Done Since 2019-07-14

[mdlbear]

Sort of a mixed week health-wise; otherwise a pretty good week. Colleen and I went to the Whidbey Island Fair yesterday and had a good time.

Colleen's been getting stronger -- she even sat down at her sewing machine and finished a dress (which she wore yesterday at the fair)! But last night she started having weakness in one of her knees. That's very worrying. I had to scramble both last night and this morning to get her a wheelchair -- she insisted on trying to make the walk by herself. Because cat.

Meanwhile, I've been having some trouble with my right TMJ. My first encounter with that troublesome piece of anatomy was way back in July of 2002. So 17 years ago this week. I haven't actually dislocated it since that first time, but it's worrisome. I've also been having some back (QL) pain, so I've been using a heating pad, which means that Desti has been stealing my chair more often than usual. Because cat.

According to the DASS (42) depression/anxiety/stress scale I have only mild anxiety, mild-to-moderate depression, and moderate-to-severe stress. That seems to match my (introspective) experience better than the results I've been getting recently from the PHQ-9 and GAD-7; it seems that what I've been interpreting as symptoms of anxiety and depression are also symptoms of stress. Oh. Right. See last week.

I did a little more writing this week than usual, with a post on the Livejournal Password Breach and Rubber Duck Therapy, plus the (obvious and inevitable) Songs for Saturday on the 50^th anniversary of the moon landing. I had just moved out to California for grad school at the time.

I also finished my bilingual (Middle and contemporary English) read of Pearl. I read the original on Robbins Library Digital Projects, which has a good set of notes, and paired that with Bill Stanton's prose translation (better and much closer to the original wording than his verse translation).

The day after Bastille Day I started trying to re-learn French, and signed up for Mondly. It's completely useless for pronunciation, and almost as bad for writing/spelling. Not nearly as good as I expected from Bloomberg's review. Perhaps it's gone downhill in the last 2 years?

Notes & links:

0714Su Bastille Day
  & Up 4am; S=5:03; shower
  % mouth dry, so went out and got water.  Back still hurting
  @ The Surprising Boost You Get From Strangers - WSJ
  & moved (back) to the bedroom because Desti usurped my desk chair while I was making
    breakfast.  Possibly because I'd been using the heating pad for my back.
  % noonish: back not hurting except when I stand for too long.
  * change subscription for cat treats
    : Apparently Desti likes only beef treats, and Ticia likes only chicken.
  ~ We'd talked of going to the Whidbey Tilth farmer's market, but C wants to save my back
  * get Random Factors shipment of CC&S ready for mailing.  Update invoice.
  & Put the ~hsx directory under git control
  * SL: prescription for C; grated cheddar, coffee, corn chips, 4 avocados, miracle whip,
        sweet pickles, x cherry pitter, & tequila, marguerita mix, Mexican grated cheese
  * making Welsh rabbit for dinner
  & and avocado, tomato, onion, and basil salad, because C wanted something green.  Not
    sure that's green enough to count, but whatever.
  : Desti usurped my chair again.  This time I was able to move her to my lap, but after a
    while that started to hurt.

0715Mo
  & awake 3:10ish - C got her drain line tangled with a heating pad power cord.
    -> she got herself untangled about the time I woke up and got there.
    -> no idea how she did that; removed the device since it wasn't being used.
  % 3:25 TMJ twinge when I yawned.  Definitely a problem there, so the headache etc. were
    most likely connected to a muscle spasm in that area.
  * up 7:30; S=7:12; 
  @ Why Do Stars Like Adele Keep Losing Their Voice? - The Guardian Thanks, Nancy!
  @ 42-question depression/anxiety/stress scale: DASS (42)
    " The DASS 42 is also available from the psychology department at the University of
      New South Wales and is available via their web site. This site provides more
      detailed information than here and was constructed by the developer of the
      scale. This site also provides the shorter DASS 21. The DASS manual can also be
      ordered via the DASS website. " broken links most likely due to case sensitivity
      -> my guess is that they switched their server from Windows or Mac to Linux.
    Depression Anxiety Stress Scales - DASS
    Download DASS forms
  : Signed up for mondly.com premium.  ~$50.  Have to watch to make sure it renews at the
    same price, since that's a 90% discount and it's not worth $500.  Have been through
    the first lesson.  At the beginner level because I thought I needed the review; not
    clear now.  *shrug*
  * mail 10 copies of CC+S to Random Factors 
  * hang out in WiFire for a while
  / C used her sewing machine!  First time in *months*.  Maybe years.  Put together a
    lovely purple (of course) sun dress that had been cut out earlier.
  / It is now a month since C was last discharged from a hospital (0616).  One more to go.
  @ Zoom Video Conferencing for macOS Also Vulnerable to Critical RCE Flaw

0716Tu Apollo 11 launched 50 years ago
  * Up 6am; S=7:12;
  @ Apollo 11 - Wikipedia
  @ Arduino from the Command Line: Break Free from the GUI with Git and Vim! | LJ
    arduino/arduino-cli: Arduino command line interface
  @ finished Pearl | Robbins Library Digital Projects (original ME, with good notes)
    translation by Bill Stanton
    I skipped Stanton's verse translation and just read the prose one, which is much
    closer to the ME original.  It's been >50years since I last read Middle English -- out
    of practice, but it did start to get easier.  Still missing a lot of vocabulary though
  * second day of using Mondly.  A little worried about whether it will let me use a
    keyboard -- it's basically a phone app.  At the point where I need to talk at it.
  @ Google Removes 'Don't Be Evil' Clause From Its Code of Conduct 
  * 2pm C home PT (Amy) 
  & intended to go for a walk.  Instead puttered in the garage for 2 hours.  Cleared the
    box with the cassette deck and VCR/DVD players; brought up a couple of glasses, out of
    the now-uncovered box of fragiles from the hutch.  Need one more each of large and
    small monogrammed glasses.
  " Why do I have an alarm set for 5pm on Tuesday?  Oh.  Bring up the garbage cans! ...
    Which is what I'm doing. " -- me
  * finished the first category (Hello) on Mondly.  Used the phone app for the
    conversation and vocabulary parts; it seems to work better on the phone.  The thing I
    hate is that there's no documentation/help at all that I've been able to find.
    The "conversation" part of the lesson merely lets you record and compare; there's no
    voice recognition.
  @ LiveJournal data breach impacts 33M users with plaintext passwords (archangelbeth)

0717We
  * up 7ish; S=7:29; 
  ~ not going to:  Emmy and Martin's After Party
  * 1:30(V) C labs
  * change LJ password; update crossposting and make a test post.
  * bring in another couple of monogrammed glasses from the garage.  There are now two
    pairs, large and small, for civilized drinking in company.
  * charge C's scooter
  @ Apollo 11 in Real Time
  * finally finished fancyclopedia page edits.
  * Another Mondly unit.  Everything involving speech sucks.  You don't get to go back and
    correct mistakes in speaking or spelling more than once, which isnt enough.
  
0718Th-21Su Whidbey Island Fair

0718Th
  * Up 4:40; S=5:29;
  % 8ish still sleepy
  * 11am C home health nurse visit
    -> compression tubes for her legs; size F.  Take off and hand wash warm nightly.
       Moisturize before applying in the morning.
    -> order more non-slip socks
  : Cygnus glitches and resets every time power is inserted or removed.
  * leave ~12:40
  / using a 18" wheelchair at the Freeland clinic; fits perfectly.
  / 1:30 C checkin for 1:40 with Dr. Rochier.  * (yesterday) Labs first
    stop Sodium Bicarbonate; keep Bupropion/Aripiprazole; stay off warfarin (no a-fib
    today) and humira
    -> she seems to be doing very well.  Kidney function normal; heart normal; no fever.
  % 3ish very sleepy
  * walk to Skybird.  Wore Keen slippers; should have worn boots.  But nice anyway
    Thoughts very scattered, as usual.  Flipping between in the moment and trying to start
    a train of thought but failing.
  : the YD called -- we are foster-grandparents for a couple of weeks.  They took in a
    17-year-old in their gaming group whose parent(s?) had thrown them out of the house
    and whose grandparents needed the time to make space.  It's a family tradition now.
    ! bemused and very proud
  " Well, there are two different kinds of solutions, to different problems.  There are
    the problems that you can't solve without specialized information or skills that you
    simply have no way of knowing.  The other kind are the ones that you actually can
    solve -- you have all the facts, and all you need is that one key insight that makes
    the solution obvious.
     The best way to tell which is which is to explain the problem in excruciating detail.
    Whether it's to a therapist, a 7cups listener, or a rubber duck doesn't matter.  If
    you get to a point where you can say to yourself "oh... right... of course!" you have
    one of the second kind.  If you don't, you need to put your rubber duck back in the
    bathtub and explain your problem to a human who specializes in that kind of problem,
    or can refer you to someone who does.
     That usually means a therapist; but a good listener may be able to ask questions that
    point you toward a solution.  A rubber duck is a little limited in that respect. But
    treating your journal as a rubber duck will give you a good description of the problem
    that you can hand to a therapist, which will save a lot of time. " -- me, on 7c
  @ learntolive.com/comprehensive-assessment (via 7c)
    " Based on your responses, you may be experiencing signs of moderate stress and mild
      anxiety. This may be a good time to take the Learn to Live Stress, Anxiety & Worry
      Program – this program will teach you proven tools to help you overcome your stress
      and anxiety. " also mild depression and social anxiety
  * French on Mondly.  Left the conversation for tomorrow morning when nobody will be
    listening. 

0719Fr
  * Up 6ish; S=7:27;
  @ The Chilling Song That Dominated the Charts During the Moon Landing - WSJ
    -> "In the year 2525"
    never heard it.
  @ Barriers to fitness: Overcoming common challenges - Mayo Clinic 
  @ Why the ‘Weird Internet’ of the GeoCities Era Had to Die
  * put on C's compression leggings.  Have to find a better moisturizer, and figure out
    how to do it without bending over.
  * leave between 11 and 12
  : Cygnus's keyboard is giving trouble again.  Oddly, I was able to log in 0n a console
  / 2pm C urology (Everett) Dr. Corwin. 4310 Colby Ave Suite 203
  * wheelchair at Norco - * call ahead.  18" probably the right size (see above_)
    -> 18" it is.  The street in front was blocked with construction; we ended up in the
       lot down below, which turned out to be the right place because that's where the
       loading dock is.
  & Linner at Gianni's on Rucker.  There's already a 2-hour line for the ferry.
    C had gnocci; I had eggplant parm.  Coffee and tiramisu for dessert
    -> line was down a little, but still almost back to the high school (it had been past
       it before, so...)
  : Cygnus's keyboard still recalcitrant.  Will try to re-seat it.  Sync first.

0720Sa moon landing +50
  * Up 5:30; S=5:45; cat cuddle ... cat boxen
  * Did everything on cygnus except re-seat the cable.  Maybe I should have tried that?
    -> keyboard still not working.
    -> The problem was, in fact, the cable connector.  One end of the lock bar was loose.
  * Whidbey Island Fair with Colleen.  Stayed 2-3 hours; took a scenic detour past the
    Coupeville ferry via Main St.
  % why do I have pain, and slight trigger-finger, in my left hand?
  * s4s: The Eagle Has Landed.  Bonus: 2525
  @ posted: Songs for Saturday: The Eagle Has Landed
  & slowly converging on an X230 laptop.  The convertible is larger and heavier, so it's
    out.  Still waffling on i5 vs i7 (looks like i5 is slower; lower power) and SSD vs HD.
    May as well go straight to 16G of RAM.  And then of course there's my usual reluctance
    to spend money on something that I might not really need.  Do I?  Damned if I know.
  : Tried new batteries in the swiffer mop -- still doesn't work.  So I'll have to get a
    new one.  Also, it's leaking.
  % spending altogether too much time reading descriptions of thinkpads.
    Also, the X1 Carbon is a possibility.  Larger screen, but lighter. first or third gen;
    avoid the 2nd gen because of weird keyboard.  Not as much I/O as x230
  * most of the languages and countries module on mondly -- stopped at the conversation as
    usual.  Skipped the microphone bits; may want to go back and practice some of that.
  / C having trouble with her knee.  Called for me to follow her with the wheelchair, but
    only after she was already in considerable trouble.  Thank goodness for the new chair!

Comments

[rainydaysandmondays]

I hope your Colleen is ok. :( Is this LJ pss breach recent?

[mdlbear]

More or less okay; she's been getting a lot stronger, but started having trouble with one knee yesterday, which means she might not be able to walk enough.

The breach was 5 years ago, though only discovered recently. If you changed your LJ password any time in the last 4 years or so you're okay as long as you didn't use the old one anywhere else.

[rainydaysandmondays]

I hope Colleen gets better :) I just joined LJ maybe a couple of years ago.

[mdlbear]

You should be okay. It's still a good idea to use a different password for every site.

[rainydaysandmondays]

I need a password storer bc my brain isn't all there sometimes.

[alatefeline]

It is good to hear from you. I am glad Colleen is having some good experiences lately. Stubborn wonderful cat! You can tell her I said hello and send my love.

It's wonderful to read of Colleen's regeneration!

[jesse_the_k]

Sewing!

Craft fair!

When it comes to psychiatric self-tests, I found the Geriatric Depression Scale helpful because it accounts for the baseline fatigue and pain that being this damn old seems to entail.