owlmoose | Entries tagged with personal

Well, hello. There's no way I'm going to catch up on over six months of life in one DW post, so I'm not even going to try. But the highlights:

( Work stuff )
2022 was a bit of a year for me on the health front. ( Health and medical stuff. )
So yeah, I turned 50 in March. Time comes for us all. I didn't get my act together for as much of a celebration as I might have liked, but my friends R & S hosted a birthday brunch for me along with enf, whose birthday is the day after mine. Then T and I hopped up to Napa for the day where we had a fancy lunch and bought many tasty treats, and it was a gorgeous day, a welcome respite from the five million storms we had this winter (maybe you've heard about those; fortunately we live in a neighborhood that isn't at risk of floods or mudslides, but there were a lot of messes around us and I sure got tired of rain).
We continue to live in pandemic mode, even though much of the world has moved on. I do still wear a mask in most indoor settings and avoid indoor restaurant dining as much as possible (T won't do it at all). Maybe it's not necessary, but the fact is that, between cautious behavior and good fortune, I still haven't gotten COVID (as far as I know), and I would prefer to keep it that way. And it's not a big deal for me to wear a mask on transit, or in the grocery store, or at the theater, etc., even if most other people aren't. T's unwillingness to dine indoors, even in the worst weather, is starting to become a concern, but now that spring is upon us it will hopefully be less of an issue for awhile. The bigger deal is that I've finally coaxed him back onto an airplane, and we're going to take our first two real vacations since September 2019: Hawaii at the end of the month, and Maine for a friend's wedding in July. I am super excited for both of these trips and can't believe that Hawaii is only about two weeks away! Unfortunately, though, the trip conflicts with WisCon, so I won't be attending in person. It was a tough decision but ultimately it made the most sense for me. I do plan to attend at least some events virtually.
CW for pet loss and cancer. ( About Tori )

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Final Battle - FFX Soundtrack

1. WorldCon started today. Because I'm not planning to take any time off work (as I did for Wisconline in 2020), I feel very disconnected from the fact that it's even happening. I'm certainly not in a con headspace at all. I signed up for the Discord and I certainly plan to watch the Hugos but otherwise I'm not sure whether I'll even attend any virtual programming. Anyone who's attending virtually have any recommendations?

2. Rainy weather has begun in earnest, which is good for many reasons. But it's also been quite dark in the mornings, which makes it harder to get myself motivated to do things. We did take the excuse to make soup on Sunday (beef pho), and I also make chocolate toffee park and peppermint bark. I have the ingredients for candied lemons also, but I haven't gotten the energy to make them yet. Maybe tomorrow. More likely Friday.

3. I am dealing with a scattering of health issues that I don't really feel like talking about in detail here. Rest assured that they are annoying but not serious; however, even only annoying health issues certainly zap said motivation even further. I have plans to deal with them more fully in the new year, but for now I just have to manage the status quo. Wish me luck.

4. We're still playing Hades, although right now it's more like T plays Hades and I watch, or occasionally take a turn with God Mode on. ( Spoilers I guess? ) It's all really fascinating and I hope we get to figure out how it all comes together.

5. I don't think I have a fifth thing, actually, but I do like the neatness of following a meme format, so I'll leave it at that.

In theory, I was able to take my wrist brace off on Monday. In practice, I've been wearing it about a quarter of the time, and I also wore it to sleep last night. I'm going to see how weaning myself off it goes over the next few days, and then if I'm still having trouble on Friday or so, I'll follow up with my doctor. It's hard to tell how much of the weakness and twinging (especially if I apply any amount of force to my left thumb) is atrophy from not using my arm for several weeks, and how much of it is the injury still not healed. Fortunately, my right arm (mainly my elbow) and side are back to normal (which for my arm doesn't mean 100%, thanks to my old shoulder injury and RSI issues, but it's way, way better than it was).

I also wrapped up my wipbigbang draft, which reminds me that I need to check in over there. I have an action scene that's mostly undrafted, but I reached what feels like a good endpoint. I wish I had been able to convince myself not to turn the sequel into part 2 of a trilogy, but it is what it is.

I felt like there was something more to talk about, but I'm blanking on it, so I'll leave the post here. I hope everyone is having an excellent Tuesday (or Wednesday, if that's what it is in your timezone).

Current Mood: okay
Current Music: Crash Test Dummies - "At My Funeral"

I got my x-rays today, and the good news is that I appear to have no broken bones. I will need to wear the splint for awhile, and my right side is still pretty sore, but it's getting better (I think being in a familiar space and sleeping in my own bed makes a big difference to healing up).

This is the third time in less than seven years that I've caused a significant injury to my left hand while traveling. That's not a trend I'm particularly interested in continuing. But it's maybe inevitable, because I'm a bit klutzy, it's easier to get injured on unfamiliar terrain, and I've trained myself to fall onto my left side in order to protect my bad right shoulder. I hadn't thought of that last part until my doctor pointed it out today, but I'm pretty sure she's right.

Vacation has overall been very nice! Brunch and pool laziness on Monday, a day of total sloth on Tuesday, Wednesday-Thursday-Friday a good mix of relaxing and attending work meetings while making my co-workers jealous with my palm tree background and bird sounds. Also on Wednesday we went up the Palm Springs Tramway where we took in some really amazing views.

Today some of my friends went to Joshua Tree, but I decided I wasn't up for that because I took a bit of a tumble on Wednesday after dinner. ( Non-graphic medical details behind the cut )

Tomorrow we head home. Despite getting injured, overall it's been a wonderful escape. I would definitely do this again. And if you're ever looking to rent a house in Palm Springs, I'd recommend this one for sure - feel free to send me a DM and I'll give you the info.

Current Mood: mellow

( Vaccine news )

( Dayjob news )

( WorldCon news )

Current Mood: happy
Current Music: Pet Shop Boys - "Decadence"

Got my first vaccine shot yesterday! Pfizer, no real side effects so far (my arm is a bit sore and I had trouble sleeping last night). My second is already scheduled, for April 7th. I went to the state department of health site at Moscone Center in San Francisco, which is a well-oiled machine -- apparently, they're taking care of 7,000 people a day. Perhaps ironically, it's being operated by my health care provider... who won't schedule me for an appointment yet.

It doesn't feel quite real yet, maybe because my risk doesn't really drop for a couple of weeks, and realistically I'm not sure much will change in terms of my behavior even when it reaches full effectiveness in mid-April. But it's still a huge relief to have it done.

Current Mood: relieved

All my writing and posting plans have gone out the window, but I can at least manage to do a meme.

( Cut for length )

Current Mood: okay
Current Music: CA: The Winter Soldier soundtrack

Many of you have likely heard that most (maybe all by now) of the SF Bay Area is under a shelter-in-place order. Basically this means "don't leave your house, except for certain essential reasons." The list of what's considered "essential" is longer than you might think. You can read the full text of the San Francisco County order here, and I actually recommend it even if you don't live in SF -- the orders for the other Bay Area counties are nearly identical (I suspect it may be boilerplate from the state Department of Health) and it seems likely that similar rules will come down in other places. I actually found it rather calming. Maybe just because it's nice to have some official rules to follow for awhile, rather than the constantly shifting and sometimes conflicting information from various sources. And there are, as I've mentioned, a number of legitimate reasons for going out, including getting food and exercise (as long as you maintain social distancing). The order is for three weeks, through April 7th, but I wouldn't be surprised if it went longer. I'm going to miss socializing with people, but some plans are already on the books for virtual get-togethers (my Sunday TV nights, for one) and I'm sure more will come along.

If you need me, don't hesitate to ping me. Here, or via email, or on Twitter (iamkj ) are all good places to find me. And I'm going to do my best to post and comment more, because maintaining community during these hard times is one of the most important things we can do.

It was pretty obvious that this was going to happen, but my dayjob officially called it today: all staff will be required to work from home indefinitely, effective Monday morning.

With a bunch of help from T, I spent the last half hour or so getting myself set up at my desk, so I can switch between my work laptop and personal laptop with little trouble. I'm not really a fan of working from home, but of course I see the necessity. So I'll do my best, just like the rest of us.

This whole thing started with the cancellation of all office social events, including a game night on Tuesday. So a group of us played pictionary online at https://www.drawasaurus.org, and it was an excellent way to blow off some steam. We decided to keep it going, and now we have online gaming hours scheduled for three days next week -- more pictionary, Codeword, and charades, which ought to be entertaining via webcam. Whatever we can do to keep building community in isolation is certainly a good thing.

Current Mood: okay

As long as I'm here, I wanted to mention that my finger is healing well!

I saw the doctor last week and he was pleased with my progress, so he took me out of the permanent splint and put me in a plastic one that's easier to take off and put on. For two weeks, I'll wear it most of the time, taking it off to gently exercise the joint a couple of times a day. Then I'll wear it only while sleeping for another two weeks, and after that I should be done. The fingertip still droops a little bit, but less every day, and I'm now able to hold it straight with a little effort. So it's all good news, except that the new splint is actually harder to type with than the old one. But I'll take a mild annoyance for two weeks if it means I'm more likely to get full range of motion back.

Current Mood: relieved

I've been seeing this annual fandom celebration festival around for years, but I've never participated before. Given the current resurgence of Dreamwidth, and my desire to get more connected to fandom in this space, this year seems like the ideal time to give it a try.

Day 1: Talk about your Happy Place—the things that give you joy, calms you or keeps you sane.

I have a number of Happy Places. The corner of my couch downstairs, curled up with a book, a show, or a game, ideally with my spouse in the other corner and our cat snuggling between us. A couple of local cafes, with a cup of coffee in hand, a laptop in front of me, and a view out the window to watch the world go by. At a friend's house, or out to dinner with one person or the whole gang, sharing our lives and talking about the world. The private Slack where I spend most of my online time, where we've built a really fun and supportive community, where we can discuss almost anything. Out on the streets of San Francisco, soaking in the views and the atmosphere. Bryn Mawr College, my undergrad alma mater, which still feels like home every time I go back for reunion or some other gathering. No one of these places would suffice by itself, but all of them together make up a life that I'm quite pleased to call my own. It's a good life, really. Not a perfect life, but the one I've built, and it works for me.

Current Mood: content
Current Music: Suspicious Cheese Lords - "Te Deum"

A week ago, the for-profit art college where I used to work closed down. It was announced awhile ago, to give the school time to teach out the last few cohorts, but I'd forgotten that the closure was imminent until former co-workers started posting their farewell messages last week. The for-profit education sector is in big trouble right now, and properly so, and I'm not sorry to be long gone from that place (those of you who've been around for awhile probably remember how ready I was to be laid off -- can you believe that was over six years ago now? I've not-worked there almost longer than I ever worked there at this point), but it's still sad, for everyone who ever went there and all of us who were a part of that community.

In much happier news, T and I have now been together 20 years, as of Tuesday. (We count our dating anniversary from our second date, which was to his office holiday party at a science museum.) Although we didn't get married until 2004, I still find this anniversary significant, because we've been together continuously, solidly, ever since. Through all the ups and downs, I have never regretted choosing him, and that he chose me, and that we keep choosing each other every day. Here's to 20 more, I hope.

Current Mood: good

Part of the reason I've been somewhat scarce around here lately: Wednesday, on my way home from a work trip, I stumbled and fell in baggage claim. The upshot is that I tore a tendon in my left ring finger, so I can't straighten out the last joint (aka mallet finger -- note there is a non-gory but potentially disturbing picture on that page). So I'm going to be in a splint for about eight weeks. The emergency room confirmed that nothing was broken and put me in a whole-finger splint; today, I saw an orthopedist, who put me in a fingertip split. This is both more and less of a pain than when I had a fingertip split for a broken finger a few years ago -- less, because it's positioned so that I can use the pad of the finger to type and to grip things; more, because I can't take it off, ever. It's almost more like a cast than a splint, although the assistant did show me how to tape it up if it ever gets wet.

I'm still getting used to how typing works, so I may still be a little scarce here for a few days. Fortunately it doesn't really hurt at all. (I'm actually in more pain from the knee I banged up, but that seems to be getting better on its own.)

Current Mood: okay

I decided to take tomorrow off work, so my Thanksgiving holiday started today around 3pm, when I wrapped up at the office and took a late lunch. Things have been busy lately, so it'll be nice to get a bit more of a break than I have in awhile.

Not a total break, though, because my social calendar for the entire five day weekend got pretty booked up. This has been typical for Thanksgiving weekend over the last few years; I don't mind, because Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holiday. But this year it seems even busier than usual. Tomorrow we have friends coming up to the city for a museum visit and dinner. On Thanksgiving Day, our friend D invited us and some other friends to eat with her family at a Brazilian steakhouse, which while not traditional American Thanksgiving cuisine certainly seems to be in the spirit of a large, bountiful meal. My family gathering is on Friday in Santa Rosa, as had been usual in recent years -- my cousins L and M have decided they like hosting, but they have other family obligations on the official holiday. Saturday is the big traditional Friendsgiving hosted by R & S, and this year I'm going to go over early to help with the cooking. Finally, on Sunday I'm probably doing a craft show with D.

So, that's a lot. But it's a good a lot. I'm looking forward to it.

Current Mood: good
Current Music: "Somnabula" - William Orbit

I wish I could think/talk/post about literally ANYTHING else besides the terrible air, but it is difficult. The AQI (Air Quality Index) in San Francisco ticked up into the Very Unhealthy range yesterday afternoon, and there it is expected to stay for at least a little while. Turns out one problem with having bad air for a prolonged period is that the inside air also starts to turn bad, especially if -- like me -- you live in a place without filtered A/C. Ever stayed in a smoking room at a hotel, in the parts of the world where you can still smoke in hotel rooms? It's kind of like that, with the smell lingering in the air and sticking to your skin and getting in your mouth (seriously, I feel like I'm constantly tasting it, although I concede that this may be at least partly in my head).

Stanford cancelled classes today, but indoor events will go on, so our concert will continue as scheduled. At least it's in one of the newer buildings with a high-quality air filtration system, and the doors are meant to be light- and sound-tight, which limits the amount of outside air that can leak in. Our director sent an email letting us know that we could cancel if we felt it unhealthy to sing; I am unsure, but I was already down here by the time I saw it (I decided to work this afternoon, in part to catch up on things and in part to get out of my hours), so I figure I'll give it a try. I have water and cough drops, and can drop out if I have to.

It astounds me when I'm reminded that some people live in parts of the world where these AQI levels are just a fact of life. (The AQI page I linked above has a link to a FAQ about dealing with levels that are off their index, and it specifically mentions Beijing.) This live world map is both fascinating and terrifying. Not that I was exactly dismissing this danger before, but it will never not be real to me again.

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Whatever is playing in this Starbucks

I have been present, just busy, especially as dayjob work has gotten decidedly more busy in the last two months, a state of affairs I expect to continue through the end of the year. Also reading, and I finally finished Star Trek: Voyager, about which I feel like I ought to have more to say (and maybe with more marinating I will), and simultaneously reveling in and trying to avoid news/politics/current events. Finally, I'm in the process of switching up some medications, which is always a fun time but never very interesting to talk about. So I have both too much and not enough to say, which is how I end up not posting for what, a week and a half?

Anyway, as usual when I seem to have fallen off the face of the earth, I promise that I have not. I'm still here, reading and listening and even occasionally commenting. I hope all is well with you, especially anyone on the East Coast and in the path of the storm. Hugs to all.

Current Mood: okay
Current Music: "Aquarium (Remix)" - William Orbit

1. Well I sure haven't been around much lately, have I? Does that even count as a thing, or is it just making an observation? Well, anyway, hello. I feel like I am only just now digging myself out of the pit that the flu dug for me. I started coughing on Sunday, 1/21, came home early from work the next day, and didn't leave the house again until Saturday. It was about another week and a half before I started feeling even vaguely close to my normal energy levels again. I'm close enough to entirely recovered now, but I still got very behind on life, and I sort of despair of ever catching up. Can we call a flier on the last four weeks and start over?

2. Olympics time! I kind of wish the Olympics had been two weeks ago because then I would have at least had something to do while I was lying on the couch all day. Anyway, I don't really understand this team figure skating event thing (I found this explanation from Deadspin helpful, but that doesn't tell me why they decided to do it, unless it was NBC going to the IOC and saying "figure skating brings in the best ratings, figure out a way to give us more of it")https://deadspin.com/how-seriously-should-we-take-figure-skatings-team-event-1822840248/amp, but there are worse ways to spend a couple of weekend days than watching a lot of pretty people do pretty things on ice. The Canadian ice dancers, Virtue and Moir, were like a level up to everyone else -- I loved everything about their act, from the choreography to the music choices to their attitudes. It was also pretty amazing to witness not just watch Mirai Nagasu hit her triple axel, but the reaction of the commentators, the crowd, and her fellow figure skaters to the feat. Secretly, though, I think my favorite performance of the team competition was the Italian figure skating pair, Valentina Marchei and Ondrej Hotarek. They absolutely nailed their performance, and they knew it, too. I'm sure a publicly available video will go up some day, and I hope I remember to post a link when it does.

3. However, I won't get to watch as much Olympics as usual this year, because on Thursday, T and I are heading off for a week! We'll be driving down to Los Angeles to visit museums and see a couple of his friends. Then we'll take a slightly longer drive back, stopping overnight in Paso Robles and doing some sightseeing along the way. I love road trips, so I'm happy to even be getting a mini one.

4. I neglected to mention here that the

ladybusiness Hugo recommendation list went up last week. If you're interested in what several of the editors are planning to put on our nomination ballots, check it out! Unfortunately, it's too late to sign up to nominate (the WSFS changed the rules and you now have to register by the end of the year, a change that was not well publicized), but if you want to vote on the final ballot, you can still join in.

5. I just discovered that TPR, one of my favorite game music remix artists, recently (well, not quite a year ago) put out an album of music inspired by Kingdom Hearts. It has been my companion for the last few days, along with some of his other collections. Definitely worth checking out his work if you enjoy downbeat and dreamy takes on game music. You will never think of the Shoopuf theme from FFX the same way again.

Current Mood: good

I am thankful for friends who invite us over for good food and good company, not just on special occasions but year round.

I am not at all thankful that the world is a garbage fire, but I am thankful for all the people who are stepping up to fight that fire, who are standing up and saying "No, this is not the world we want."

I am thankful for a loving and understanding husband, and for a family that I'm not too stressed out about spending the day with tomorrow.

And I am thankful for everyone reading this, whether we talk regularly or never. Thank you for being here, and for making the fandom and internet community my home.

Current Mood: tired

And I don't have much of anything to say. I get occasional attacks of vertigo and I've been fighting one for the last few days. Vertigo makes it hell to concentrate on much of anything, but writing is pretty much the worst. Here's hoping that tomorrow will be better.

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KJ

Entries tagged with personal

Is This Thing On?: Five Things Make an Extremely Belated Post

Five things make a post, December edition

Various and sundry

Injury update

Vacay update

Updates

Jabbed

Quarantine meme

Shelter

Here we go

Finger update

Snowflake Challenge: Happy Place

Endings and Not-endings

The finger

Extended holiday

Weather is the new politics

Hello

Five things etc.

Thanks

Bedtime...