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Just in case you were wondering
Nov. 19th, 2018 02:41 pmI did make that vacation, even if it was shorter than planned.
And I did make it back.
And did to lot more stuff.
Just, no writing.
And I did make it back.
And did to lot more stuff.
Just, no writing.
Vacation preperation
Oct. 6th, 2018 12:33 amI am very bad at planning vacations. I want to get away, and then I am worried that planning won't work out. So I plan last-minute, if at all. Like, today.
Brain is catching up. I played the guitar today until my fingers hurt (did not take long, as I am so out of practise), slept in, brushed the cats, found a shiny book that made me mutter "we wants it, my preciousssss", and had a very lazy day, all in all.
Except for, that is, getting a sim card into my new smartphone after breakfast. I feel as if I have paws like a bear, and the phone is controlled by mad dark powers out to get me. I mailed flederkatz a lot, first with questions, than with incoherent whining. Oh, well. Smartphone seems to be working now. I need to remember how to load more money on it. Someone told me, but I forgot.
Anyway. Off to bed now.
Brain is catching up. I played the guitar today until my fingers hurt (did not take long, as I am so out of practise), slept in, brushed the cats, found a shiny book that made me mutter "we wants it, my preciousssss", and had a very lazy day, all in all.
Except for, that is, getting a sim card into my new smartphone after breakfast. I feel as if I have paws like a bear, and the phone is controlled by mad dark powers out to get me. I mailed flederkatz a lot, first with questions, than with incoherent whining. Oh, well. Smartphone seems to be working now. I need to remember how to load more money on it. Someone told me, but I forgot.
Anyway. Off to bed now.
New strings, and more.
Oct. 4th, 2018 10:43 pmI put new strings on my classical guitar today. The old ones had been on so long, that the lower strings had become black and stained my fingers. The cats looked at me strangely. I don't think they are familiar with the guitar, or with me singing at home, except under my breath, when doing housework...
Also, vacation! Still working on having my brain catch up. The last week at work saw me attempting to finish three big months-old topics, and if I had not had brain break on Friday (woke up with the headache from hell, called the boss I would be late, checked in at 10, but it took until 2 p.m. until I could do a simple three-step action without forgetting what I was doing three times. So I only finished two and a half. I would have succeeded without that stupid lost half Friday!
Autumn is here. Hard to believe how long and hot the summer was, it's nice and cool and a bit chilly in the mornings now. It's still dry. Ceridwen was at a Middle Ages event over the last weekend, and I watered her garden, because it looked like it really needed it.
Last Saturday I bicycled to the city and spend far too much money on clothing (I bought only three items, but only one of those was cheap), and a bit on comics. There is a new "Strangers in Paradise" series (XXV) with Tambi having to deal with the Parker Girls involvement in the events in "Echo", and is sending Katchoo for clean-up. I also got the fist volume of "Monstress", which I has first seen as part of the Hugo Voter's package a year and a half ago, had meant to buy, and forgot, until I saw it in the comic shop. It's actually very good, if gruesome. European style with Japanese elements. And cute cartoony cats explaining the world.
I'm reading. Solving difficult Sudoku. Getting the cats to allow themselves being brushed. Check off items on my To-do-List. Ride my motor scooter for fun. Think about going hiking but cannot be bothered to prepare.
Life's OK.
Also, vacation! Still working on having my brain catch up. The last week at work saw me attempting to finish three big months-old topics, and if I had not had brain break on Friday (woke up with the headache from hell, called the boss I would be late, checked in at 10, but it took until 2 p.m. until I could do a simple three-step action without forgetting what I was doing three times. So I only finished two and a half. I would have succeeded without that stupid lost half Friday!
Autumn is here. Hard to believe how long and hot the summer was, it's nice and cool and a bit chilly in the mornings now. It's still dry. Ceridwen was at a Middle Ages event over the last weekend, and I watered her garden, because it looked like it really needed it.
Last Saturday I bicycled to the city and spend far too much money on clothing (I bought only three items, but only one of those was cheap), and a bit on comics. There is a new "Strangers in Paradise" series (XXV) with Tambi having to deal with the Parker Girls involvement in the events in "Echo", and is sending Katchoo for clean-up. I also got the fist volume of "Monstress", which I has first seen as part of the Hugo Voter's package a year and a half ago, had meant to buy, and forgot, until I saw it in the comic shop. It's actually very good, if gruesome. European style with Japanese elements. And cute cartoony cats explaining the world.
I'm reading. Solving difficult Sudoku. Getting the cats to allow themselves being brushed. Check off items on my To-do-List. Ride my motor scooter for fun. Think about going hiking but cannot be bothered to prepare.
Life's OK.
Things done.
Sep. 17th, 2018 01:10 pmI had one day each of comp time the last two weeks and managed to whittle down my ToDo-List to about half its length. And read two doorstoppers.
( Cut for list )
If I had a day off every week, I could take over the world. Or, maybe, get enough sleep.
( Cut for list )
If I had a day off every week, I could take over the world. Or, maybe, get enough sleep.
Freezer adventures
Aug. 10th, 2018 10:45 pmEver since it got that hot in late July, my freezer has been acting up. ( Cut for probably dead boring )
I really needed that bit of technical/housekeeping success, because ( work )
Anyway, it's the weekend, the heat broke (it will come back, and it's still not raining, but the air outside was wonderful today), the freezer is humming happily. Wednesday at ensemble practise I was my usual confused and insecure and passive-aggressive self (I don't know what's driving this and I can't seem to stop it) but I could play "everything you can sing I can sing higher" with the first sopranos. And the cats are very cute. They always are.
I really needed that bit of technical/housekeeping success, because ( work )
Anyway, it's the weekend, the heat broke (it will come back, and it's still not raining, but the air outside was wonderful today), the freezer is humming happily. Wednesday at ensemble practise I was my usual confused and insecure and passive-aggressive self (I don't know what's driving this and I can't seem to stop it) but I could play "everything you can sing I can sing higher" with the first sopranos. And the cats are very cute. They always are.
Lunar eclipse, and more
Aug. 1st, 2018 11:37 pmWe (Gwydion, Ceridwen, and I), watched last Friday's lunar eclipse from R___s place. It was a last-minute-idea. I had considered the top of a non-public parking garage, 16 metres high above the river plain, but I was worried that security had been expecting something like that and locked the place. So instead I called R___ "Hey, can we come over in, like, three hours? We can bring food! And a guitar, and howl at the moon!"
R___ said, "Sure, great", and there we were. The trees had grown, so we had to walk to the end of her yard occasionally, to see if the moon had yet risen over the low clouds in the east.
Finally we found it from the second-floor window, sitting on the steeple of the village church like the ghost of an orange. Later, when the sky got darker and the moon rose higher, it was quite impressive. The clouds were mostly gone, so we had a good view on Mars, too, and we saw the ISS crossing the sky like a slow-motion shooting star.
In between we drank beer, ate sweets and strawberry yoghurt, and sang old songs while lounging on the couch and the living room carpet.
When we left around half past eleven, a small sliver of moon was catching the light again, and the whole celestial body looked amazingly three-dimensional.
Apart from it being too damn hot, this was a lot of fun, and much better than last time.
***
The heat is going on for 10 days now, every day well above 30°C, up to 36°C sometimes. When I ride my scooter home, even at top speed the air just feels like a hair dryer set on "high". Weather forecast says, at least 7 more days of this.
I have started to return flederkatz's boxes of books to her. This creates space in the cellar, which will allow me to tidy up the junk room, which is sorely needed. Other than that, home improvement projects are stalling, because it is not possible to get the craftspeople to do it.
Oh, well. At least I am making progress moving boxes.
R___ said, "Sure, great", and there we were. The trees had grown, so we had to walk to the end of her yard occasionally, to see if the moon had yet risen over the low clouds in the east.
Finally we found it from the second-floor window, sitting on the steeple of the village church like the ghost of an orange. Later, when the sky got darker and the moon rose higher, it was quite impressive. The clouds were mostly gone, so we had a good view on Mars, too, and we saw the ISS crossing the sky like a slow-motion shooting star.
In between we drank beer, ate sweets and strawberry yoghurt, and sang old songs while lounging on the couch and the living room carpet.
When we left around half past eleven, a small sliver of moon was catching the light again, and the whole celestial body looked amazingly three-dimensional.
Apart from it being too damn hot, this was a lot of fun, and much better than last time.
***
The heat is going on for 10 days now, every day well above 30°C, up to 36°C sometimes. When I ride my scooter home, even at top speed the air just feels like a hair dryer set on "high". Weather forecast says, at least 7 more days of this.
I have started to return flederkatz's boxes of books to her. This creates space in the cellar, which will allow me to tidy up the junk room, which is sorely needed. Other than that, home improvement projects are stalling, because it is not possible to get the craftspeople to do it.
Oh, well. At least I am making progress moving boxes.
It's amazing how long a busy weekend filled with nice things can feel.
Role playing games
Last weekend, we were playing one of our SF RPGs. ( Read more... )
Music
This Friday, our choir had the most relaxed performance of the year at a village party. ( Read more... )
Other stuff
Saturday morning, it was raining (very good thing). I had some friends over for breakfast (one of them was visiting from the Hamburg area), we talked (mostly about role playing games, as usual), and after breakfast, I met with K__ and mad_freddy in the boulder hall. I feel as if I'm not progressing much (it's always harder than it seems, and my strength does not last as long as I feel it should), but I actually see that I am progressing, as the difficulties are colour-coded, and I have now made first attempts on green (medium easy) and can to most orange (easy).
Of course, in the night, everything hurt and I couldn't sleep. *sigh*
So I went to the pool later today than I should. The rain had stopped and it wasn't quite as empty as it could have been, but OK.
Other than that, I also read a few Silmarillion fanfics, which I might link to in some future posting, and made a chocolate-cherry cake and should write down the recipe... but not right now. I read a lot of kid's comics from the 70s, mostly French ones, and enjoyed it more than I would have expected, and now I'll be off to write a small scene inspired by the comics, about a hellish boat ride which fits just fine into a story that I really should pick up again.
To bad that even a longish weekend ends!
Also: There is a lunar eclipse next Friday early in the night. I need to find a good space to watch it.
Role playing games
Last weekend, we were playing one of our SF RPGs. ( Read more... )
Music
This Friday, our choir had the most relaxed performance of the year at a village party. ( Read more... )
Other stuff
Saturday morning, it was raining (very good thing). I had some friends over for breakfast (one of them was visiting from the Hamburg area), we talked (mostly about role playing games, as usual), and after breakfast, I met with K__ and mad_freddy in the boulder hall. I feel as if I'm not progressing much (it's always harder than it seems, and my strength does not last as long as I feel it should), but I actually see that I am progressing, as the difficulties are colour-coded, and I have now made first attempts on green (medium easy) and can to most orange (easy).
Of course, in the night, everything hurt and I couldn't sleep. *sigh*
So I went to the pool later today than I should. The rain had stopped and it wasn't quite as empty as it could have been, but OK.
Other than that, I also read a few Silmarillion fanfics, which I might link to in some future posting, and made a chocolate-cherry cake and should write down the recipe... but not right now. I read a lot of kid's comics from the 70s, mostly French ones, and enjoyed it more than I would have expected, and now I'll be off to write a small scene inspired by the comics, about a hellish boat ride which fits just fine into a story that I really should pick up again.
To bad that even a longish weekend ends!
Also: There is a lunar eclipse next Friday early in the night. I need to find a good space to watch it.
More work done!
Jul. 8th, 2018 09:33 pmFriday a week ago I had bought new plants for the balcony (they never survive long. I'm not good with plants), and today I have finally got around to planting them. Balcony looks nice again. I hope they survive.
Saturday after getting back from the boulder hall, I met with R___. We bicycled to the nature preserve with the wild horses, and walked around half the area, but the horses stayed hidden. Too hot, probably. Still, it was nice. There were still some very large puddles from Thursday's rain, but the strong sun kept the biting midges away.
And now it's Sunday evening already.
I feel that my life is going in circles, weekly, and yearly, and while that sounds nice and harmonic and it not actually bad (things happen, work gets done, I keep a hair's breadth ahead of entropy), I am not sure that it's good. I feel precariously balanced, as if I was sitting in an apple tree on top of a crumpling cliff. There are apples, but still...
I feel that something should happen, and that it should be good, and I don't know what, or how to make it so.
Saturday after getting back from the boulder hall, I met with R___. We bicycled to the nature preserve with the wild horses, and walked around half the area, but the horses stayed hidden. Too hot, probably. Still, it was nice. There were still some very large puddles from Thursday's rain, but the strong sun kept the biting midges away.
And now it's Sunday evening already.
I feel that my life is going in circles, weekly, and yearly, and while that sounds nice and harmonic and it not actually bad (things happen, work gets done, I keep a hair's breadth ahead of entropy), I am not sure that it's good. I feel precariously balanced, as if I was sitting in an apple tree on top of a crumpling cliff. There are apples, but still...
I feel that something should happen, and that it should be good, and I don't know what, or how to make it so.
Maintenance work, and rain
Jul. 6th, 2018 08:07 amWednesday my new scooter had its first inspection. ( Cut for boring diary entries )
( Rain, flooding, and general dampness )
( Rain, flooding, and general dampness )
Expected, and less so.
Jul. 3rd, 2018 12:02 amNot unexpected, my right shoulder was very unhappy with me today. Oh well...
In other news: I've tried for two years to find a cabinet maker who could fix my old dining table. Today, one actually called back and said he might call next week to schedule a look a the table for the week after! I do not yet dare to believe that it's actual progress, but it's hope.
In other news: I've tried for two years to find a cabinet maker who could fix my old dining table. Today, one actually called back and said he might call next week to schedule a look a the table for the week after! I do not yet dare to believe that it's actual progress, but it's hope.
Day-to-day stuff, long and rambling
Jul. 1st, 2018 09:38 pmSo many days, so few entries.
( Bouldering )
( Other sports, and a motor scooter )
( Moving -- not me, but stuff )
Things are going well. Books are read. Some stuff is written, also not the amount or the quality that I wish. The cats thrive, mostly. The job is doing OK. The choir stays a tiny bit problematic, I'm getting used to it. Money's fine. Health is OK.
And in the meantime, the world is going to hell in a handbasket, and I am more worried, scared and furious than I've been at any time since 1989. I still have not learned to do anything useful. About anything. <sigh>
( Bouldering )
( Other sports, and a motor scooter )
( Moving -- not me, but stuff )
Things are going well. Books are read. Some stuff is written, also not the amount or the quality that I wish. The cats thrive, mostly. The job is doing OK. The choir stays a tiny bit problematic, I'm getting used to it. Money's fine. Health is OK.
And in the meantime, the world is going to hell in a handbasket, and I am more worried, scared and furious than I've been at any time since 1989. I still have not learned to do anything useful. About anything. <sigh>
I'm so tired this spring that all the jokes about if have worn out. I sleep seven hours at night, and when I get home from work I'm too tired to look straight and sleep two more. I lie in until 10 on weekends and feel that I need a nap after lunch. I don't know what's going on. This time of year, I should get along just fine with 6.5 hours. Maybe I'm getting not enough exposure to the sun, because, bicyle troubles...
Anyway, today. The public pool opened, and admission on this day is traditionally free. I had planned to be there first thing in the morning, then go to a May Day event which started at 10.
Hrmp. As if. I got out of bed at half past ten, and it took me two more hours (witting on the sofa with a blanket and two cats, and hot tea) to get warm enough for going to the pool to become thinkable. Well, at least I went *then*.
Still: Not funny.
Anyway, today. The public pool opened, and admission on this day is traditionally free. I had planned to be there first thing in the morning, then go to a May Day event which started at 10.
Hrmp. As if. I got out of bed at half past ten, and it took me two more hours (witting on the sofa with a blanket and two cats, and hot tea) to get warm enough for going to the pool to become thinkable. Well, at least I went *then*.
Still: Not funny.
I finally managed to have my old web site (which I could not access anymore myself) removed.
As it was so old that even the company hosting it (or the company that bought the company that bought the company hosting it) had forgotten all about it, that was a bit tricky and involved a lot of cursing people who, even when given name, contract number, and web site URL were unable to find any of it in their database, and unwilling to admit that the issue might not be solved by me calling the hotline again.
But, it's gone. Progress is made.
Next step: Set it up again at an other ISP...
As it was so old that even the company hosting it (or the company that bought the company that bought the company hosting it) had forgotten all about it, that was a bit tricky and involved a lot of cursing people who, even when given name, contract number, and web site URL were unable to find any of it in their database, and unwilling to admit that the issue might not be solved by me calling the hotline again.
But, it's gone. Progress is made.
Next step: Set it up again at an other ISP...
Easter is Coming!
Mar. 16th, 2018 02:40 pmYesterday, when I was driving home from work, there was a middle-aged guy on a motor scooter driving behind me.
Wearing a bright pink Easter Bunny overall. Complete with ears.
That made my day. :-D
Wearing a bright pink Easter Bunny overall. Complete with ears.
That made my day. :-D
New glasses!
Jan. 19th, 2018 11:05 pmI got my new glasses day before yesterday!
It was about time, too: Last time I got new lenses was in 2012 (and my left eye has gone a lot weaker since then) , and the frame was 16 years old. I now have *spare* glasses! *And* contact lenses, which give great natural vision, no wrong angles, perfect 3D, but unfortunately they are useless when I'm at the computer. (Unless I am very, very, very relaxed.)
Getting used to them is taking a little time, but I am quite happy with them.
It was about time, too: Last time I got new lenses was in 2012 (and my left eye has gone a lot weaker since then) , and the frame was 16 years old. I now have *spare* glasses! *And* contact lenses, which give great natural vision, no wrong angles, perfect 3D, but unfortunately they are useless when I'm at the computer. (Unless I am very, very, very relaxed.)
Getting used to them is taking a little time, but I am quite happy with them.
Not so short uptdate
Jan. 14th, 2018 09:57 pmNo New Year's Post this year. Been busy.
Went (indoor, of course) bouldering today, second time this year, fourth time since the choir performance on Dec 2: The two months before that I had put pretty much everything but work and role playing games on hold, as to not risk getting sick.
For the first time since my accident in August 2016 I managed all the easy-easy problems, attempted a few easy ones and solved two -- one quite unexpectedly. In the end, it was not my nerve that failed me (which has been the usual annoying state of things since the accident), but my arm strength. Which can be regained. I put in 15 minutes of weight training in the new weight room, and went home exhausted, but happy. (Still am! See "mood" icon!)
Other things:
I watched "The Last Jedi" and enjoyed it subverting the serie's tropes. ( cut for mild spoilers ) In general, I felt the movie was a bit too fond of killing lots of extras to show how desperate the heroes are. It became kind of absurd. And I cannot get over the futility of it all. Palpatine had ruled only about 20 years, with the Republic being the one great "before", so, in 40 years after the disposal of that aberration, no one managed to make anything good or lasting off it? Depresses the shit out of me. But, pretty pictures! Great design! Cute animated animals!
On Jan 6 we did the roughly triennial LotR Special Edition marathon at Ceridwen's place.( Read more... )
Around New Year, ( Read more... )
Went (indoor, of course) bouldering today, second time this year, fourth time since the choir performance on Dec 2: The two months before that I had put pretty much everything but work and role playing games on hold, as to not risk getting sick.
For the first time since my accident in August 2016 I managed all the easy-easy problems, attempted a few easy ones and solved two -- one quite unexpectedly. In the end, it was not my nerve that failed me (which has been the usual annoying state of things since the accident), but my arm strength. Which can be regained. I put in 15 minutes of weight training in the new weight room, and went home exhausted, but happy. (Still am! See "mood" icon!)
Other things:
I watched "The Last Jedi" and enjoyed it subverting the serie's tropes. ( cut for mild spoilers ) In general, I felt the movie was a bit too fond of killing lots of extras to show how desperate the heroes are. It became kind of absurd. And I cannot get over the futility of it all. Palpatine had ruled only about 20 years, with the Republic being the one great "before", so, in 40 years after the disposal of that aberration, no one managed to make anything good or lasting off it? Depresses the shit out of me. But, pretty pictures! Great design! Cute animated animals!
On Jan 6 we did the roughly triennial LotR Special Edition marathon at Ceridwen's place.( Read more... )
Around New Year, ( Read more... )
What I've been up to
Dec. 6th, 2017 08:45 amNot journaling, obviously.
( October: A short vacation )
( October 31st: Food )
( November 19th: Another move )
( December 2nd: Choir Concerto )
( December 3rd: Christmas markets and snow )
I do not expect much in the way of holiday stress for December. I don't have the energy left to be stressed, worried, or anything.
( October: A short vacation )
( October 31st: Food )
( November 19th: Another move )
( December 2nd: Choir Concerto )
( December 3rd: Christmas markets and snow )
I do not expect much in the way of holiday stress for December. I don't have the energy left to be stressed, worried, or anything.
I'm getting to old for this crap
Aug. 3rd, 2017 01:51 pmIt's the dog days of summer. Each night, heavy rain falls on the soaked earth. Each day, the sun rises from the haze and burns down on the soggy ground. Plants and insects enjoy this weather. Warm-blooded beings don't.
In the middle of this, last weekend flederkatz had to move - again. ( Cut for wordiness and unnecessary detail )
In the middle of this, last weekend flederkatz had to move - again. ( Cut for wordiness and unnecessary detail )
