I am definately doing something right.

Just picked The Boy up from his friend's house. Driving home, I asked him how tired he was. He started to explain how it was everyone else's fault he didn't get any sleep. I stopped him. (Now, what I said was in jest; he's certainly not in any kind of trouble and I most definately wasn't scolding him, and he knows it. But the point came across anyway.)

But I stopped him and asked, "Now, what is my biggest pet peeve?"

"Don't blame other people for your own mistakes."


What do you know--he listens!

Time for an update

Hope everyone had a nice holiday. I am on vacation this week, seeing as The Boy is on vacation from school. We both go back on Jan. 2nd. Lots of sleeping late, movies and video games going on this week. Every day I say I'm going to tackle the laundry, but I still haven't. There's always tomorrow.

Jake and I went to see I Am Legend today. Awesome. Movie. Go see it. Really. Then when we got home, my two new movies from Amazon (Slither and Outing Riley) were in my mailbox. So then I made him watch Slither with me. He resisted quite a bit, "But I don't like slithery things..." which I countered with, "The slithery things don't matter at all. Nathan is really funny! You have to see it because Nathan is really funny!" And he was. And The Boy laughed at all the funny. And hid his face from all the slither.

Now Jake is sleeping over his friend's house, and I am drinking eggnog with rum and watching Nathan Fillion movies. This Firefly-men-movies-and-rum-drinking may be becoming a new little hobby for me. So far, so good.

Oh, I have pictures!

Here's my new coffee mug, courtesy of Think Geek:Awesome, huh?

And here's Jake's new plasma light bulb, also from Think Geek:

I swear, I bought that child a telescope and -with the help of my parents- a PS3, and that boy was just as excited by this $8 plasma light bulb. Really. He was absolutely fascinated that he has the fourth element of matter in his home.

And here's my Think Geek catalog:

There really are some neat things in it. And Jake's friend came over and was looking through it, oohing and aahing. And was all excited that I let him take it home. We really, really are such geeks here. I'm embracing it.

And here's my Christmas tree:
If I had any kind of photographic talent, this might be a half-decent picture. But I don't, and it's not. Oh well.

For New Year's Eve, I will be here hanging out with The Boy. His friend may or may not be joining us. Either way, there will be much Firefly involved. The Boy has been turning this friend into a Browncoat. Good boy.

Merry new Year to all!!

Slight change...

in today's "To do" list.

I am removing the "laundry" option and instead replacing it with "drink eggnog with rum and watch Alan Tudyk movies".

To Do:

Saturday:

• clean

1. dishes
2. kitchen
3. table
4. bathroom
5. trash
6. cardboard

• laundry (whites)

• wrap presents

Sunday:

• bank

1. deposit cks
2. cash for grammy

• shopping

1. 3 fruits
2. potatoes
3. cream

• more laundry (two reg. loads)
• cardboard

Monday:

• make pudding
• peel and cut potatoes
• make trifle
• trash
• go to Ma's

1. presents
2. cks

• 4pm mass
• set up bread machine and coffee
  

Tuesday:

• boil & mash potatoes
• Sue's

1. trifle
2. potatoes
   

Poor Little Duffer

So, The Boy is ill. Kind of. He's just been exhausted all week. Really exhausted. Falling asleep when he comes home from school, and just really tired. So yesterday evening I brought him to Urgent Care to be checked out. He needed to have blood drawn, which is a Very Big Deal for him. He HATES needles. But he bucked up and made it through. The lab tech was very good and talked him through it very well. I could see that he felt like crying but he didn't. I am so proud of the mature, brave person he is becoming. But before the blood draw, during the exam, the nurse practitioner had him lie down and she palpated his abdomen. Which was met by much squirming and giggling. My little man is becoming so grown up, so mature, but he's still so ticklish that he can't get through a medical exam without laughing. I love that so much.

In any case, the nurse practitioner called me later in the evening. The mono results aren't back yet, but most everything else came back normal. So nothing Really Bad is going on. It is most likely just some virus and he needs to just rest. And since he is on vacation from school and I am on vacation from work until Jan. 2, rest is well within our grasp right now.

LOL This explains a lot!

Yesterday I needed to call in a refill for my muscle relaxers but I didn't have the rx number on me. I could barely remember the name of the drug so I Googled my closest guess to find it. And under the Google findings was a little link to the side effects, so I clicked it, just to see. And this is one of the side effects I found:

"decreased mental acuity"

Yeah. We already knew that though, huh?




lol

My weekend

On Thursday it snowed. A lot. We got out of work early, even. I saw a car accident on my way home. But they were going really slow, so I don't think anyone got hurt.

On Friday, we had work, but my boy's school opening was delayed so I had to go into work late. And there was a "Holiday Party" that afternoon. There was very little actual working going on in between.

On Saturday, the boy and I got our Christmas tree, then went up to my parents' house to make cookies with my mom.

Today it snowed again. Jake's friend came to play while his parents went to work. I made two bracelets, did four loads of laundry, put the lights on the tree and some decorations up. Jake put the village up. Tomorrow we will put the ornaments on the tree. Watched Serenity (again). Wash died (again). That makes me sad.

This is the kind of Mom I am.

The Boy had some homework to do today. Kind of a lot, and he was feeling the pressure. And there was a piece of paper that he needed, and that he couldn't find. I got him to describe what it was and what it looked like. It was some notes on a film they'd seen in school, from which he had to make a little book about what good study habits are. The book was already partially done. According to him, without these notes, he couldn't remember everything in the film, and would have to do stuff that wasn't in the film, and get a lower grade. He was absolutely sure that he saw these notes in his accordian file this weekend. They were definately in the house but now have mysteriously disappeared. Now, this boy is smart. And he DOES try to be organized and responsible. He just hasn't perfected it yet. (Well, he IS responsible. It's the organization that he hasn't perfected yet. And he has an annoying history of blaming inanimate objects for disappearing or for other misdeeds that of course can only be the fault of a PERSON. He came by this trait honestly: he got it from his father. I hated it when his dad did it, and I hate it when The Boy does it. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELVES, PEOPLE!!! If the paper is gone, YOU LOST IT. IT DIDN'T RUN AWAY ON IT'S OWN.)

But I digress. He hadn't even started in on that angle this time...I was just anticipating it. So, the notes were missing. Did I yell at him for being irresponsible? Did I nag him to be more careful? No. (That's what my mother would have done to me, in order to satisfy her own need to vent.) But it would not help the notes get found, it would do nothing to teach him to be more careful, and would only serve to make him more frantic. What I wanted to teach him was that if he was sure he'd seen it in this house, then it had to be here still. It didn't magically disappear. So I quietly helped him go through his accordian folder, piece by piece, looking for the notes. It wasn't there. I helped him go through the "catch all" bin for his stuff, piece by piece. It wasn't there. Then I went through the trash. Piece by piece. And I found his notes. Covered in damp coffee grounds. "Is this it?" I calmly asked him. Yes it was. I noted, calmly and matter of factly, "I'll bet it was on the coffee table and you threw it away by accident when you cleaned the living room yesterday". I talked to him, nicely and calmly, about working on his organization skills. And how, since he was sure it had been here, then it still had to be here, and so it was. And I even put the notes in a plastic sheet protector, so he could use them without getting all gunky. And he gave me a big hug and went to do his homework.

OMFG this is AWESOME!

Wooden keyboard and mouse.

I'm such a geek.

W00t!!!

The Boy and I will be going to see Bon Jovi in CT in March. Got my tickets and my hotel reservations all set.



AND I'm fairly sure they will be coming to Boston in the summer, too.




woohoo!!!!

*sigh*

I've misplaced my ATM card again.


This just isn't my best week ever.


EDIT: I think I lost it for good this time. It's not in ANY of my pants. :( I had to admit defeat and call the bank today to have it put on hold until they can send me a new one.

Well....DUH!!

Nathan Fillion sexier than Matt Damon.

I'm such a dumb-ass

The original title for this post was going to be "Oh, crap", but things panned out fine.

Ran out to do errands today: bank (ATM) to deposit some checks, and grocery shopping. Got to the bank, and couldn't find my ATM card. Damn. I searched through my wallet (several times), my purse, my car, my pockets (several times). Tried to think where I used it last. Gas station? Friday? Crap. Well, the bank itself is closed, and I can't use the ATM without my card. Or buy groceries for that matter. Fuck. Oh, yeah, my mom gave me some cash over Thanksgiving. Plenty to buy groceries with, anyway. Cool. So while I'm shopping, I'm thinking about what I'll need to do if the card is lost. Maybe I left it in my jeans pocket when I pumped gas. I know I already checked the pockets (I'm wearing the same jeans, and I haven't washed them. Shoot me.) but maybe I emptied the pockets when I got home the other day. When I get home I'll have to check EVERYWHERE. And check my account online to make sure there aren't any funny transactions. And then if I can't find it, I'll have to call the bank and get it canceled. Which stinks because I do a lot of my online shopping with it, and if it gets canceled it might screw up some pending transactions. Crap. Finished shopping, came home. Took everything in the purse out to search. No dice. Checked my pockets for the tenth time. Checked my coat pockets. Checked every horizontal surface I could think of. Marvel at how I expect to find ANYTHING in this mess, dummy. Checked my account online. No transactions besides mine. That's good. Maybe I lost it at the gas station? Spent 5 minutes trying to find the phone# to the gas station on the web. Couldn't find it. Went over it all in my head again. Checked my pockets again. WAIT!!!! It wasn't Friday, it was Wednesday! See, work was closed on Thursday and Friday, so the last day I worked and the day I put gas in my car was Wednesday! And because it was Wednesday, I was wearing my dress pants, not my jeans! Run to the bedroom where my dress pants are draped over the drying rack, and there's my card!

Phew.

Dumbass.


Oh, and here's the cat 'helping' me take pictures of bracelets:

(The pix are crap because I had the camera on macro.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

My sister sent me this.

Funniest. Thing. Ever.

As God is my witness...

I thought turkeys could fly!



HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Hairsticks, part II

My first attempt at hairsticks didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. As I tried out a new pair (not the ones for sale -- I obviously won't sell the ones that I put in my own hair) a couple weeks ago, the wood snapped. [eyeroll] Well, I certainly can't sell hairsticks that are going to break on the wearer, can I? And I was actually never been happy with the color or shape of them (too wide on one end, too pointed on the other). But they were the ONLY wooden, prestained, predrilled hairsticks I could find to purchase. So I guess it's best they didn't work out.

I spent the next week scouring the internet for Something Else To Make Hairsticks Out Of. I was not keen on the idea of wooden dowels, which I would have to cut, shape, sand, stain, and lacquer myself. Waaaaaay too much work for me. Chopsticks were another idea, but it proved very difficult - or impossible - to find some that were the right color, and round instead of squared, and not grooved on the ends. My next idea was bamboo knitting needles. I thought of this one at work and got pretty excited about it, and rushed to the craft store on the way home from work to buy a pair and try them. They did make great hairsticks: easy prep work, pre-finished, and the right shape; but they were too light in color, and too expensive for me to stock up and make multiple pairs. I was out of ideas at this point, so I decided to let the matter drop for a few days and see what happened.

A few days later while I was in Walmart, I stopped at their craft section to check out their knitting needles. Eureka! Here were strong, smooth, bamboo needles, but darker than the ones at the craft store, and half the price! PERFECT solution! I bought up ALL their size 10 needles, and then ran to the other Walmart near me, and snatched up all their size 10 and 10.5 needles. (I do apologize to anyone in this area who may have wanted to run by Walmart and purchase some bamboo needles -- they're now sold out.)

I got six new pair made. Yesterday I FINALLY took new pictures, and today I cropped them and put them up in my Ebay and Etsy stores. Here are a few of them:

I'm Bill Pardy

Which Nathan Fillion CHARACTER Are You? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Bill Pardy The Nathan Fillion character that you most identify with is Bill Pardy from "SLiTHER". Who Is Bill Pardy? Bill Pardy has unusually large BMs. You saved the world from an alien invasion, you got the girl, and now you're just waiting for your talking Bill Pardy action figure. Oh, and you saved Kylie from a deer. Bill Pardy 56% Captain Malcolm Reynolds 48% Dr. Pomatter 48% Abraham Dale 32% Caleb 0%

I knew I was Bill Pardy!

EDIT: The bonus reel, "Who is Bill Pardy?", from Slither.

Busy, busy, busy

I am sooooo busy at work today. It's just crazy.
This morning I made hand turkeys out of construction paper and hung them from the ceiling of our cube.
Then there was a luncheon for whatever their cause of the week is, so we sat around and chatted.
Then I just made a new wallpaper for my pc:


Yummy, yes?

The good news is: I don't have carpal tunnel syndrome

Had my nerve conduction test today, and I passed with flying colors. Though it's really not so much fun at all to have one's arm hooked up to electrodes and have it zapped with electricity at the whim of a mad doctor, it's nice to find out I do not have any blockage or pinching of the nerves in the arm.

The next suspect is my neck. I may or may not be having an MRI. I will be talking to my doctor later this week to see what he wants to do.

And I got my lovely keyboard drawer last week. It's taken a couple days to get used to it, but I think it's marvelous. Go, me!

And I'm still quite stupid.

Carry on.

I've reached my decision!

Thanks, guys, for all your feedback and suggestions regarding the camera. I did look at them all side-by-side, and that helped me really narrow it down. The lucky winner is the Canon SD850IS.

I didn't order it from that link, though. I ordered elsewhere for a lot less. :D

I can't wait to get it now!

And thanks again, I always appreciate the advice!

Hairsticks

As requested, here are some pictures of the hairsticks I've made. I've just listed them for sale on Ebay and Etsy, but not on LollyBeads.com yet. Partially because I've just spent 3 or 4 hours on this computer and I'd like a break now, but mostly because I don't like the quality of the pictures. Hence my previous post.

Anyway, here are some pictures of hairsticks:

And check out my new "studio in a box":
I'm very excited about this, because one of my main challenges with taking pics for my stores is the lighting. And the backgrounds. I've used this "studio" for one day, and I'm already thrilled with the results. Except that I need a new camera. Then, there'll be no stopping me! [evillaugh]

I need a new camera.

I'm hoping that some of you wise, lovely folks can recommend something for me.

• I am strictly an amatuer, so I can't use anything fancy. I just need to be able to aim and fire.
• I mostly use my camera for casual sharing of pics here on teh interwebs, and also for pics of my products for my store and ebay. So sharp close-ups are a must.
• I would like the camera to be not huge.
  
• I am also concerned about ease of access. I currently have an older Sony camera, which uses the Memory Stick. So when I'm done shooting, I just pop the stick out of the camera and pop it into the Memory Stick Reader, which is hooked up to my PC. I also have a Sony photo printer which lets you pop the Memory Stick right into it to print pics. I am very spoiled by this set-up and although I'm relatively sure that NO new cameras still utilize this Memory Stick, I would still like a very quick and easy way to access my pics.
  
• I would prefer to spend as little money as possible, but I also want a camera that will take great pics and last a long time.
  

Does anyone know of a good camera along these lines?

EDIT:

Ok, I'm looking through some Canons. I've found that they do use a memory card and I can get a reader to hook up to my PC, so that's a plus in my book. But now my head is already spinning from all the choices. I've chosen a few based on size and prettiness and price. But I'm not sure about the specs. How many megapixels do I need? What about Optical zoom and Digital zoom?
Please pick one for me!

These are "slim"
One
Two
Three
These are "advanced"
Four
Five
Six

Did I mention the muscle relaxers?

I'm taking them every night for the whole shoulder/neck fiasco. I don't mind. I'm sure they're helping. Only problem is they're making me pretty stupid. Especially since I keep forgetting to take them earlier in the evening, and I end up taking them at like 10 pm, so when I come in to work in the morning I'm really stupid. Really. Today I seem to be feeling extra foggy. And I'm sure I sound like an idiot, because I spent like an hour telling all my cubemates how stupid I am and laughing. So now I'm just trying sit here quietly. And maybe try to do some actual work. I think I can trust the lolcats to sum it up for me:

Happy Halloween!

King Richard's Faire

Last Saturday The Boy and I went. I'd been a few times back in the day when I was married. I think we may have even brought the The Boy once, back when he was The Baby. (And The Boy went once with his dad, maybe 4 or 5 years ago.)

Anyway, we went, and had a grand time. I don't have any pictures, because my camera decided it didn't want to work that day. We went on several rides, which I never would have thought to go on if Jake hadn't been with me and wanted to go, and had a lot of fun on them. Jake marveled at how they made rides without electricity or technology. I thought that was pretty observant of him. We watched two jousting tournaments, which were obviously staged, but still great fun. I had a field day looking at Things To Put In My Hair. I bought a flowered garland, and embarrassed the boy by wearing it all day. I also bought some hair sticks. There were sooooooo many displayed and they were all so beautiful, it took me forever to pick which ones I wanted. I loved them so much that I spent much of this past week trolling the internet, looking for supplies to make my own to sell on Lollybeads.

I also saw these really beautiful hair wraps, similar to
I didn't buy them, because there's only so much I can spend on my hair in one day, but I found the merchant's web site, and I can get them any time I please!

I also got Jake a way-too-expensive-for-what-it-is wooden, painted sword, because a boy can never have too many swords, and, well, his mom had already spent so much money on herself that there was really no way to tell him 'no'.

I wore my "Joss Whedon Is My Master Now" shirt, and I got so many compliments on it! Apparently the Renaissance Faire is where all 'my peeps' congregate.

Cool beans.

Office update # ???

I heard back from the HR lady, she referred me to the local HR chick. I'm not even sure why I didn't go to her in the first place...

Anyway, I emailed her Friday morning, and she replied that we should get together to talk that day. Cool beans. So we met in her office, I gave her the doctor's note, and she asked some questions about what I was experiencing (physically) and when, and if I've been to the doctor and if I've had to miss work, etc. And she asked what I'd experienced in attempting to get this keyboard drawer. I definately got a sense that the second I told my supervisor that my injury seemed to be related to the typing, that he (or maybe his boss?) was supposed to report the whole mess to HR. And, as we all know, they didn't. I'm kinda thinkin' someone is going to be in some sort of trouble for this oversight.

So HR chick said she'd get the ball rolling as quickly as possible to get my keyboard drawer, and I would be able to have some input as to what one to get. And she also opened a claim with their Workman's Comp insurance company. We will need to wait to see if the claim is approved or not (by the insurance co) but if it is, the medical bills will be paid by them. I wonder if I can get reimbursed for all my co-pays and medication. That would be cool.

But really, all I really want is my gorramn drawer! Which I should be getting very soon.

Yay.

Update #4

Saw the doctor again this morning. Got two shots. He noticed my right hand is swollen. I hadn't noticed.

The next step is the nerve conduction test on Nov. 5.

And here's the email that I just shot off:


Hi [Head of Human Resources],
Since early September, I have been being treated for shoulder and neck problems, and hand numbness. These problems are stemming from poor posture at my workstation. My job entails typing all day, and as I am short, I find that the keyboard is too high for me and forces me to reach at a bad angle to do my job. More than a month ago, I requested through my supervisor, a keyboard tray that would install under my desk to hold my keyboard and mouse in a lower position, which will allow me to do my work in the correct posture. My supervisor has taken my repeated requests to his superiors, but for some reason I am being met with resistance. The only explanation I have received so far is that if they get me one, they have to get everyone one. This makes no sense to me, because the majority of the employees here are taller than me, and I'm sure the majority can type comfortably with their keyboards where they presently are. (Furthermore, if other employees are in need of the same tray, then shouldn't they get them?)

I have been more than patient. Each week I ask my supervisor if there is any news, and each time he has no answers for me. Every day that I continue to work in this posture is hindering my recovery, as well as continuing to cause further injury. My productivity has suffered, and I have missed work for numerous doctors’ appointments. I have also had to pay more than $200.00 so far on doctor’s visits and medications. I feel that my request is very reasonable and should have been quite a minor issue, but over the past month, has become a major one for me.

I am shocked at the lack of concern that this company has shown toward me. In fact, as I type this, I can hear much activity in the conference room next to my cubicle, as tomorrow's Halloween party is being prepared for. I wonder how much time and money is being put into this frivolous event, while I am being refused a simple $30.00 piece of equipment that will greatly improve my health.

Two days ago I did receive an ergonomic keyboard, as part of a "test" to see if these will benefit the employees overall. It does put my wrists in a better position, but as I still need to reach up to type, it does not alleviate my problems.

I would like for you to please review this situation as soon as possible. I need a keyboard tray to be installed as soon as possible. I have received a letter from my doctor stressing my need for this tray, and can provide it to you.

My doctor has also advised me to get an Ergonomic Evaluation. If you can advise me on how to go about that, I would appreciate it.

Sincerely,
[pissed off mouse]

Bad Attitude...I Has It

So, I'm speaking writing to you from my new ergonomic keyboard. I got it yesterday. I am something quite less than enthusiastic about it. I emailed my supervisor last week asking if there was any news on my requests for the keyboard tray and keyboard, and I didn't get an answer. So I emailed him again yesterday morning, and then spent the rest of the day getting angrier and angrier that they won't get me my fucking keyboard tray. I am really starting to feel like they don't give a shit about me, and why should I bust my ass for this company when they obviously don't give a shit if my fucking arm falls off. I had also left a message at the rheumitologist's office last week asking if they would provide me with a note stating that given my condition, the keyboard drawer would be very beneficial to me. And I hadn't heard back from them, either. So yesterday was just a pissed off, frustrating day for me. Then they gave me the keyboard, and I think they thought I'd be thrilled. But I'm really not. Because I AM STILL REACHING TOO HIGH TO TYPE AND USE THE MOUSE. This fucking keyboard is not going to help me without the fucking tray I need! If anything, it's a little harder, because the upward curve of this keyboard makes me have to reach even more. And to top it off, my doctor called me about 10 minutes after I got the keyboard, and seemed very resistant to writing the note. I had to practially beg him. So I was in a royally pissed off, frustrated mood yesterday.

Here's my wallpaper on my work PC:

And also, sorry this is so pissy and bitchy. I may very well delete this later.


PS: I've been here for an hour now and haven't actually done any work yet.

Shoulder update #3

I went to the rheumatologist again last week (not this week that just went by, the one before that). I received two more shots, and a refill, at a stronger dosage, of the muscle relaxers. And now I've got numbness and tingling on and off in my hand, so the rheumatologist also wanted me to have a nerve conduction test (EMG), which will be done by the Orthopaedics department. Apparently the fact that the pinky finger is involved is a bad thing. And, funny thing about the numbness: I described it to the doctor as being at the bottom of my hand, meaning the palm and palm-side of the fingers, not the top. It wasn't until later that I read that this specific area of numbness is a symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome. I also got some neck x-rays at that appointment. My next appointment with rheumatology is next week, and the EMG is the following week. I'm pretty sure there will be an MRI involved at some point, too.

The rheumatologist left a message on my answering machine two days ago, with the results of the x-rays. I called him back and spoke to him yesterday. It seems that my neck is in a spasm: my neck bones are straight, and they should be in a "C" shape. You know, for a very long time now, I sometimes catch myself with my head forward and down without realizing I'm doing it. I always thought it was just a bad habit and poor posture. Apparently not. So the treatment is more shots, more muscle relaxers, and better posture, especially at work, where I type all day. Oh, and I also have some Osteoarthritis in my C5-C6. So, that should be real fun for me later in life, when it gets worse. Excellent!

And this got very long, so I've made the rest of the update into a new entry, below.

Update #3, part 2: The office saga

I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but since this whole thing started, I've been trying to get my employers to get me a keyboard tray (to mount under the desk, therefore lowering the keyboard). As it is, I am reaching too high, pulling my elbows out, and bending my wrists to type. And I am quite sure, now, that this has a lot to do with my condition. I am short. My chair is pulled up as high as it will go, and I have a footstool so that my feet and legs are positioned properly. But I have a short torso. I even have to buy 'petite' sized shirts, as the ones for the regular people just don't fit right. So even though my chair is high and I have a footstool, it cannot make my arms be high enough in proportion to the desk. I actually asked for a keyboard tray over a year ago, well before I was having any problems, just because I knew this was a bad position for me. They 'looked into it', but then the whole matter just dropped, and I didn't pursue it. Now, I'm pursuing it again. It's been weeks. I am going through my supervisor, who is a good guy and I think it being straight with me. The hold up seems to be that if they get me a keyboard drawer, they have to get everyone one (probably 50 people or so). [eyeroll] And they are hesitant to get everyone one now because there could be personnel changes coming up and therefore desk-configuration changes, and they don't want to install all these keyboard drawers only to have to remove them again to change all the desks. Every week I ask my supervisor if there's any progress, but there never is. Well, there is a little. They've actually gone ahead and ordered 5 ergonomically correct keyboards, that (hopefully) will look something like this:

Apparently the PTB have noticed that many of the employees who type all day wear wrist braces. DUH! So they've ordered 5 of these keyboards to run a 'test' to see if it helps. I will be one of the recipients. So this is progress, but not enough. This keyboard will not benefit me if I still have to reach up too high to type with it. I really can't understand their attitude of "if we give her one we have to give everyone one". Well, I do understand, from a political correctness point of view, but certainly not from a practical point of view. Many employees (well, nearly all) are taller than me. I'm sure MANY of them can type comfortably with the keyboard on the desk, as it is. Can't they just offer the drawer to whomever feels they need it? Or to everyone under 5'4"? I even told my supervisor that I am willing to purchase and install my own drawer, and to find out if that would be ok. He's asked them, but there has not been an answer yet. It's getting crazy. It's been over a month. I'm feeling very much like they just don't care what happens to their employees. I believe that they've already decided 'no', but don't want to tell me 'no', so they plan to just ignore me until I go away. But I can't go away, because this is damaging my body. So yesterday I left a message at the doctor's office, asking if they can provide me with a note that states that I NEED a keyboard drawer. So we'll see what happens. If that doesn't pan out, I will be telling my supervisor that I AM going to buy my own and install it, and I don't care whether they like it or not.

Best. Commercial. Ever.

Sweet. Figured out what the problem was. All is good now.

Hee!!

One of Alan Tudyk's movies, Meet Market, is available for preorder on Amazon. I was delighted to find Alan featured on the cover.

And is it just me, or is he wearing a Firefly tshirt???
(The same shirt that Adam Baldwin is wearing here.)

(click for larger image)

So cool!!! Is it possible for me to love him even more??

Update:

The Boy is doing much better. He hasn't had a fever since Friday. He's been able to fall asleep and stay asleep every night. His chest muscles stopped hurting yesterday. Ice cream and video games will cure anything, I tell you. Oh, and the meds, of course. I don't think it's teh Plague. I think it's just the Croup.

So far, we've watched Logan's Run, Death Race 2000, and Soylent Green. (I decided I needed to see these after reading last week a Top 50 list of Distopic Movies...and now I see that there's a meme borne out of it!) We also have Equilibrium, that I hope we will get to today.

I went to the school on Friday to pick up his homework. So today he will need to do some school work so he doesn't fall too far behind.

Tomorrow is a school holiday but I have to go to work. Before he got sick we were planning on leaving him home alone for the day. But now my parents are coming tonight to watch him tomorrow while I'm at work. Truth be told, I think he's well enough now to stay alone anyway. But it will be nice to have them visit.

I think.

We's haz teh plague...

Jake's asthma (or, what I thought was his asthma) has been acting up this week. Which meaning coughing. Lots of coughing. We've been treating it with the inhalers but it hasn't helped. Finally last night around 9pm I brought him to the Emergency Room for a couple of nebulzer (sp?) treatments. Went home around 11:30, but by 12:30 he was coughing literally every 5 to 10 seconds and could not sleep. He was miserable. By the time we got back to the hospital, it was a 'barking' cough. To try to make a long story short:

• They think it's either the Croup or Whooping Cough (!!!)
• He had to endure his first I.V. ever for fluids and for I.V. steroids. He HATES needles. But he was SO brave. I'm very proud of him.
• He was given so many meds at the hospital to try to make the cough stop enough for him to sleep that I kind of lost track so I honestly can't list them all.
• He had chest and neck x-rays. The chest is clear, but the neck showed the constrictions common with the Croup.
• He also developed a fever.
  
• He FINALLY stopped coughing long enough to sleep from around 5:30 - 6:30 this morning at the hospital.
  
• I got to sit up in a chair (nodding off a little) all night, which did wonders for my shoulder, I assure you.
• They had to take some kind of nasty culture which consisted of shoving a wire up his sinus cavity, which was ever-so-pleasant for him. This will go off to the State Lab, who will most certainly come execute us all if he does turn out to test positive for teh Plague. (read: Whooping Cough)
  
• He was discharged at 7am. We arrived home around 7:30 and he slept quietly (thank God!) until 2pm today.
• He is now on Prednesone, Zithromax, cough meds with Codine, Ibuprofen, and Tylenol.
• He missed school today and will miss it tomorrow. Monday is a school holiday anyway, so we've got at least five days quarantined here at the homestead. I've rented a bunch of movies to tide us over.
• Even if he does have teh Plague, he will no longer be contagious by Monday, because of the Zithromax. Of course, I will have come down with it myself by then, anyway.
  

In conclusion:
ER visit: $75
Cool Mist Humidifier: $25
Five million prescription meds: $45
One bucket o'ice cream: $5
The boy sleeping reasonably comfortably through the night: Priceless.

So, this bird walks into a store...

(I received this as an email today.)



Watch! He s-l-o-w-l-y enters the store......and then he runnnnnnns........OUT!

A seagull in Scotland has developed the habit of stealing chips from a neighborhood shop.

The seagull waits until the shopkeeper isn't looking (so a camera was installed), and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos.

Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and becomes a feast, for other birds!

The seagull's shoplifting started early this month, when he first swooped into the store in Aberdeen , Scotland, and helped himself to a bag of chips.

Since then, he's become a "regular". He always takes the same type of chips.

Customers have begun paying for the seagull's stolen bags of chips,... because they think it's so funny!

Shoulder update #2

Just went to the rheumetologist. I may have earlier stated that I was going to the orthopaedist. I was wrong. I also forgot until I was nearly in Norwood that my appointment was in Dedham, not Norwood. So I was 10 minutes late. Then I went to the Orthopaedic department, only to find out I was two floors away from where I was supposed to be. Yeah. Great morning.

Anyway, I DO have bursitis. But as I suspected, the bursitis is secondary to the original pain. THAT is caused by TWO -- count 'em -- TWO syndromes: Scapulocostal Syndrome, and Trapezius Syndrome. These are apparently caused by lots of typing and poor sitting posture and can be rather common in women of my age who have office/desk/typing jobs. I think if you look them up in the dictionary, there is a picture of me there.

So, I got a nice shot of cortasone for the bursa, and then THREE shots at my various 'trigger' points on my scapula area. Fuckin' meow. I'll go back in two weeks to see if I need another round of shots or not. I hope not. They kind of hurt a little. And when I say, 'a little', I mean, 'a REAL fucking lot'. And we'll also check my left shoulder bursa, because I do have some bursitis there too, but it's not really causing pain right now (unless you poke it) so he didn't give it a shot today.

Hopefully, I'm on the mend now.

Shoulder update

Still having a problem. The worst is during the night and in the morning. I can only sleep flat on my back; anything else causes pain in my arm. But I don't like to, and barely can, sleep on my back, so I wake up several times a night, in pain anyway. So I'm basically tired every day. In the morning I use the heating pad for about 20 minutes before even getting out of bed. Then the whole routine of washing, brushing teeth, etc, and driving to work...all painful. So by the time I get to work, I just sit and eat my breakfast and use the heating pad for the first half hour. After a few hours of being up and moving, it feels better. I still have not used the mouse with my right hand, but I am doing a little bit of typing. And I ice it several times a day, and take Tylenol. Most nights I can do the dishes. And yesterday, I did ALL the laundry (seven loads). The boy helped. He's cool. This past Wednesday I went to the doctor (my GP). And even though I didn't think it was bursitis, it is. I guess that when the bursa first swelled up it must have pinched a nerve and that was what the original pain was. But now that the doctor has poked and prodded my bursa, that hurts now, like proper bursitis should. Doc confirmed my thoughts that I DO need to avoid ALL of the NSAIDs. Even aspirin. And I've been referred to the Ortho guy for my only other course of action: cortisone shots. Earliest appointment is this coming Wednesday. Huzzah.

Stolen from Menley Nin

Career meme

1. Go to Career Cruising,www.careercruising.com

2. Put in Username: nycareers and Password: landmark.

3. Take their "Career Matchmaker" questions.

4. Post the top twenty results

My results:

1.
Logistics Specialist

2.
Medical Secretary

3.
Gunsmith

4.
Cartographer

5.
Dental Lab Tech

6.
Health Records Professional

7.
Upholsterer

8.
GIS Specialist

9.
Bookkeeper

10.
Picture Framer

11.
Manufacturing Machine Operator

12.
Furniture Finisher

13.
Administrative Assistant

14.
Telephone Operator

15.
Bank Teller

16.
Tailor / Dressmaker

17.
Postal Clerk

18.
Quality Controller

19.
Air Traffic Controller

20.
Electronics Assembler

21.
Purchaser

22.
Cabinetmaker

23.
Printing Press Operator

24.
Machinist

25.
Computer Network Specialist

26.
Tool and Die Maker

27.
Ship's Crew

28.
Bicycle Mechanic

29.
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner

30.
Production Woodworker

31.
Musical Instrument Builder and Repairer

32.
Sheet Metal Worker

33.
Mathematician

34.
Humanitarian Aid Worker

35.
Enlisted Member of the Armed Forces

36.
Security Systems Technician

37.
Boilermaker

38.
Welder

39.
Automotive Painter

40.
Vending Machine Servicer

Please, just shoot me now

My shoulder is fucking killing me. I've been using ice, using heat, and taking Tylenol (I can't take ibuprofin, I'm allergic). It's been a week, now. My boss is being great, in that I left two hours early Monday (our busiest day), and I've been spending the past few days doing stuff other than my usual stuff, just because of the shoulder. I have been using my left hand for the mouse and doing as little two-hand typing as possible. But I feel useless and stupid. I hate it. And my co-workers are helping me out, for which I am grateful, but it makes me feel...bad or stupid or something.

Last week, Phil massaged my shoulder. On Monday, Joan massaged my shoulder. Yesterday Judy loaned me her shawl, as her mother always told her that wool helps these things. Today, Louise went out on her lunch time to pick up some Arnica gel for me at the Vitamin Shoppe. Then Judy got me a different chair to use and gave me her mousepad (I'm pretty darn sure this problem started due to bad ergonomics at work here), then she rubbed the Arnica gel in and massaged my shoulder. These are great people, here.

But this hurts and it's tiring and I want to feel better and I want to be able to do my job, and some housework, too.


Would I like some cheese with this whine?

Shark Boy doesn't live here anymore.

Yesterday morning, The Boy and I went to the orthodontist. He had x-rays taken, impressions done, and spacers placed between some molars on the bottom. As we were leaving, we stopped at the desk to make an appointment for his five tooth extractions. And were told there was an open appointment right then. And, well, The Boy and I really haven't done anything spontaneous lately, so we went for it. Ouch. There was pain. And anger. I'm actually kind of suprised he didn't kill me in my sleep. And then there was a lot of ibuprofin and Tylenol, and ice cream, and butterscotch pudding, and yogurt. He was pretty hungry but couldn't really eat anything solid at all, or even anything warm.

Today, he's back to school. I loaded him up with ibuprofin first. I think it's a good sign that all he's complaining about is the pain of the spacers on the bottom (which I still feel bad about, but at least the extractions don't hurt anymore). I've packed his lunch with an Uncrustable sandwich, a banana, yogurt, and applesauce. We'll see how that works out for him. Tonight, we might try spaghetti.

Goodbye, Shark Boy.

VOTE!

Vote for Serenity as top Sci-fi movie.

My boy is awesome

Today, I showed him these 20 year old pictures of me:



He looked, kind of disbelievingly, and said, "that's you??"

I said, "Yes, that's me. What do you think?"

And my angel pointed at me and replied, "This I see as my beautiful mother", then he pointed at the pictures and said, "and this is a supermodel!"

Scene from my living room:

The Boy selects a popsicle and heads for the living room. I put the box away, and turn to find him eating it on the sofa (which he knows is expressly forbidden). Boy sees me see him, and quickly leans forward, with an air of I've-been-leaning-forward-this-whole-time-no-of-course-I-wasn't-eating-on-the-couch about him.

Me: Did ya forget I have eyes?

Boy: Yeah...






Me (earlier, as the boy searched in vain for a purple popsicle, vehemently refused an orange one, and finally settled on a red): Poor orange. Nobody likes orange. Orange is the red-headed step-child of popsicles.

I NEVER thought this would be a mother-son activity

Today, my boy and I waxed our eyebrows together.

He'd been complaining about the unibrow he's developing. So I offered to wax it for him, and he readily agreed. While I heated the wax up, I realized I'm way overdue for my own eyebrows. Plus, I thought it would be easier for him if he saw me do it first. So I did mine. Then I applied the wax between his brows, and he ripped it off.

It was such a bonding experience. ;)

Speaking of Alan Tudyk... *

...am I the only one who didn't know he's a natural redhead?

I love him even more now.

I want to have his redheaded babies.


EDIT: Because Amanda asked if there were pictures.

(*'cause, well, I'm always speaking of Alan Tudyk)

Suprise of the day

Well, suprise of yesterday. Steven Tyler (you, know, from Aerosmith), was in our office building yesterday. The word was that he was there to see his lawyer, who's office is in the building. I stayed at my desk and watched the parking lot through my third-floor window, waiting to see if he'd come out the front. And sure enough, he did. And he got stopped by several people for pictures and autographs, most of them my co-workers! That was funny: Oh, there's Roy! There's Jim! Is that Sue? LOL.

One girl at work had been mentioning Steven Tyler the last couple weeks. When she went to the Marshfield Fair (an annual local town fair) last week, she'd been hoping to run into him. Apparently he's been sited there before. And wouldn't you know, she WAS NOT IN yesterday! Or today. She's going to die to find out she missed him!

Sue was kind enough to share a couple pics that she got. (I've blocked her face out because I'm assuming she wouldn't want me throwing her face around the internet.)

Sadness

Today at work was my friend Crystal's last day. She has sat next to me since she started there, over a year ago. In some ways we're very different, but in other ways we're a lot alike. I think we understood each other for the most part.

She takes the train in to work, and the commute just got way too crazy. She found another job in the city, which will be much easier for her to get to and back from every day.

I miss her already. I cried when she left today.

My latest lolcat

This isn't my cat. In fact, it's a picture that's been used on lolcats before.
But this is my take on it.

Awesome tribute

My review of "Death at a Funeral":

(Warning: just a wee bit spoilery at the end.)







Alan Tudyk


Alan Tudyk with a British accent.


Alan Tudyk in a hilariously funny role.


Alan Tudyk in a role requiring fantasticly humorous facial expressions.


This one scene (in which Alan Tudyk was again brilliantly funny), that was made everyone-in-the-theater-nearly-pissed-their-pants-laughing funny by Peter Dinklage.


Alan Tudyk naked. (This is the spoilery part. Highlight to view.)




OOOH!! . . Trailer!