This Monday was More So Than Most

I woke up today - which is good news, considering the alternative. It was about 7:00 a.m., which is also pretty good. Not early, but okay.

I thought, 'I might as well relax for another few minutes.'

Four hours later, my wife called me to lunch.

That extra sleep was probably a good idea. I'm running a slight fever - but may be getting rid of a nascent cold. Or something.

On the other hand, now there's catchup to do on my catchup.

Wednesday: This Day Went Fast

This day whizzed past. My wife and #3 daughter went out this morning for their usual Wednesday-morning-with-the-Sauk-Centre-Grandpa, and were off again for the last half of the afternoon, at a music lesson.

I got out for an exercise session. I think the things are helping. Some of the pulling, pushing, and turning seems to be easier now: which probably means I should put it up another notch.

#1 daughter showed up around noon. She came to pick up the laundry she'd done on Monday - and forgot to take with her. Also, she helped my wife with some of the re-organizing that's happening in the house.

Speaking of which, when I got back, Sunday night, I discovered that my wife had backed a hutch to the left side of the desk I use. It hides the clutter of cables that's behind the computer, and gives me a sort of 'office wall.' It actually helps me concentrate, I think.

And, the arrangement looks nice from the other side.

I see that I wrote, but didn't post, yesterday's entry. Clumsy. I think my wife's right: I do need more sleep.

Tuesday: Catching up, again

Tuesdays seem to be a challenging day for me. I'm getting caught up, again.

Actually, after this post, I will be caught up.

The day was beautiful, again. I didn't take a walk, though. I'm stiff and a bit sore around the lumbar region: probably because of that long, long walk I took yesterday. I don't regret the walk: But the next one I take will be a little shorter, I think.

I did, however, go to Fitness Guru, that exercise place. And, got some writing done.

Our son came back from school at the usual time today. He told me that his classmates have been talking about the Ash Street project - which gave him an opportunity to say that he lives on Ash Street. That seems to give him some notoriety, for the moment.

#2 daughter had her talk with #3 daughter and my wife again today. And, as a sort of treat, I got to talk to #1 daughter when she called. We had quite a log conversation before she noted that I sounded like I needed sleep. She's right, I think.

So, with that in mind: Goodnight.

Monday: Unusually So

Toward the end of this morning, I felt a little tired, and decided to lie down for a few minutes. My wife woke me just before supper.

Then we had a rumble of thunder. Just one. It was, I think, the first this season: and enough to send us around the house, unplugging computers. It's part of our 'better safe than sorry' policy.

Supper followed, and some time spent quietly with the family. #3 daughter spent a great deal of time talking with #2 daughter on the phone. Our son and I read Garfield before bedtime, and I tried to catch up with on what I'd intended to do during the day.

Maybe I'll be caught up, sometime tomorrow.

Goodnight.

Monday: Learn Something New Every Day

"did you know there's a shortcut on the keyboard for logging off?"

"it's right here, clearly labeled 'log off.'"

My wife and #3 daughter went to Alexandria today, to get a file cabinet to #1 daughter, and get some shopping done. My wife brought a few more plastic storage units home.

This evening, while we were getting ready to read Garfield, our son noticed me going through the rather long process I use to log off a user in Windows XP.

He helpfully asked, "did you know there's a shortcut on the keyboard for logging off?" I grunted something about not knowing that. He stepped over, leaned past me and pointed to a button near the upper right corner of the keyboard. "It's right here, clearly labeled 'log off.'"

So it was: right between the button marked "calculator," and the one marked "sleep" - which I need at this point. Goodnight.

Tuesday: Getting Back to Routines

Overnight, I remembered/realized that the bulletin that I'd 'finished' last night had a set of really big errors in it. It's amazing, what a person will remember at about 3:00 in the morning.

Later, after sunrise, I made corrections, and discovered that I'd have had to reprint the press-ready copy of the bulletin anyway. The printer's black ink cartridge had come to the end of its ink.

I tutored this morning, went to an appointment with my wife, picked up a fresh ink cartridge, made made sure the corrections on the bulletin were correct, and asked my wife to take the final printout to the press. By that time I was overdue for a nap.

As I am now.

Actually, overdue to get to bed.

I'll be back tomorrow, I trust.

Friday: Distractions?

#2 daughter and I are still sorting things out. We talked with my father today: both a sociable chat, and later a more businesslike meeting with a lawyer. I'm enjoying this situation in a way: #2 daughter and I have had some really good talks today. And, of course, there's seeing my dad.

On the other hand, I'm probably distracted. Or something. At the medical facility, on our way out, I

• Put on my cap
• Looked at a poster my daughter pointed out to me, of a young man rather protectively holding an infant
• Started searching my pockets for my cap

Then, in the parking lot, I discovered that I'd left the keys in the ignition of the van. Again. I'd pulled the same trick Wednesday.

Once back at my father's place, I turned off the engine, picked up my cane with my left hand, put the keys in my left hand (not going to forget those again!), looked between the driver's seat and passenger seat, and asked #2 daughter if I'd brought my cane with me.

#2 daughter says I need more sleep. She's probably right.

Goodnight.

It was Friday When I Thought of Writing This

Thursday wasn't one of my stellar days. I wrote about the work/business part of it over in Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind."

The high point of the day for me was going to our son's parent-teacher conference. That was the first extended conversation I'd had with his teacher. We covered the doing-well/doing not-so-well stuff, with only a few major digressions: not bad, when I'm involved in a conversation.

Back home. I reported on what we talked about at the p-t conference, enjoyed supper, and got back to the frustrating processes that had been plaguing me for two days.

Around 10:30, I'd gotten around to my second try at making an animated gif file out of a video clip. It's simple, as long as you know what you're doing. Which I, at that point, didn't.

After a while, I figured that I'd better check the time. it was about 2 in the morning. No wonder I was feeling a bit sub-par.

This morning (I'm writing this really late Friday night), I discovered that there's a difference between now, and when I was in college the first time around. Somehow, the intervening thirty-some years haven't improved my ability to spring back from an all-nighter.

Good grief. I did it again, today.

Good night. Or, more accurately, good morning.

Not Losing Sleep Over This: I Deliberately Ignored It

Sleep, that is.

Last night, and this morning, I finished getting about an hour of video ready for my Central Minnesota Theater. I'd taken video of Sauk Centre's Sinclair Lewis Days back on the 21st, and wanted it ready for my regular Sauk Centre Journal Wednesday entry.

(Am I shamelessly plugging my pages? You bet!)

The point is, I got about four hours of sleep last night, and didn't put in a full night's worth the night before.

I wouldn't be too surprised if my body lodges a formal complaint over this, but figure that a few good nights' sleep will bring me back to my usual level (or lack) of efficiency.