Where does my weekend go? I don't want to go back to work tomorrow!
On Friday I went back to the clinic for a follow-up on my current medication level. I took the little depression test again & scored an 8 (the high end of low-grade depression), which is definitely an improvement over the 18 I scored on my first visit. We're going to wait a few more months and then decide whether the current dose is ok or if we need to raise it or add a bit of Welbutrin.
Yesterday I went to the Winter Carnival with my next-door neighbors and their friend. We wandered through the cat show (I would have been happy to bring a few of the kittens home, but Aidan & Brigit wouldn't allow that.), saw the ice & snow sculptures, watched part of the parade, and then went to Pazzaluna for drinks & some food. I was cold cold cold by the end of the day and spent most of the evening trying to warm up. I also discovered that yes, my alcohol tolerance is still laughably low. I had half of my Lemon Drop and, while I could still walk without trouble, everything felt disturbingly spinny.
Ok. I just finished watching a history video about ancient Egypt and now I'm flipping through the stations for something to watch while I finish typing. Nothing but infomercials, news talkshows, and sports. You'd think there would be more demand for Sunday-morning programming. Not everyone goes to church in the morning, these days. And the infomercials! Some are so inane that I'm amazed they earn enough to make running them worthwhile. Perhaps I'm just cynical; I tend to think that anything that needs to be sold via infomercial is just poor-quality or a scam. (Though I do have The Firm videos, but I didn't buy them because of the infomercial.)
Today's question: Have you bought anything because you saw it on tv? Have you wanted to? What was it?
The truth about eBay : how to successfully sell part time or full time on eBay by Donny Lowy
Ok. I'll admit up front that I only skimmed this book. (Hey, it's short. I finished it in one or two days' walks from the parking lot to my office.) Frankly, if you have any idea of how eBay works, I wouldn't waste my time. Most of it is pretty basic; the only valuable information was the section telling you how to avoid being scammed by fake drop-ship companies. Plus, it's several years old and I think some of the information is no longer accurate.
Spiced to Death by Peter King
What can I say? I'm not sure why I finished this, except that I have this compulsion to finish every book I start. (Alas, this is not a compulsion that carries over into other areas of my life, which explains the kitchen's continuing need for a second coat of paint.) If I cared about gourmet cooking, perhaps I would have enjoyed the book. But a paragraph listing the five things they ate and a discussion of the proper wine choice only serves (serves, get it?) to distract me from the mystery. And after all, isn't the mystery the point?
I'm going to be interviewed by the Star-Tribune next week for an article on women do-it-yourselfers. My adoring fans can start lining up for autographs on Thursday. :)
update for Jenell: My friend Holly works at the Strib and gave them my name. Helps to have friends in high places, huh?
I feel like there's so little to tell anyone, so I haven't been blogging about much personal stuff. When I got a pregnancy announcement from my best friend, I wanted to yell "No! It's my turn, damn it!" But I didn't.
I have several freelance projects in the works, which means I have less free time than usual. Tons of house idas are rolling around in my head, but I am paralyzed by lack of time and indecision. What do I do first? Should I finish an old project before allowing myself to start yet another one?
My brain is also playing with ideas for websites and ways to make more money, so that I don't feel so tied to my job.
The past week I've been sleeping too little and eating too many brownies. My pleasure comes from spending time with my friends and the texture of caramel and chocolate on my tongue.
An Eye for Gold by Sarah Andrews
I've tried valiantly. I really have. But after almost 200 pages, I had to admit to myself that I just wasn't enjoying this book. So I'm returning it to the library, unfinished. Those of you who know me should know that I almost never do that.
SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life by Steven Pratt & Kathy Matthews.
Here are the things you should eat: beans, blueberries, broccoli, oats, oranges, pumpkin, salmon, soy, spinach, tea, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts, and yogurt. There, I've saved you from having to read the whole thing.
There are actually some interesting recipes in the back, but let's face it - I'm never going to actually make any of them. Except for the "Whole Grain Toast with Almond Butter" on page 221. The recipe? "4 slices whole grain bread. 1 tablespoon almond butter. Toast the bread slices. Spread each with almond butter, cut in half diagonally, and server." Who the hell needs instructions on how to make a peanut butter sandwich??? Can we say "padding pages" boys and girls? And is the diagonal cut a vital part of the nutritional profile?
Scanty Particulars: The Scandalous Life and Astonishing Secret of James Barry, Queen Victoria's Most Eminent Military Doctor by Rachel Holmes
A great glimpse into the life of James Barry, a British doctor in the 19th century who focused on helping the poor and disenfranchised (women, slaves, lepers). And the big secret? After his death, evidence appeared to show that James Barry was very likely either a hermaphrodite or a woman. Ooh! The scandal!
Move your stuff, change your life : how to use feng shui to get love, money, respect, and happiness by Karen Carter.
I definitely preferred this one. It seems much better adapted to modern American living than the previous book I read was. Not as much junk about hanging crystals & worrying about "poison arrows." Much more focused on making your home welcoming and focusing your attention on the aspects of your life that you'd like to change.
The curious incident of the dog in the night-time : a novel by Mark Haddon.
I really enjoyed this one. Quirky and interesting, the book includes little drawings and digressions on numerous topics (including an appendix with a math problem) throughout the text and gives a glimpse into how the mind of an autistic child works. There were points where the thought patterns mirrored mine, which was fascinating in a slightly creepy (what if I'm mildly autistic?) way.
Definitely recommended.
Feng shui : arranging your home to change your life by Kirsten Lagatree.
What can I say? It's ok for a very basic overview. I appreciated that she explained the origins of some fung shui concepts, such as why it's auspicious to have your house point south (because winds from the north blew nasty yellow dust). At the same time, though, it just served to prove to me how much of fung shui is superstitious crap. If the north wind isn't a problem here, why should I care what they do in China?
The ultimate "crap-o-meter" advice was this: if you have 3 doorways lined up, put bamboo flutes over the middle one, because flute sounds like "disappear" in Chinese, so the doorway will seem to disappear and no longer block the chi. Yeah. Whatever. That and hanging crystals everywhere just don't do it for me.
Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews was a fun read. I hadn't figured out all of the plot twists by the end, which is always the sign of a good mystery.
Material World by Peter Menzel, Charles C. Mann, and Paul Kennedy was truly amazing. Wow. I mean really - wow.
Photos of 30 families from around the world, posed in front of their homes with all their possessions. Never in my life have I been struck by just how much I have. I feel grateful and guilty. It makes me want to make better use of my resources and purge my home of excess stuff.
I got this from the library, but am going to buy myself a copy.
Highly recommended
Styx and Stones by Carola Dunn was an enjoyable little mystery set in England in the 20s. I'll probably track down other books in the series if the library has them.
I decided to keep track of what I read this year. And you, dear readers, are the beneficiaries of my fab library-card wielding skills. I think I'll do an entry for each title.
Since I'm starting a few weeks in, I can't remember a few books. There was a mediocre mystery set in a Mennonite B&B and another one set on Nantucket Island. Neither is worth remembering, so I'm not going to track down their titles.
Bitter. Angry. Cold. (brr.)
Yesterday I couldn't face walking in -20 windchill, so I emailed-in sick and went back to bed. I didn't wake up until 3 pm.
Today a semi-former client called and asked about how we handle hosting their web site. She & her husband have been telling me completely different things (one says they're moving to a new host, one says they're staying), which is frustrating. And then another client wrote something that pissed me off, since the sad state of the site is not my fault, but theirs. Grr. Ignore me. (Everyone does, anyway.) I just want to rant.
This weekend I'm going to rearrange my bedroom. I feel the need for some kind of change.
Yet another one of those mornings where it takes me over an hour to notice that I forgot to put a teabag in my mug and have therefore been sipping plain hot water.
Brr. My office is cold. Two days in a row! Yesterday I could barely type because my fingers were tiny icicles.
Vacation is over and I cannot drag myself out of bed in the morning. I've come in an hour late both days this week.
No deep thoughts for you right now. I'm overly tired. I'm cold. My mood is generally good. I haven't made any resolutions for the year. I'm considering going home and going back to bed, but instead I'll probably putz around on the computer all day and accomplish nothing.