, thinking there would be no kids here for a while.

The kids were here all day today.  Sylvia saw the doll, thought, hmm, the kids might see that but couldn't move it because that would have drawn their attention and maybe they wouldn't see it anyway.

We think they didn't see it.  Or the Thomas crap I left on the coffee table.  I am a lousy hider of presents - I hate waiting to give things - I want to see their reaction immediately.  Le sigh.

***

I think I can knock out the first draft of the first chapter of my thesis tomorrow.  It won't be a final product because I need to redo some lab stuff, but the skeleton shall remain.  Yay and hurrah all around.  I expect I can knock out a large portion of the next chapter in the next couple of weeks, what with it being part of the same experiment and everything. 

I could be nearly done by Christmas if I get my act together.  Yay!

Now I must go to bed and be sick in peace.  Amen.

I need to barf

I actually managed to leave work at a decent hour today.  I got there early and actually left early.

Yay!

I came home to clean in peace. I don't like cleaning when others are about - they get all antsy about the stuff I am throwing out.  I figure - if it has dust on it, pretty likely it isn't in use and you won't miss it.  Within reason, of course. 

***

I cleaned for a few hours, then I started to feel quite like woofing my cookies, to use the vernacular.  I was all excited to watch the hockey game in glorious HD - except the stinking sound isn't working for the Bruins Oilers game.  It works on the standard def channel (of course).  I called star choice and they are calling me back.  I love that service - I love that they have enough staff to offer the service these days.  It's awesome.

***

I called the lawyer this morning about my whiplash injury of a couple years ago.  We had a nice chat - I was all set to leave a message when I called at 750 this morning and to my shock - he answered the phone.  Egads!  I burbled around a bit and he promised to look up my file and call me back.  I expected a call this afternoon.

He called back 10 minutes later.  I am still in shock.  I described how I can't seem to bow my head for any period of time without pain, he suggested I see my dr, I said I already had and she had suggested more physio.  He told me to do the physio, keep in touch and he'd see what he could do about making my case.  Something about a chronic condition, blah blah blah.  I don't really care about the money settlement (he said the maximum payout law was struck down but is under appeal), I just want someone to help me get better.  Too much to ask?  I think not.  He said something about an independent review of my medical situation at some point. 

Anyway.  I am going to get some physio.  I also kind of want to talk to my dr about the results of the xrays she ordered for my neck a few months ago.  Fun and excitement, I tell you. 

I wonder if I can get a full time exercise trainer who specializes in gimpy people like me.  I liked the physio place I was going to in the city, but I don't like the drive to get there.  If only there were a place right on my way to or from work.  (There isn't).

I am tired and I need some supper.  Good bye.

digging my idiot roots

I enjoy being different.  I am amused when I do something extra odd or special.  For example, after I picked myself off the floor I was terribly amused by my skill at falling up the stairs while at the same time NOT spilling my cereal.  Go me!

Naturally, now I'm all sore and pained. 

I also feel like crap so I'm thinking about crawling into bed early.  It's 7.  That's a reasonable bedtime, right?

***

I'm trying to make a font based on my aunt's writing for the book of photos I am putting together.  She has beautiful writing (had, her hands are too shaky to manage her usual flawless writing).  I'd like to preserve the writing since I'm sure every one of her nieces and nephews remembers getting cards that looked liked they'd been written by the queen's own calligraphers. 

It's hard, because I don't have any samples of her printing.  I have some great capital cursive letters, which I intend to use; the only problem is that they aren't quite the right size for font creation. 

I'll figure it out another day.

***

I'm pleased WInnipeg beat Montreal today.  I'm not pleased that Montreal will be pissed off when they come to Edmonton on Friday. 

tired of this

The wind was the story here today.  Family friends had a half built workshop blown to the ground today.  I felt sick when I heard that had happened.  They were just about ready to put up walls and stuff.  My sister had a tree sort of hit her house - it was kind of blocked by another tree that saved their kitchen window.  Anyway, it gusted up to 80 km/h; we were under a wind warning advisory from environment canada for most of the day.  Down to -11 overnight, with those lovely little white things as an added bonus of JOY!  See graphic below.

I was rototilling this afternoon and got caught in a freak snowstorm - I was on the point of finishing but far enough away from finishing that I kicked the tractor into high gear.  It's done, but it wasn't a fabulous job.  I was trying to keep my hair in a semblance of order - I got a cut and colour today and since there was a halloween party at my church. My nieces were attending in cute costumes so I wanted to keep the hair decent.

My stylist 'sprayed the shit' out of my hair, and it worked because hours later, after several trips outside and the rototilling gig it doesn't look too bad.  My neck is sore as hell, though.  The colouring of my hair required a half hour sitting in a chair, I came prepared with my latest Harry Potter and knew it was going to be a bad day for my upper back and neck.

Since I was keeping my hair festive, I wasn't able to lie down properly this afternoon to rest my poor neck.  I always spend an hour or so reading on Saturday afternoons.  It's my favorite thing to do. 

See, the thing is that it was just this week that I realized that I don't read sitting in chairs.  I'd never thought about it before.  I was aware that I limit the amount of time I bow my head; mainly in the lab.  It didn't occur to me that I haven't chosen to sit in a chair to read a book in months, possibly years.  I will read in the car; I don't have any choice then.  I do tend to keep my head level and just look down; but that gets tiring after a while. 

So there's another thing I can be upset about with my whiplash injury of nearly 2.5 years ago.  I suppose the real lesson here is that I need to do some physio-therapy and build up some strength in my neck and shoulders. 

I'm tired of having all these goofy things wrong with me.  I hate that I am going to have to down a handful of pills so I can get some sleep tonight.  I'm going to have to take another hot bath (OK, that isn't so bad) to relax my aching bones.  (I was freezing this afternoon and I'd been working outside and kind of needed to clean up before I went to the party). 

On the bright side, I have the means to go get treatment if I need it, and more than that, I have a lawyer.  I'm not really the sue-happy kind of person, but heaven knows I am suffering from this injury so I want at least the minimum to which I am entitled. 

***

The eskimos lost.  55-9.  On the bright side, maybe they'll finally get rid of Maciocia after this dismal excuse for a season.  They've been fabulous one game and then stunk out the joint the next chance they get.  We're in the playoffs, crossing over to the east.  If they could just have some fabulous games in the playoffs - we could end up with an all west final. 

The way Montreal is playing I sincerely doubt that will happen.  Fun to think about, though.

***

I've scanned about 375 negatives so far.  I'm going to be done in the next few days; only a couple more envelopes of negatives left.  I did find a photo of my grandparents taken in June 1916; a year before they were married.  Cool, huh?  We've actually got a huge number of photos from that era.  It's amazing. 

an ode to my sciatic nerve

I went to see Bodyworlds a while back.  It was interesting, I enjoyed it (didn't love it) but that's about it.  At least one of the bodies was prepared to show off nerves and such.

They specifically pointed out the sciatic nerve.  How big it was.  How it ran from spine to foot.  It was impressive, truly. 

I've been (painfully) aware of the presence of my sciatic nerve today.  The part of my leg below my right knee is aching as though I were a 90 year old ex-professional-football player. I am so befuddled by all-day-pain I can't remember what one might call that part of one's leg.  I shan't google it either.

I am pleased to report that I've gotten a large amount of a paper written this week.  I'd be further along if I weren't wandering off to do other projects, but nonetheless, I've gotten well over 3000 words into a document and that's very good.  I expect I'm another 3000 away from being finished, and most of that will be about the stuff I am pretty confident in.  I forsee a decent draft going out on Tuesday of next week.  Then I can move on to the next paper and eventually - completion. 

I've started preparing for an office move.  I find that I am perfectly happy to read papers on my computer screen and I've decided to go completely paperless.  It will take some time, since I need to scan and OCR the older papers I can't get online (I want to have search function in the pdfs).  As I read the papers, I can make notes directly in endnote and those notes are completely searchable as well.

I'm glad I am doing a graduate program now, when managing references and papers is so much easier.  I remember clawing through reams of paper to write a paper as an undergrad and desperately trying to remember which papers I'd cited.  I don't miss those days at all. 

I am watching the football game tonight - the stamps are putting the screws to the tiger cats, no surprise.  I root for the Tiger cats even though it is mostly in vain.  They just can't get things right for some reason.  I wonder why that is?  They certainly have an owner with deep pockets.  Talent isn't really an issue - they have some great players on their team. 

Anyway, that's my lovely plan for tonight.  Later I'll soak my aching leg in a hot bath while reading the 7th Harry Potter.  I can't wait to sink into both the bath and the book.  Tomorrow I have a hair appointment scheduled - colour and cut.  Yay!  I'm kinda thinking about making a trip to IKEA, I don't really need anything but I have a gift card I kind of want to use.  They might have festive items up that I can get for quasi 'free' using the gift card.  Anyway.  I'm going to keep scanning negatives for a while.  I can see the bottom of the massive pile I've been working on for a week.  Yay!

might take time

My dog has developed what I think is an endearing habit.  Whenever anyone comes to the door, she comes along and waits patiently until she receives her dog cookie.  She is very polite and almost bows in thankfulness as she walks off with her cookie.

I love my dog. 

A few minutes ago I was sitting here at my desk and I heard the door open.  I didn't think much of it - the door opens rather often.  It wasn't long before I heard something creep into my room and soon I felt a fuzzy nose tweaking my elbow.  There was my sweet doggie, urging me to get up, get her another cookie already so she could go outside and regally eat it. 

We went up the stairs and I realized just how old my dog is becoming.  She had to take the stairs slowly, one at a time.  I remember when she galloped up those stairs and it makes me sad.  I think she's due for a vet appointment, so perhaps I can get something for her joints.  She gets glucosamine in her dog cookies, but perhaps she could do with something else. 

Poor doggie.  Here she is:

***

In other news, I kind of wonder if I have some sort of gluten issue.  It would explain a lot.  I'll ask for a test when next I see my doctor.  May I just say that I'm glad I don't have to think about whether I have the money to see the doctor, I can just go?  I'll have to pay a bit for a prescription if I need one, but otherwise, I'm all good. 

I really like that.  Our system isn't perfect, but I'm happy with it. 

title: when I'm back on my feet again, michael bolton

more and more

I got a fair chunk of writing accomplished today.  To say I am proud is such an understatement I can't stand it.  I've gotten over 2500 words into a document this week - that includes tables so it isn't all my glistening prose.  I'm struggling in many ways because I can't find the solace and the time to really get my head into what I'm writing.  I get into for an hour and someone comes by my office and I'm lost.  Or something shiny wanders by and I have to follow it.  Or the phone rings, my email dings and I'm off.

So to get anything to screen is an accomplishment some days.  I had written a mini report several months ago that I chose to go back to today.  I took most of that stuff out of the report and it will form the basis for a lot of my discussion.  I'll add in some correlations, fix my tables and voila!  I'll have a final report for that part of the project.  Need an abstract and an introduction, but that can be easily accomplished.  There are other papers from this project waiting to head out into the wild blue yonder so I can get some ideas from there.  If I get stuck - if I start by looking there I know I'll have a hard time finding my own spin on things.

***

Enough about work!  I'm going to watch the hockey game tonight (HD PPV, yay!) and scan negatives.  I have hope that I'll finish scanning in the next couple of weeks. Tomorrow I want to head to a photography store and find something that will let me clean off some of the negatives.  Or ask someone if there is something I can use to clean off some of the bits that have become part of the negatives.  Find something to store them in.  All that good stuff. 

***

With that, I am done writing for today.  I will say that I was pleased beyond words when I read that one of my favorite bloggers/journalers decided to keep a cat they'd fostered.  It makes number 10, but they can pull it off.