Story 1Dec2023

I decided to rest and go slow on a work-from-home Friday. I started the day at 7:30AM and had gone to bed a bit early for me, before 11, and actually slept instead of reading beyond midnight. I was woken by a nightmare and was shocked to see it was only 12:20ish. There was a wind advisory, and the rain and wind were loud. I could hear the gutters overflowing with the leaves stuffed in them. One of the possible updates for the house is screens or other anti-leaf technology, but for $60-100 a year, I can pay my neighbor or lawn service to clear them. So, while not cheap, it seems like a proper economy to still pay them to clear the gutters, and it gives me a chance to help folks who need pocket cash. The storm took down most of the leaves (my apple trees still holding onto some apples and leaves), so it should be time to get someone to clean up the gutters.

Aside: The previous gutters were held together with paint and the Mount St. Hellens ash that had created a cemented bottom. While I am not looking for another ash fall (I was not here for the last one), the ash was a form of fertilizer, and it strangely protected various items like my old gutters, and I suspect it is why the previous roof lasted way beyond its expected life.

I rose and found a pear for breakfast (thanks, Kathy and Martin) with liberal coffee, Equal Exchange procured from the local dispensary, and walked, with a bit of the pain returning (f**k), to the office. At the risk of repeating this every working day, I read emails, Slack channel updates, and some news to prepare me for my day. I then attended the Zoom status calls until about 10. After that, trying not to sound like a boilerplate, I showered, dressed, and got ready for my day.

Lunch was an adventure. I defrosted, using running water, chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, and made a cream and tomato curry from the 666 Curries cookbook. I used a locally made garam masala and fresh ground cardamom instead of pods. This made it spicy, and my lips, I think, went a bit numb. Maybe less next time. Still, it was good with reheated naan. I made enough of the chicken for a few reheatings. I will see if the spices settle over time.

I did a few more meetings, and with the project being installed this weekend, there were the usual last-minute fixes. I tried to help get the important stuff done without violating any audit requirements–a delicate balancing act in IT. It was quiet by 4PM, but I stayed online until bed. Just watched Slack and work emails on my iPhone.

I did leave the house and took Air Volvo to get dinner–I was not going to make dinner after all the cooking for lunch. I got the spicy chicken sandwich from Popeyes (another reason my A1C is high again). I continued to watch.

I started closing my Quicken books for my finances for November. This means reading every transaction I have recorded and checking my balances. I hosed up the checking account balance and adjusted it to get it back. One of the transfers is wrong, referencing the wrong account or repeated, but I am not going to spend that much time to find –these are my books, and I can live with it. I spent hours trying to find it last week. If I spot the issue later, I can easily find and remove the manual adjustment. I have to wait two weeks for statements and so on to close November and put it in a binder–I have paper everything for the IRS all in binders (they like paper).

Aside: The squirrels and birds are happy to have water-soaked apples still hanging on the tree.

I checked myChart, and my results are there and my doctor has reviewed them. My lab results, except for my A1C (no surprise there), are good. I must return to the “nuts and twigs” diet and start walking again to lower the A1C. That leaves the brain scan for 2023 medical things (so many jokes) on 14Dec2024 to ensure that hearing loss is not caused by some other factor (unlikely).

I decided to take the evening off. I decided to try The Witcher on Netflix, and I remember being ambivalent about the cable show when it first came out (based on a video), but it is pretty good, and the jokes are good. I will continue re-watching and then hit the new season.

I went to sleep a bit early. The travel, the holidays, grief, and the dark gray skies have seemed to accumulate to make me tired. Time to rest, but just for a little while! There is so much to do and see!

Thanks for reading! Grammarly has likely got a new update as it is shredding and fixing–not a good combination. I think I have undone all the damage. Let’s hope they get it working better soon.