Too bad I have to go to work later. Sigh.
Oh well, I'll enjoy a nice, peaceful morning. Hung out some laundry I'd thrown in the washer last night and heard the geese down at the creek. I tiptoed up to the fence for a look, and they have goslings! I think there were five of them. And last night, while walking Nipper over a bridge south of my house, I saw a mallard hen with about a dozen ducklings swimming along with her! I don't know if she was "our" duck, but I haven't seen many ducks along our part of the creek.
So now I'm doing another load of laundry and fixing some breakfast. I don't normally eat much for breakfast, but for some reason today scrambled eggs sounds good. Then a walk with Nipper is on the agenda later on, and then off to work after lunch.
I'm off Sunday, but back to work Monday, since we have a big meeing planned. I'm taking Thursday and Friday for my comp days off for today and last Saturday, when I was at the state press association convention, so at least I've got that to look forward too. Nothing big planned. Probably get a haircut for me, a nail trim for Nipper at the new "dog salon" here, and I probably should get him to the vet for his annual visit.
That's my exciting day.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Alone at last
It's just Nipper and me for awhile. Mom has taken off on her "maiden voyage" with her travel-trailer (which she has named Eggcarto, because it kind of looks like an egg). She's been working real hard to get everything ready and I know she was a bit nervous about setting out, but I know she'll do well. You can read about her adventures in her own blog here. There's also a permanent link on the right of this page. I have to say I'm real proud of her for taking on a new challenge like this. Go, Mom!
Just taking it easy tonight. There's severe weather farther east of here, so the Wichita TV stations (or at least the one I watch on Tuesdays) are giving a lot of time to that. Not a lot to watch, in other words. So maybe I'll just turn the volume down and read a book.
I've been doing a lot more reading lately. I'm kind of trying to have to force myself. Since a large part of my job involves reading, I usually just don't feel like after a day at work. But I miss reading for pleasure, so recently, I made a list of things I should be reading, based on what people on a bulletin board I frequent said they liked, and also from the flyers and stuff I get from a book club I can't seem to figure out how to quit. Then it was a trip to the library, and so far, I've liked what I've picked up.
First was The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman. Love these books, and this one seems to maybe be taking Leaphorn down a slightly different path than he's been on. It'll be interesting to see how the events in this book affect him later on.
Then I read Cormac McCarthy's The Road. It was the first of McCarthy's works I've read. Very bleak, but he's created a very realistic world. This will probably be one of those that much later, I'm still forming what effect it's had on me. I was really surprised I was able to pick it up without having to get on a waiting list, considering the all-powerful Oprah selected it for her book club.
The I started reading Mad Dogs by James Grady, but then left the book at work over a weekend and started reading another. I usually don't like to read two books at once, but it was kind of nice having one to read at my lunch break and then something totally different (see below) at home. Again, haven't read Grady's earlier work, but I might have to after this one. So far, at least, it's got a good balance of tension, action and goofiness.
The book I started reading while also reading the above-mentioned book was A Fool's Gold: A Story of Ancient Spanish Treasure, Two Pounds of Pot, and the Young Lawyer Almost Left Holding the Bag. I'm not sure how much of this I really believe. It's a pretty fantastic tale, enough that's believable, but also enough to make you wonder how much embellishment is there really? It was pretty entertaining, though.
That's it for now. I've still got a long list to get through, and I've even added a few since I started.
Time to spend some quality time with the dog. He's been wondering where mom is, and keeps running for the door whenever he thinks he hears her truck pulling into the drive.
Just taking it easy tonight. There's severe weather farther east of here, so the Wichita TV stations (or at least the one I watch on Tuesdays) are giving a lot of time to that. Not a lot to watch, in other words. So maybe I'll just turn the volume down and read a book.
I've been doing a lot more reading lately. I'm kind of trying to have to force myself. Since a large part of my job involves reading, I usually just don't feel like after a day at work. But I miss reading for pleasure, so recently, I made a list of things I should be reading, based on what people on a bulletin board I frequent said they liked, and also from the flyers and stuff I get from a book club I can't seem to figure out how to quit. Then it was a trip to the library, and so far, I've liked what I've picked up.
First was The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman. Love these books, and this one seems to maybe be taking Leaphorn down a slightly different path than he's been on. It'll be interesting to see how the events in this book affect him later on.
Then I read Cormac McCarthy's The Road. It was the first of McCarthy's works I've read. Very bleak, but he's created a very realistic world. This will probably be one of those that much later, I'm still forming what effect it's had on me. I was really surprised I was able to pick it up without having to get on a waiting list, considering the all-powerful Oprah selected it for her book club.
The I started reading Mad Dogs by James Grady, but then left the book at work over a weekend and started reading another. I usually don't like to read two books at once, but it was kind of nice having one to read at my lunch break and then something totally different (see below) at home. Again, haven't read Grady's earlier work, but I might have to after this one. So far, at least, it's got a good balance of tension, action and goofiness.
The book I started reading while also reading the above-mentioned book was A Fool's Gold: A Story of Ancient Spanish Treasure, Two Pounds of Pot, and the Young Lawyer Almost Left Holding the Bag. I'm not sure how much of this I really believe. It's a pretty fantastic tale, enough that's believable, but also enough to make you wonder how much embellishment is there really? It was pretty entertaining, though.
That's it for now. I've still got a long list to get through, and I've even added a few since I started.
Time to spend some quality time with the dog. He's been wondering where mom is, and keeps running for the door whenever he thinks he hears her truck pulling into the drive.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Hello again
Wow, didn't realize it'd been over a week since I last posted. Guess there's just not a lot to talk about. Awhile ago, I was sitting at the desk surfing when I looked out the window and saw the duck couple that comes to my birdfeeder had figured out how to get under the fence. The hen was starting to range out a ways from the fence when something startled them and they both flew off. This morning, as I was getting ready for work, I happened to see them fly up from the creek and land in one of the big cottonwoods behind my house. I didn't know ducks would even perch in trees! But there they were, just kind of waddling along the bigger branches.
The weather is nicer, now, and many of the flowers have rebounded. Many of the daffodils are upright and blooming, and even the tulips that got mashed to the ground are trying valiantly to point the bloooms upward. The tulips up front are standing tall and finally beginning to bloom. The hosta, which hadn't yet unfurled their leaves, aren't as dark green as they were before the snow, but I think they might be OK. The two mums I planted on the hillside last fall took a lot of freeze damage, but yesterday as I picked dead leaves off, I saw some new green poking through.
I've been working on my wildflower garden, too, hoeing away at the grass in there so it won't be so overgrown (maybe) this year. I'd like to expand it, too, and add another Russian sage or two along the fence, replace the purple coneflower that didn't survive the drought last year, add a shasta daisy again and maybe move the black-eyed Susan if it reappears.
Some bad news from one of my "sisters" in my breast cancer support group: A couple weeks ago, her mammogram showed a marble-sized lump that proved to be cancerous. Further tests showed tumors in her lungs and chest lymph nodes. She's having a mastectomy and they'll biopsy those tumors at the same time. She was diagnosed about the same time I was, but here treatment had to be a lot more aggressive. I'm hoping she comes through this well. She's got a teenage son and she's been making a lot of headway with an organization she's in, and she's real proud of getting out of her "comfort zone," as she told me. So if you're the type, say a prayer for G., OK? Thanks.
For the weekend, I'm heading to the state capital, where the state newspaper association will have it's annual convention. The publisher and managing editor will be there, too, for the sessions, and then a couple of others will join us for the awards banquet Saturday night. The good news is, it sounds like they don't expect us to all travel together.
The weather is nicer, now, and many of the flowers have rebounded. Many of the daffodils are upright and blooming, and even the tulips that got mashed to the ground are trying valiantly to point the bloooms upward. The tulips up front are standing tall and finally beginning to bloom. The hosta, which hadn't yet unfurled their leaves, aren't as dark green as they were before the snow, but I think they might be OK. The two mums I planted on the hillside last fall took a lot of freeze damage, but yesterday as I picked dead leaves off, I saw some new green poking through.
I've been working on my wildflower garden, too, hoeing away at the grass in there so it won't be so overgrown (maybe) this year. I'd like to expand it, too, and add another Russian sage or two along the fence, replace the purple coneflower that didn't survive the drought last year, add a shasta daisy again and maybe move the black-eyed Susan if it reappears.
Some bad news from one of my "sisters" in my breast cancer support group: A couple weeks ago, her mammogram showed a marble-sized lump that proved to be cancerous. Further tests showed tumors in her lungs and chest lymph nodes. She's having a mastectomy and they'll biopsy those tumors at the same time. She was diagnosed about the same time I was, but here treatment had to be a lot more aggressive. I'm hoping she comes through this well. She's got a teenage son and she's been making a lot of headway with an organization she's in, and she's real proud of getting out of her "comfort zone," as she told me. So if you're the type, say a prayer for G., OK? Thanks.
For the weekend, I'm heading to the state capital, where the state newspaper association will have it's annual convention. The publisher and managing editor will be there, too, for the sessions, and then a couple of others will join us for the awards banquet Saturday night. The good news is, it sounds like they don't expect us to all travel together.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
More garden talk
So long to the spring weather ... and the spring flowers.
After the beautiful weather the last couple weeks, this week turned cold. We even got a couple inches of snow, although it melted pretty quickly. It's still cold today, though. Most of my flowers that I pictured and talked about are just wilted, mushy caricatures now. The tulips are flattened. The ones up front didn't even get the chance to bloom. The daffodils are all hanging their shriveled blooms, and the daylillies and hyacinths aren't perky. Most of the muscari look OK, though.
There are good things continuing, though. The iris all look OK, and so do the lamb's ears. The hosta are coming up good under the pecan tree. Probably a good thing they haven't unfurled their leaves yet, so there's not much that can be damaged.
I've been working on the computer most of the morning, and see the geese have made their second appearance at my birdfeeder. And earlier, I saw the goldfinches have donned their namesake color for the spring and summer.
I should take a break and take Nipper for a walk, but he's sleeping pretty soundly (and cutely) on his bed in the living room. He's been cooped up a lot this week, though, so we should get at least a short walk in. Then later, Dad wants to take us to Easter dinner ... at the local bar & grill that recently expanded. Is a BLT considered appropriate for Easter?
Well, I'm off for a couple days, but I have a project I need to get done, and then maybe another one for later in the week as well, so I should sign off.
After the beautiful weather the last couple weeks, this week turned cold. We even got a couple inches of snow, although it melted pretty quickly. It's still cold today, though. Most of my flowers that I pictured and talked about are just wilted, mushy caricatures now. The tulips are flattened. The ones up front didn't even get the chance to bloom. The daffodils are all hanging their shriveled blooms, and the daylillies and hyacinths aren't perky. Most of the muscari look OK, though.
There are good things continuing, though. The iris all look OK, and so do the lamb's ears. The hosta are coming up good under the pecan tree. Probably a good thing they haven't unfurled their leaves yet, so there's not much that can be damaged.
I've been working on the computer most of the morning, and see the geese have made their second appearance at my birdfeeder. And earlier, I saw the goldfinches have donned their namesake color for the spring and summer.
I should take a break and take Nipper for a walk, but he's sleeping pretty soundly (and cutely) on his bed in the living room. He's been cooped up a lot this week, though, so we should get at least a short walk in. Then later, Dad wants to take us to Easter dinner ... at the local bar & grill that recently expanded. Is a BLT considered appropriate for Easter?
Well, I'm off for a couple days, but I have a project I need to get done, and then maybe another one for later in the week as well, so I should sign off.
Power play
Last night, I worked the desk at the paper, preparing the Sunday edition. It didn't start out well -- I had to finish up SIX PAGES of stuff that should have been done on Friday, but our new editors just don't seem to get how much of a burden that is for the one person who puts together the news section.
Anyway, I didn't get started on the Sunday news section until about 5 p.m., about three hours after I got in to the office. I was really worried I wouldn't make deadline. About 8:30 p.m., the jerk who runs the mailroom, where they stuff all the advertising flyers and such into the paper, comes up front and asks us (me and the sports editor) when we think we'll be done. The sports editor knew he'd be done early, since the winter-like weather canceled all the local sports events. I wasn't sure when I'd be done, so I said I didn't know. He pressed for a time. I said "probably the usual time," which would be between 11:30 p.m. and the midnight deadline. Didn't think much more of it, and just pressed on with getting work done.
Well, things went well, and the press ran at 11:35. Mailroom jerk comes back shortly after and says to me "If you'd given me a more accurate time when I asked, I wouldn't have to wait a half hour for my guys to come in in. Thanks a lot."
I just looked at the sports editor and kind of threw up my hands. He just shook his head. The mailroom guy is one of those people who has to find something to complain about. And if I'd been able to give him an exact time, to the minute, he probably still would have found something negative to say.
Thing is, if I say something to my bosses about this, they'll just tell me to shake it off, don't let it bother me, etc, etc. But why should I be the one who has ignore him? Why should I have to be the one who shakes it off? Does anyone bother to tell him to just forget about it and go on with his job? Just shut up and deal, because this business is never a sure thing? Probably not. So just because he's an asshole, the rest of us have to adjust our attitudes? That's not right. By not dealing with him, telling him to tone down, the bosses are reinforcing his behavior, giving him the idea that he's in the right and the rest of us have to adjust to him. It's giving him power, and making the rest of us step down in status in his eyes.
I know this kind of thing happens all over the place, but why? It doesn't make for the best work environment. It isn't productive in the least. Sure, you can't fire someone for being a jerk, but why verify their behavior by ignoring or tolerating it? We don't want kids bullied in our schools, but in the workplace it's OK? We encourage kids to stand up to bullies, because, we tell them, bullies just pick on those they think are weak, and if you show you're not weak, they'll leave you alone. But what if stand up to a bully at work. Guess who's probably going to get the lecture.
Bosses need to stand up and be bosses. Just don't dismiss an employee who complains about the office jerk. 'Cause if the boss doesn't even stand up the jerk, then the jerk just thinks he's even more powerful than the boss. And he's probably right.
Anyway, I didn't get started on the Sunday news section until about 5 p.m., about three hours after I got in to the office. I was really worried I wouldn't make deadline. About 8:30 p.m., the jerk who runs the mailroom, where they stuff all the advertising flyers and such into the paper, comes up front and asks us (me and the sports editor) when we think we'll be done. The sports editor knew he'd be done early, since the winter-like weather canceled all the local sports events. I wasn't sure when I'd be done, so I said I didn't know. He pressed for a time. I said "probably the usual time," which would be between 11:30 p.m. and the midnight deadline. Didn't think much more of it, and just pressed on with getting work done.
Well, things went well, and the press ran at 11:35. Mailroom jerk comes back shortly after and says to me "If you'd given me a more accurate time when I asked, I wouldn't have to wait a half hour for my guys to come in in. Thanks a lot."
I just looked at the sports editor and kind of threw up my hands. He just shook his head. The mailroom guy is one of those people who has to find something to complain about. And if I'd been able to give him an exact time, to the minute, he probably still would have found something negative to say.
Thing is, if I say something to my bosses about this, they'll just tell me to shake it off, don't let it bother me, etc, etc. But why should I be the one who has ignore him? Why should I have to be the one who shakes it off? Does anyone bother to tell him to just forget about it and go on with his job? Just shut up and deal, because this business is never a sure thing? Probably not. So just because he's an asshole, the rest of us have to adjust our attitudes? That's not right. By not dealing with him, telling him to tone down, the bosses are reinforcing his behavior, giving him the idea that he's in the right and the rest of us have to adjust to him. It's giving him power, and making the rest of us step down in status in his eyes.
I know this kind of thing happens all over the place, but why? It doesn't make for the best work environment. It isn't productive in the least. Sure, you can't fire someone for being a jerk, but why verify their behavior by ignoring or tolerating it? We don't want kids bullied in our schools, but in the workplace it's OK? We encourage kids to stand up to bullies, because, we tell them, bullies just pick on those they think are weak, and if you show you're not weak, they'll leave you alone. But what if stand up to a bully at work. Guess who's probably going to get the lecture.
Bosses need to stand up and be bosses. Just don't dismiss an employee who complains about the office jerk. 'Cause if the boss doesn't even stand up the jerk, then the jerk just thinks he's even more powerful than the boss. And he's probably right.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Hey ya, Charlie Brown
Check this out before it's closed down. A mashup of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and Outkast's "Hey ya" (Quicktime movie).
After the rain
We had our first big rain of the season overnight, and now, with the sun trying to peek through the clouds, everything is looking green. We'll probably have to start mowing the lawn before too long!
There's lots more popping up in the garden, too:
More daffodils!
And the hillside is starting to turn green (with a few yellow daffodills):
And even the willow trees that fell into the creek during the end-of-the-year ice storm are starting to leaf out! Maybe the beavers will come by and clean that up for me.
There's more pictures here.
Today is probably going to be a gardening day. I need to clean up my wildflower garden, plus I want to try moving a couple things around there. The rain should have made the ground softer, so that will be easier. And I have some seeds to start, so that might be the first thing I do. There's a walk on Nipper's "to do" list, we still have to get the Christmas boxes put away, and I have a ton of laundry to do. So that's my weekend. Paris and Lindsay are probably envious of me.
There's lots more popping up in the garden, too:
More daffodils!
And the hillside is starting to turn green (with a few yellow daffodills):
And even the willow trees that fell into the creek during the end-of-the-year ice storm are starting to leaf out! Maybe the beavers will come by and clean that up for me.
There's more pictures here.
Today is probably going to be a gardening day. I need to clean up my wildflower garden, plus I want to try moving a couple things around there. The rain should have made the ground softer, so that will be easier. And I have some seeds to start, so that might be the first thing I do. There's a walk on Nipper's "to do" list, we still have to get the Christmas boxes put away, and I have a ton of laundry to do. So that's my weekend. Paris and Lindsay are probably envious of me.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Springing!
I walked out to fill my birdfeeders this morning and saw my first daffodil bloom!
And there's also crocus blooming:
Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day today, so I hope to get at least a few things done. Gotta walk the dog, of course, and maybe today's the day the Christmas lights can come off the house. I was a little embarrassed about still having my Christmas lights up this late until one day driving into work last week, I noticed a house that still had a garland and wreath on the front porch railing!
Yesterday was a work day (got there at 12:30 p.m., left at 1:30 a.m.) and I'm kinda still tired from that, so I don't know just how much I'll get done. The lights and the walk are a must, but actually putting the lights and other Christmas stuff in the garage rafters might have to wait. I don't get my Monday off because someone is going to a conference all next week. So maybe I'll try and get in a three-day weekend next week (if the weather is supposed to be nice, of course!)
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Gamey weekend
The weather has been pretty nice lately; spring is definately on its way! The ducks and geese are visiting our part of the creek nearly every day and once in a while come up to the feeder just outside the backyard fence. It's an interesting site to see waterfoul dining next to squirrels.
Things are turning green as well. We have, so far, one blooming crocus, but many others are sprouting, along with daffodils, hyacinths, and I think even tulips! My mini-irises were the first to bloom, actually. I got a garden catalog a week or so ago that has a $25 coupon, so I think I might get a couple things to start a foundation garden between the porch and the garage. I was thinking a hydrangea bush, maybe white, and something tall and spikey like lupines or foxglove to get it started. Then we can get some landscape timber and gravel to make it match the bed where the yews are on the other side of the porch, and fill in with other plants we find at local stores. I'd love to be cleaning out my flower beds, but I don't want to get to it too early in case we get a late cold snap or snow.
This weekend has pretty much been a lazy one. We were going to take the Christmas lights down, but neither one of us felt up to it, and today it's gray and rainey, so I guess that will have to wait awhile longer. I've gotten most of my laundry done, started reading the latest Tony HIllerman mystery, and also playing some point-and-click puzzle games. The latest ones I've played and liked are Sprout where you're a little seed that has to get across the landscape to its own kind; Sphere, a room-escape game with great graphics; and Tork, where you have to figure out the local language and customs of a planet you crash-landed on. And then there's this site, with logic puzzles -- you know, where you have to figure out which person has which pet and lives in which house on which street or some such thing? Only this site has interactive grids to help you sort it out. I'll admit to using cheats and walkthroughs on the other games, but the logic puzzles I can always work out on my own.
Well, gotta get another load of laundry in. Later
Things are turning green as well. We have, so far, one blooming crocus, but many others are sprouting, along with daffodils, hyacinths, and I think even tulips! My mini-irises were the first to bloom, actually. I got a garden catalog a week or so ago that has a $25 coupon, so I think I might get a couple things to start a foundation garden between the porch and the garage. I was thinking a hydrangea bush, maybe white, and something tall and spikey like lupines or foxglove to get it started. Then we can get some landscape timber and gravel to make it match the bed where the yews are on the other side of the porch, and fill in with other plants we find at local stores. I'd love to be cleaning out my flower beds, but I don't want to get to it too early in case we get a late cold snap or snow.
This weekend has pretty much been a lazy one. We were going to take the Christmas lights down, but neither one of us felt up to it, and today it's gray and rainey, so I guess that will have to wait awhile longer. I've gotten most of my laundry done, started reading the latest Tony HIllerman mystery, and also playing some point-and-click puzzle games. The latest ones I've played and liked are Sprout where you're a little seed that has to get across the landscape to its own kind; Sphere, a room-escape game with great graphics; and Tork, where you have to figure out the local language and customs of a planet you crash-landed on. And then there's this site, with logic puzzles -- you know, where you have to figure out which person has which pet and lives in which house on which street or some such thing? Only this site has interactive grids to help you sort it out. I'll admit to using cheats and walkthroughs on the other games, but the logic puzzles I can always work out on my own.
Well, gotta get another load of laundry in. Later
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Spring! (almost)
I saw a pretty cheery sight earlier this week. It was on Thursday morning, as I was getting ready for work I looked out my bedroom window, I could see swimming up the creek two Canada geese! My geese!
This pair of geese was one of the first things I saw when I first looked at the house, and they have come back every spring since then. I was worred I wouldn't see them this spring since the creek dried up pretty much completely last summer. But the big snowstorms we had at the end of the year and last month have the creek bank-full now. The geese even joined the squirrels at my birdfeeder briefly this afternoon. I don't think the squirrels were pleased, though. I also saw a pair of mallard ducks at the feeder earlier this week.
I can't quite call it spring, yet, though. Not until the turkey vultures show up.
This pair of geese was one of the first things I saw when I first looked at the house, and they have come back every spring since then. I was worred I wouldn't see them this spring since the creek dried up pretty much completely last summer. But the big snowstorms we had at the end of the year and last month have the creek bank-full now. The geese even joined the squirrels at my birdfeeder briefly this afternoon. I don't think the squirrels were pleased, though. I also saw a pair of mallard ducks at the feeder earlier this week.
I can't quite call it spring, yet, though. Not until the turkey vultures show up.
Monday, February 26, 2007
What a weekend
Man, Saturday was probably the weirdest day I've ever seen, weather-wise. There were thunderstorms in the morning, with a tornado reported in the county to the east of us. Lightning struck a house in the town where I work, and also a utility pole at a restaraunt, toppling it over onto someone's car!
When I left for work around 1 p.m., it was raining at home. I got about halfway to town (where the weather always mysteriously changes) and hit ice. Within a few miles, I was on the scariest drive I've ever had -- the roads were covered with icy slush, and I almost slid off the road about three times in just a few miles. And I was going only about 30 mph.
When I got to work, my boss was standing in the doorway having a smoke, and he told me all this had started just about 45 minutes before I arrived. It looked like it had been snowing all morning! There wasn't a lot snow (in fact, most of it has melted off now), but it came down hard and it was windy, so it was pretty hazardous to be out for awhile. After work, I ended up crashing at a co-worker's house. But by the time I headed home Sunday morning, the highway was clean and dry. There were three cars that had slid off the road, though, so I'm glad I stayed in town. As tired as I was, I probably wouldn't have made it home OK.
I've had kind of an upset stomach and headache since yesterday afternoon, so I haven't gotten much done. But usually my Sundays after working a Saturday are kind of a waste because I'm pretty tired. So today is laundry day, and then probably a walk with the dog this afternoon, and that will probably be about it.
When I left for work around 1 p.m., it was raining at home. I got about halfway to town (where the weather always mysteriously changes) and hit ice. Within a few miles, I was on the scariest drive I've ever had -- the roads were covered with icy slush, and I almost slid off the road about three times in just a few miles. And I was going only about 30 mph.
When I got to work, my boss was standing in the doorway having a smoke, and he told me all this had started just about 45 minutes before I arrived. It looked like it had been snowing all morning! There wasn't a lot snow (in fact, most of it has melted off now), but it came down hard and it was windy, so it was pretty hazardous to be out for awhile. After work, I ended up crashing at a co-worker's house. But by the time I headed home Sunday morning, the highway was clean and dry. There were three cars that had slid off the road, though, so I'm glad I stayed in town. As tired as I was, I probably wouldn't have made it home OK.
I've had kind of an upset stomach and headache since yesterday afternoon, so I haven't gotten much done. But usually my Sundays after working a Saturday are kind of a waste because I'm pretty tired. So today is laundry day, and then probably a walk with the dog this afternoon, and that will probably be about it.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Blech
Haven't done much this weekend. I came down with a cold Friday, felt miserable at work, and have slept most of the time since then. I thought I was feeling better today, but early this afternoon started feeling like I was going to throw up, so I've spent the rest of the afternoon in bed. I did take poor Nipper out just a bit ago, since it's a pretty nice day. We wandered down by the creek for about 20 minutes, but it's kind of windy, so that's about all I could take. I did take a few minutes to look for signs of spring, and dang if there aren't about 10 or so daffodils coming up -- six that I planted on the hill and another four in the bed behind the garage. It's supposed to be in the 50s all week, so I'll bet there'll be more.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Exhausted
That's how I feel after the last couple of days. Yesterday, I went in for a checkup on the kidney stone I had in December 2005. I had an X-ray first, and then about an hour later met with the urologist. He said there was no sign of any more stones, but I did have some blood in my urine (not enough to see), and since I'd never had any in previous samples, he did have some concern. So what I hoped would be just a "everything's fine, hope we don't have to see you again" type visit ends up with me disrobing and getting my kidneys viewed (don't aks for details).
He said there was an area that looked a bit inflamed, and I might just have a minor infeciton. But he wanted a couple more exams done just to make sure it's not something more serious. So he ordered a sonogram of my kidneys and an IVP (intravenous pyelogram, if you're into medical terms). That meant I had to "clean out" my intestines so they could get a good view. And by "cleaning out" the intestines, I mean "CLEANING OUT" the intestines. My water bill will probably be a good $15 higher just from Wednesday night. I also couldn't eat anything but clear liquids. So the only solid food I had all day was the banana I had at breakfast.
They did want me to have a full bladder for the IVP, so on the way to the hospital, I drank about a quart of water. In hindsight, that was probably too much. That was the second exam I had, and it took about an hour. By the time they were done, I felt like I was ready to burst. When the X-ray tech came back from showing the pics to a radiologist, she said "I bet you really have to go to the bathroom. You're bladder was really big!" Basicallly, the IVP is a series of X-rays tracking the progress of a dye through your renal system.
I had origianlly planned that after the exams, I'd head home and get ready for work. But by the time we got home, I had such a headache from not eating, not having my caffeine fix Wednesday, probably being a bit dehydrated, that I thought I'd take a short nap and try to get rid of it. I woke up about three hours later. Oops. I e-mailed my co-worker (who's sort of my supervisor) and explained why I wasn't there and said I'd be in for the afternoon. When he got back from lunch, I went up to him to apologize, and he told me "next time just give us a call when you get home and let us know." Uh, OK, so next time I ACCIDENTALLY oversleep I'm supposed to call beforehand and let you know? Genius.
Anyway, I'm feeling better tonight. I'm a little anxious about the results, but it's probably going to be nothing. Check back in a couple days and I'll probably know something.
He said there was an area that looked a bit inflamed, and I might just have a minor infeciton. But he wanted a couple more exams done just to make sure it's not something more serious. So he ordered a sonogram of my kidneys and an IVP (intravenous pyelogram, if you're into medical terms). That meant I had to "clean out" my intestines so they could get a good view. And by "cleaning out" the intestines, I mean "CLEANING OUT" the intestines. My water bill will probably be a good $15 higher just from Wednesday night. I also couldn't eat anything but clear liquids. So the only solid food I had all day was the banana I had at breakfast.
They did want me to have a full bladder for the IVP, so on the way to the hospital, I drank about a quart of water. In hindsight, that was probably too much. That was the second exam I had, and it took about an hour. By the time they were done, I felt like I was ready to burst. When the X-ray tech came back from showing the pics to a radiologist, she said "I bet you really have to go to the bathroom. You're bladder was really big!" Basicallly, the IVP is a series of X-rays tracking the progress of a dye through your renal system.
I had origianlly planned that after the exams, I'd head home and get ready for work. But by the time we got home, I had such a headache from not eating, not having my caffeine fix Wednesday, probably being a bit dehydrated, that I thought I'd take a short nap and try to get rid of it. I woke up about three hours later. Oops. I e-mailed my co-worker (who's sort of my supervisor) and explained why I wasn't there and said I'd be in for the afternoon. When he got back from lunch, I went up to him to apologize, and he told me "next time just give us a call when you get home and let us know." Uh, OK, so next time I ACCIDENTALLY oversleep I'm supposed to call beforehand and let you know? Genius.
Anyway, I'm feeling better tonight. I'm a little anxious about the results, but it's probably going to be nothing. Check back in a couple days and I'll probably know something.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Mass relief
Tonight was my breast cancer support group. It's amazing how much of a stress reliever this is, even when it's not cancer that's got me stressed out.
It wasn't a great day at work today. I was a bit angry about the fact the guy who's my supervisor for some reason hasn't been having me read his pages (I do still have "copy editor" in my job tile as far as I know), and when I asked him about it, not only did I get a lame excuse, but he wouldn't even look me in the eye when I was trying to talk to him about it (I'm not the only person he does that to). How are you supposed to solve problems with someone like that?
Anyway, I wasn't in a great mood because of that today, but after I got to the meeting, it didn't take long for me to forget that. It's always great to just sit with these other women who have experienced the same kind of things I have ... and not even talk abou that common thing sometimes. I was in a much better mood when I got home.
Mom wasn't though. Whenever either one of is not home by a certain time, my dog, Nipper, gets anxious. I guess he was driving her a bit crazy tonight. Poor guy also has had a yeast infection in his ear for awhile now. I keep trying to keep it cleaned, but I don't always do a great job. Tonight, I tried a remedy found on the Internet -- vinegar and water -- and he must have some breaks in the skin inside his ear, because that just seemed to make it worse. He was constantly flapping and scratching at his ear for awhile. Guess I won't try that again.
It wasn't a great day at work today. I was a bit angry about the fact the guy who's my supervisor for some reason hasn't been having me read his pages (I do still have "copy editor" in my job tile as far as I know), and when I asked him about it, not only did I get a lame excuse, but he wouldn't even look me in the eye when I was trying to talk to him about it (I'm not the only person he does that to). How are you supposed to solve problems with someone like that?
Anyway, I wasn't in a great mood because of that today, but after I got to the meeting, it didn't take long for me to forget that. It's always great to just sit with these other women who have experienced the same kind of things I have ... and not even talk abou that common thing sometimes. I was in a much better mood when I got home.
Mom wasn't though. Whenever either one of is not home by a certain time, my dog, Nipper, gets anxious. I guess he was driving her a bit crazy tonight. Poor guy also has had a yeast infection in his ear for awhile now. I keep trying to keep it cleaned, but I don't always do a great job. Tonight, I tried a remedy found on the Internet -- vinegar and water -- and he must have some breaks in the skin inside his ear, because that just seemed to make it worse. He was constantly flapping and scratching at his ear for awhile. Guess I won't try that again.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Pizza Man!
I know it's too late for Sundance, and it will probably get lost in the end-of-the-year Oscars buzz, but here is my directorial debut:
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Things are getting better
I've been pretty busy at work, but am feeling more comfortable with the new system we're on now. There's still a lot of frustration, though.
I think I might be trying to fight off the cold or flu or whatever Mom came down with. I haven't had a good night's sleep for several days, and feel pretty tired when I get home after work, so I haven't done much other than lay around on the couch.
Speaking of Mom, she got her own iBook this week. So I've done my part to convert a PC user to Mac. Ha! We will rule! It will just take a looooong time.
I did finally get a new bookshelf for my bedroom. It kind of matches the curio cabinet I got a couple years ago at Christmas from my family, so it's kind of nice. Frees up some floor space, now that I have my old desk out of the room, and it looks a bit neater. I'm not sure I'll need another cabinet, though. I got a 5-shelf cabinet and had planned on getting a 3-shelf one eventually, but I'm not sure I'd have stuff to put in it.
Not much else going on. It's cold. But then, it IS winter. Guess we got spoiled from the mild winters we've had the last couple years. That's about it, for now.
I think I might be trying to fight off the cold or flu or whatever Mom came down with. I haven't had a good night's sleep for several days, and feel pretty tired when I get home after work, so I haven't done much other than lay around on the couch.
Speaking of Mom, she got her own iBook this week. So I've done my part to convert a PC user to Mac. Ha! We will rule! It will just take a looooong time.
I did finally get a new bookshelf for my bedroom. It kind of matches the curio cabinet I got a couple years ago at Christmas from my family, so it's kind of nice. Frees up some floor space, now that I have my old desk out of the room, and it looks a bit neater. I'm not sure I'll need another cabinet, though. I got a 5-shelf cabinet and had planned on getting a 3-shelf one eventually, but I'm not sure I'd have stuff to put in it.
Not much else going on. It's cold. But then, it IS winter. Guess we got spoiled from the mild winters we've had the last couple years. That's about it, for now.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
What a week
The week in Hell (OK, the three days, really) is over. I guess it wasn't that bad. Or at least I keep telling myself that.
This was the week where we switched to a new computer system in the newsroom. New hardware, new software, same old people. Yikes. We trained about an hour a day for about five days, after we went to press. That part went well. Then Wednesday, we went "live" with the new system for that day's paper. We were an hour and a half late going to press, which the software company's IT guys said was actually pretty good. Most papers are two or three hours late. And they were happy because we're an afternoon paper, so they didn't have to stay up until 3 a.m. for us.
There were other problems. Somehow one of the front-page stories lost its first half, so we had to reprint it the next day, and it took awhile to figure out how to recover the original story. Our managing editor, who set up the few templates and libraries we have to work with, forgot about setting them up for the stocks page, which is also the page for our obits and jumps from page 1. So we had to part of the page on InDesign, and part of it on Quark, and pre-press double-burned the plate. That's what we're still doing. The sports guys had a lot of trouble with their scoreboard page, too, with all the agate type.
Add to that the fact the reporters are dealing with training and new software, too, so our local story count is down, and just filling the paper has been a challenge. I think we're awful lucky nothing big has happened locally.
I had to go in today and do the Sunday lifestyle pages that I normally get done on Friday afternoon. What would normally take me a couple hourse took five!
Really, though, it does seem like we're doing well. Our sister papers in the company are also switching systems. We've heard that one of them -- sort of our rival, since we cover similar territory in circulation and news -- is having to take it much slower than we have. They have five people on the news copy desk and got five weeks worth of training. They are doing only one of two pages a day on the new system. Compare that to our paper, where, we have three people on the news desk putting out about 10 pages a day, and I think we're kicking some ass!
Next week, the other paginator will be back after taking a couple weeks when his wife had a baby, but he hasn't had any training on the new system. So it will still be rough for awhile. I've put in about 18 hours overtime this week. I'm going to need a break soon.
This was the week where we switched to a new computer system in the newsroom. New hardware, new software, same old people. Yikes. We trained about an hour a day for about five days, after we went to press. That part went well. Then Wednesday, we went "live" with the new system for that day's paper. We were an hour and a half late going to press, which the software company's IT guys said was actually pretty good. Most papers are two or three hours late. And they were happy because we're an afternoon paper, so they didn't have to stay up until 3 a.m. for us.
There were other problems. Somehow one of the front-page stories lost its first half, so we had to reprint it the next day, and it took awhile to figure out how to recover the original story. Our managing editor, who set up the few templates and libraries we have to work with, forgot about setting them up for the stocks page, which is also the page for our obits and jumps from page 1. So we had to part of the page on InDesign, and part of it on Quark, and pre-press double-burned the plate. That's what we're still doing. The sports guys had a lot of trouble with their scoreboard page, too, with all the agate type.
Add to that the fact the reporters are dealing with training and new software, too, so our local story count is down, and just filling the paper has been a challenge. I think we're awful lucky nothing big has happened locally.
I had to go in today and do the Sunday lifestyle pages that I normally get done on Friday afternoon. What would normally take me a couple hourse took five!
Really, though, it does seem like we're doing well. Our sister papers in the company are also switching systems. We've heard that one of them -- sort of our rival, since we cover similar territory in circulation and news -- is having to take it much slower than we have. They have five people on the news copy desk and got five weeks worth of training. They are doing only one of two pages a day on the new system. Compare that to our paper, where, we have three people on the news desk putting out about 10 pages a day, and I think we're kicking some ass!
Next week, the other paginator will be back after taking a couple weeks when his wife had a baby, but he hasn't had any training on the new system. So it will still be rough for awhile. I've put in about 18 hours overtime this week. I'm going to need a break soon.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Goodbye, Vera
Word came by e-mail this morning that one of the members of my breast cancer support group died last night. She had suffered a stroke just before Christmas, which they initially thought had been brought on by all the chemo she was going through. But later, they found the cancer was in her brain. She had been under Hospice care this week, surrounded by her family.
She retired from an area school just this spring, where she had worked in the lunch room for many years. I remember her saying early last year they had told her that she would be on chemo the rest of her life. I think that was a big part of why she retired when she did. I sat at the same table with her at several of our meeting and got to know her a bit better than some of the others. She was a nice lady, and loved having her grandkids around (I think there was a first great-grandchild in there, too). She will be missed.
Otherwise today, it is snowy, but it's just a light snow for us. A bit of ice beforehand, but nothing big like the last one, at least not here. It sounds like southeastern Kansas and Oklahoma is getting it this time around. Keep warm if that's where you're at!
I'll be at work today, but hopefully will be home a bit early. We're going to try to get done an hour early tonight so the drivers have more time on the roads overnight.
This next week at work will be very interesting. We got some training on InCopy last week and started on InDesign yesterday and will finish that up on Monday. Then probably Tuesday afternoon, after that day's paper has gone to press, we'll switch out the computers and be up and running on new hardware and software for Wednesday's paper.
This all probably wouldn't be that big a deal to me, but our lead page designer and his wife had thier baby early last week, so he is actually gone for all this. That puts me in the lead seat! Usuallly, that makes me pretty nervous, because I just don't do that job often enough to be real confident in it. But where he's gone for so long, it's given me time to be more comfortable in doing page 1 and essentially being in charge. Our managing editor has been busy all week building our page templates from scratch on the new system, so he's pretty much been out of it as far as the daily work goes. It also helps he's not a jerk in how he treats people and knows something about computers, too!
She retired from an area school just this spring, where she had worked in the lunch room for many years. I remember her saying early last year they had told her that she would be on chemo the rest of her life. I think that was a big part of why she retired when she did. I sat at the same table with her at several of our meeting and got to know her a bit better than some of the others. She was a nice lady, and loved having her grandkids around (I think there was a first great-grandchild in there, too). She will be missed.
Otherwise today, it is snowy, but it's just a light snow for us. A bit of ice beforehand, but nothing big like the last one, at least not here. It sounds like southeastern Kansas and Oklahoma is getting it this time around. Keep warm if that's where you're at!
I'll be at work today, but hopefully will be home a bit early. We're going to try to get done an hour early tonight so the drivers have more time on the roads overnight.
This next week at work will be very interesting. We got some training on InCopy last week and started on InDesign yesterday and will finish that up on Monday. Then probably Tuesday afternoon, after that day's paper has gone to press, we'll switch out the computers and be up and running on new hardware and software for Wednesday's paper.
This all probably wouldn't be that big a deal to me, but our lead page designer and his wife had thier baby early last week, so he is actually gone for all this. That puts me in the lead seat! Usuallly, that makes me pretty nervous, because I just don't do that job often enough to be real confident in it. But where he's gone for so long, it's given me time to be more comfortable in doing page 1 and essentially being in charge. Our managing editor has been busy all week building our page templates from scratch on the new system, so he's pretty much been out of it as far as the daily work goes. It also helps he's not a jerk in how he treats people and knows something about computers, too!
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