Resliency, Rentals and Dual Radeons

The word of the week is resilient.

Sept 12 – Strained

If it seems sometimes like I don't have anything momentous to write in my blog, it's not for lack of trying, I assure you.

For the last month, I've simply been trying to 'reset mysef' back to a state of balance. The lack of exercise( and too much sitting at work )has negatively affected my body, as you may have read in the last few blog entries, but thankfully I haven't felt anxious about the situation. In fact, I haven't been majorly anxious in over four months time, for which I'm extraordinarily grateful.

Unfortunately, this week I discovered that my time spent at home with my left leg awkwardly elevated( to alleviate the strain on the tendon )has resulted in a compensatory effect: the muscles on the opposite side of my body have been strained.

All this last weekend, I've been hard-pressed to find a comfortable position sit in, due to the strained muscles on the right side of my abdomen. It's annoying, but at least I recognize what's going on and I've been able to treat it with a combination of heating pads, ice and regular gentle movement. It has made for some difficult nights in which I've woken up often in pain, but it's fortunately not been anything I couldn't get back to sleep after an hour or so.

It's just another frustration as I try to get back to balance and get rid of these random biological distractions. I'm sure if I was 20 years younger, I have just shrugged all this off and managed to be productive, but I'm not and I haven't. The thought has not escaped me that at my MMart job of over a decade, while it had its downsides in terms ofupper-back muscle knots and wooden-leg syndrome, at least I was standing...

Sept 13 – X-ray Books?

What if you could read a book without opening the cover?

Imagine being able to scan entire library's worth of information simply by passing the books underneath a machine that can read each page individually, without needing to 'see' them one at a time, like a traditional scanner or camera would.

Such is the premise behind a device recently invented by MIT, which uses precisely-focused x-rays to read pages inside a closed book. The device's sensitivity is fine enough to distinguish between the density of ink on a page versus blank paper, and so when combined with specialized software, can 'read' what's on the page... all without having to actually flip the pages. Amazing!

Right now the technology is limited to a 'depth' of less than 20 pages, though as the research continues, that will only improve. I'm reminded of a similar technology from one of my favorite sci-fi novels by Vernor Vinge called Rainbow's End, in which an entire library is shredded inside a giant scanner lined with 1 million tiny cameras. The shredded bits of each book are reassembled by software run by a massive supercomputer, which reassembles them into individual pages and books - again, an amazing, if currently impossible, feat of technology.

Now if only they invented something that would help me read a book in minutes instead of hours...

Sept 14 – Crossfire Success!

Warning: Heavy G33k-talk below...

It works! My on-the-cheap video computer upgrade is a total success! For a mere $33.00 all-in, I've managed to almost double my computer's video processing speed, meaning that I've given new life to my system in playing the half-dozen or so games I've been currently poking around with this last year or so.

It may not look like much, but it's got it where it counts - x2!

As you can see from the picture above, there are now two 5770 video cards in my computer. I had the foresight back in 2012 to purchase a motherboard that could support dual video cards, which was only just then becoming a mainstream feature. I also made sure that my power supply could handle two cards and, as it turns out, it's more than adequate. With two cards, my system draws only around 300 watts when running full-out, and my power supply is rated to easily supply more than twice that at full load - huzzah for proper planning!

With the two video cards now in a Crossfire setup( meaning each card alternates in drawing frames of video to share the load )my system no longer has a bottleneck for the video. As the image below shows, before the upgrade, my CPU was peaking at around the 80% range while the video card was hitting 100% usage, causing severe framerate stuttering in games:

Once my on-the-cheap used AMD CPU( another mere $75 )arrives in the mail from China  in about a month or so, I should be good to keep using my current setup for at least another one or two years more.

Sure beats having to pay around $1000 to upgrade my system to current 'midrange' computer specs... I'll take the $100 used-but-still good road, thanks.

Sept 15 –  Muzo: No noise?

I keep looking for noise cancellation solutions for my apartment.

The latest one I've come across on IndieGoGo.com is the $160.00 USD Muzo, which purports to be able to create a 'sound bubble' that the user can customize to their needs. You are able to select one of three modes: Serenity, Sleep or Secret, the last of which is rather interesting - I'll mention it again in a moment.

As with all active noise-cancellation technology, the Muzo contains powerful software and hardware that 'reads' the ambient noise of its environment and actively cancels that noise by emitting frequencies of the exact opposite wavelength. The Muzo makes a case for itself to do a better job by utilizing any flat surface to resonate as a speaker for those frequencies, increasing its effectiveness. Having had a 'surface speaker' myself a few years ago, I'm familiar with the technology and can attest to its functionality, though I can't say that the small $25 unit I had at the time could outperform a dedicated, traditional speaker of the same size.

All the same, the Muzo is interesting not just for its noise-cancellation abilities, but also for the 'Secret' mode it touts. When selected, it actively mutes the conversation beyond a few feet, allowing people to converse privately even in public spaces - fascinating! I'm not sure that I would have need of such a feature, but it's interesting that the technology involved can so easily be adapted to such a revolutionary function.

At the moment, spending that amount of money( however good a deal it is! )simply isn't in the cards for me, but it bodes well for the near future, as it shows noise-cancellation technology is becoming more mainstream and therefore ( hopefully )more affordable.

Sept 16 – Good News on Rentals

As Tom Petty said: The waiting is the hardest part.

In the next two or three years, hundreds more rental units are slated to come online in Victoria. The normal cycle is for new condominiums to be built, resulting in older units being converted to rentals by their owners, but that traditional model doesn't seem to taking place here in the city, thanks to the red-hot rental market, where single bedroom apartments in certain areas can go for around $1,400 or more, and that's before the possibility of bidding wars - scary.

The latest news is that a large, older hotel in a lovely touristy area of the city may be converted into over 200 rental apartments, though at this point there's no definite word on either how long that will take or what the final price per suite will be.

That's median... not what's actually FOR rent.

I've always found it interesting trying to find a balance between affordability and convenience when it comes to rentals, and what does pop to mind - strangely - are communes. Not the old farm-the-backyard with livestock in the living room model, but rather a group of like-minded people getting together to purchase a property with the intent to live there far more cheaply than they could by renting it from an investment-minded land owner or developer.

Of course, I still would prefer to pursue my small-size Tiny Home lifestyle, but it's difficult when there's no educated financial infrastructure in place at the banks... as well as a sizable deposit in my bank account which they'd obviously require.

So for now, it's just me keeping an eye on the rental marketplace, and thanking my lucky stars that I don't have to move so I can keep paying my well-under-going-rate rent.

Sept 17 – Daredevil

I couldn't resist.

This week, in par of my downtime each evening, I watched the first season of Marvel's Daredevil series on Netflix. Wow! I knew it would be good, from the recommendations of several friends, but I was impressed all over again after only the first six episodes.

What I like about the series is that it's part of the larger Marvel universe: we're given tiny glimpses of now and then every few episodes. but unlike the Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. series, it doesn't feel forced. We're firmly grounded in Daredevil's story, and it's focused on the battle between him and the antagonist, the Kingpin in the city of New York. While the show gets a little too graphic for my taste in parts, the story is excellent and the characters are engrossingly well-acted.

The title role of Daredevil is played by Charlie Cox, who starred in StarDust about a decade ago and brings a naïve yet intense performance to his character, Matt Murdock. Right now, I can really relate to Murdock, as he takes an incredible amount of punishment yet still gets up and keeps going, driven by his convictions.

I wish I could take that kind of punishment and keep going, yet it's inspiring all the same and on some level, Daredevil has helped me through this fourth trying week of recovery from my own physical difficulties.

Sept 18 – A few more steps...

I'm almost there.

Yesterday, I spent most of the afternoon out with my girlfriend, and left my cane in the car for almost all of that time - yay! While I'm not going to be moving at a fast clip anytime soon, this is a major step( pardon the pun )forward for me.

It's not to say that my left foot still doesn't hurt, but it's more than occasional( as in, at the end of the day )ache than constant pain, at least the way I'm taking it easy so I don't have a misstep. This past week at work, I've been getting up and walking around for 5 minutes every half hour, which everyone is more than fine with as it is helping me recover faster. While the backs of my legs do feel tight at the end of the day, they're not on fire like they were a month ago and I take that as a sign that I'm doing things right, though I always feel I could be doing better... but I don't want to push things: I'll recover slowly but surely, thanks.

Most days, MWO is about this fun...

Today is also the four-year anniversary of my playing MechWarrior Online, which kinda snuck up on me. The last month, I've actually joined up with a couple of regular players in a unit, which is also a first: normally, I'll just play random games and hope I do well, but since I'm trying to improve my game, it only makes sense that I play with other people who know what they're doing, so we can coordinate our actions. The fact that my computer's more responsive now thanks to the video upgrade also helps, though I'm still hitting losing streaks about half the time and have to  just step away, rather than keep watching my ratings drop.

All the same, it's the longest stretch that I've stuck with an online game apart from the first Neverwinter Nights, which is saying something. The fact that I probably spent about $50 a year or last four years on the game also says a lot about the new model of online gaming, where regular micro-transactions add up over time to far more than how the traditional 'pay-once-play-forever' model of video games used to be. Even a monthly fee of $15 seems exorbitant when you do the math over the long-term, but thankfully MWO is a free-to-play model where you can work your way up to buying things or plunk down some cash to save some time - it's not play-to-win, and I'll never play those kinds of games: it feels like cheating, and it is.

I like to lose fairly, and I'm learning not to do so often.

I'm looking forward to this week, as I only work four days thanks to my biweekly Friday off; last week was five days of busyness that thankfully didn't tire me out too much as my work team is quite competent now and we all share the load evenly even when it gets crazy.

Recovery, Retro Trek and Remembering

The word of the week is conundrum.

Sept 5 – Thunder, Thunder...

The recovery continues.

I haven't been using much of the RealHeal ointment this week, as I've discovered that the active ingredient( hemp oil )makes me nauseus. That's a shame, as it really seemed to work the last couple weeks, but the last three times I put it on, my stomach has not been happy for hours afterwards, so it's a no-go now. I've got a different ointment I'm using on recommendation from a lot of online research for people with plantar fasciitis injuries, so I should still be able to continue my healing this week.

Getting out of the apartment occasionally also helps, though I can't hobble too fast or too far. Cabin fever has been on my mind and thankfully my girlfriend has seen fit to take me out for the occasional dinner or brief outing lately.

I *love* this art style of the Thundercats!

One of the outings this week was to a local pawn shop, known for its sizable selection of inexpensive Blu-Rays and DVDs. Not that I need any more, but there's always the possibility of finding something I've been looking for on the cheap - and today I succeeded! I managed to pick up the complete first season of Thundercats for a mere $12, less than I've ever seen on eBay and no shipping charges on top, either!

I watched a few episodes and grinned like a kid again... it felt great.

Sept 6 – Ask and ye shall receive

Well, how's that for timing?

No sooner did I mention my desire last week for a How To Cosplay At Home book, and one appeared - on Kickstarter, at least.

They know what they're doing over there in Spain...

The page's English translation of the page looks a bit rough, but the actual content looks like it might be worthwhile.

As well, it's funny how often you find what you need when you stop looking for it. It seems to be the opposite end of the spectrum from searching for something, but in this case it was simply a "Hey, that'd be great..." thought I had. Then, lo and behold, exactly what I was looking for appears on Kickstarter. I also find it coincidental that they chose to use the exact same music in their video that I liked and used for my re-recording of a video from a few years ago...

There's quite a few cosplay books due to come out soon according to Amazon as well, but none of them have reviews yet, so in my opinion I don't know if they are worth the money for the content yet.

Kinda like this cosplay Kickstarter, so I'll see how it goes: there's 19 days left in their fundraising.

Sept 7 – Minimums

Well, it's a start.

Minimum wage in BC is increasing this week from $10.45 to $10.85 an hour, though it's nowhere near what it should be to keep pace with inflation.

As someone who has recently been paid minimum wage, I can say that even working full-time won't pay the bills, especially in a city like Victoria where it costs quite a bit more than an average for rent or mortgages. The recommended living wage for this city is almost $19 an hour, and that's just to ensure that the basics such as rent, food and utilities are covered.

AB has dedicated itself to $15 in the next few years - nice!

Taking the minimum wage up to $15 an hour will be a good start, as recommended by antipoverty groups. A statistic that made my eyes pop and that I can really relate to was that of the over 90,000 people in BC who are earning minimum wage, almost half of them are over age 25.

That's no wage with which to be working towards a decent retirement.

Sept 8 –  I'm a Mystery?

I saw a specialist today, and confused him.

It was a referral appointment to see if there was any causal relationship between my recent tendon issues and rheumatic / hereditary factors, which could have a role in explaining why simple activities( at least for other people )cause me major issues on occasion out of the blue.

Unfortunately, nothing conclusive came out of the meeting, so getting a second opinion seems to be the only option to continue this line of investigation.

On the bright side, nothing in my blood work shows that I have any abnormal factors to worry about in terms of joints; according to the specialist today, I have an excellent range of motion and show no signs of joint deterioration - hooray! In addition, the specialist was rather taken aback with all the medical-related things that happened to me in the last three years and was impressed that I was still mainly functional, apart from the recent tendon difficulties.

So it's back to square one.

I'll just focus on recovering for the next month, taking no chances. When I walk any distance for the next month, I'll be using a cane( partly for balance at this point )and ensuring that I go no further than the 15 minutes to work and back again. Slowly but surely all get back on track, as I can already feel the lower levels of energy from my lack of aerobic exercise this last month.

Once I'm back to being able to walk unassisted, I'll take it from there - slowly.

Sept 9 – ST: THOS Animated

Ouch...

It seems I'm not quite as far along in my recovery after the last three weeks as I thought. Even walking short distances yesterday with a cane( from home to the bus stop, to the doctor’s office, and 10 minutes downtown to another bus ) has caused my hamstrings as well as Achilles tendons to flare up, and I'm paying for that today. Damn.

At least being home, I'm able to put ice packs on the backs of my legs while reclining on the couch for 30-45 minutes at a time throughout the day, which has helped to reduce the inflammation and soreness considerably. Unbelievable.

So, while I was literally cooling my heels, I caught up on Star Trek: The Animated Series today. It was one of the few times I've binge-watched anything on Netflix, as I'm normally too busy... but today, my energy level was as low as my pain level was high.

It was a good binge, though!

I actually own the series on DVD, but have never got around to watching either of the two seasons to date. Netflix makes it easy: just queue up the next episode and let 'er rip! I was quite pleased with the quality of the video as well, in that there was almost no speckle or dirt whatsoever in any of the episodes, which was quite a surprise for animation that was made in the early 70s - well done!

As well, I noted that the series was made by Filmation, who would go on to create the massive number of episodes for the He-Man TV cartoon series in the early 80s. It was amusing that so many of the camera angles, animations and musical sequences were identical to He-Man, so much so that I smiled to see all the similarities.

By days’ end, I made it all the way through the first season, and was impressed. While not every episode was as good as I'd hoped for, enough were of such quality that I look forward to seeing the rest of the series. Some of the episodes were excellently written, exploring aspects of the original Star Trek universe that for various budgetary or political reasons the original show couldn't. It was a brilliant idea to use animation as a vehicle for those stories to be told.

It was also a great way to take my mind off things today.

Sept 10 – Cheap Crossfire

Hooray for local sales sites!

As you likely already know, I am an expert bargain hunter, at least from my couch. I prowl the local sale sites( VarageSale, UsedVictoria, Kijiji, Craigslist )hunting for used bargains on a weekly basis in order to stretch my monthly budget further for things that we need... as well some of the things I'd like to get but are far too expensive to buy new.

Case in point: upgrading my computer.

The last few weeks of putting my system back together as shown me that it's really getting long in the tooth, having been most recently upgraded in 2012 - an eternity in computer years. While I'm by no means a cutting-edge gamer, as I've mentioned recently my frustration with MWO is mainly due to the fact that the computer can't keep up with the game's action and so I tend to die a lot more than I should.

I do tend to plan ahead, and one of the features of the motherboard I bought back in 2012 was that it supports having two video cards, so that I could add one at a future date. Most people who go that route tend to buy less-than-cutting-edge cards in order to save a substantial amount of money, because putting two identical cards together gives quite a bit of performance for not-a-lot of dollars. Considering that I got my current video card on super-sale in 2013 for $130, soI think I did well. But finding that same card again for a bargain price has proven rather difficult - until today!

Four years later, the puzzle piece is found!

Tonight I spotted a used video card for sale on UsedVictoria.com for a mere $30( !!!! )and it was equivalent to my current card. I immediately sent an e-mail to the seller and he confirmed that it was working, so I arranged to pick it up( thanks to my lady! ) - score! After I tidied it up a bit( it was quite dusty )it looked brand-new and I'm excited to be able to get it working later this week, as all that was missing was the cable to connect the two cards together in my system. As the chart above shows, the two cards together should be comparable in performance to an Nvidia 760 card, cheap! The MSI card is still listed for over $100 on various sites - plus shipping and taxes. But having bought used AND locally, neither which I had to pay! BONUS: it's from the same maker as my motherboard!

Bargain hunters, eat your hearts out.

Sept 11 – Laserdisc 2112

I spent a good deal of today tidying up loose ends.

It's my last day before I go back to work tomorrow, and while my left foot's not fully healed, it only feels tight underneath rather than shrieking-sore with every careful step. I've been using my back massager on the underside of my leg( gently and only a few times a day )which has helped to loosen things up without pain, as a few runner's health sites have recommended.

I've managed to accomplish a fair number of things these last few weeks, though regrettably I didn't get nearly as much writing done as I'd hoped due to my constant yo-yoing from standing to sitting that sapped my lowered energy steadily. Neither did I get a lot of reading done to dig into my backlog of nearly 50 books that are sitting unread on my shelves, not to mention the various movies and TV series that are on my lists. It's rather difficult to watch a show or read a book while watching where you're going in a small apartment, moving around on your feet carefully with a cane.

All the same, I got enough done to feel like I haven't been wasting my time, though I certainly don't feel like I've been productive - understandable, I think.

During my down time, I did mean to watch a few laserdiscs, but I've not managed to get around to that either. What I did manage is to run across this extraordinarily amusing clip from a show I've never heard of called Regular Show - and I probably would still be unaware of its existence if it hadn't been for this particular episode, which perfectly sums up how laserdiscs fit into the world today in a hilariously over-the-top manner:

As well, today is the 15th anniversary of 9/11... that shouldn't go unremarked, nor shall it, at least not in my mind. Having been to New York a few times, once before and once after the tragedy, I'm always aware of how quickly our world can change. 

Hopefully, after 9/11, we can see to changing it for the better.

That's about all I've got for this week, as I'm going to try to get some early shuteye tonight in preparation for my first day back at work tomorrow - wish me luck!

Ceramics, Cosplay and Cabin Fever

The word of the week is fortitude.

Aug 29 – Emulating Nostalgia

Emulators can be fun, but are usually frustrating.

At least they used to be. If you're not sure what I'm referring to, I'm talking about software that lets you play older console +video games on a modern computer, with the physical hardware of the old systems being 'emulated' completely in software.

This is important, in that oftentimes the old hardware has died due to age or other complications( ie. your mom tossed it? )meaning that you can't play those old games that meant so much to you anymore without somehow locating new hardware for an exorbitant price on eBay.

Enter the emulator: Savior of the Casual Nostalgia Gamer, like me.

With a little time on my hands this week, I've been installing and playing emulators on my android tablet, seeing which ones do the best job of emulating the old hardware - specifically my TurboGrafx-16 console and my Amiga computer.

While there's no one single software solution to play both, I did narrow things down to two apps: ColEm for the TG-16 and UAE4all for the Amiga. I spent a few hours this week playing through some of my old favorites on the TurboGrafx, and realized that I'll need to find an inexpensive wireless gamepad to use with the Android tablet, as using the on screen control pad is really hard on the hands after a short time. The Amiga emulator was less successful in testing, but I'm working on it; no rush.

Overall, the experience brought a smile to my face this week: Devils Crush rocks! :-)

Aug 30 – Signifying Nothing

Annoyance and frustration still dog me, in that I'm all gimped out here at home and can't write because of my foot's persistent ache needing regular attention.

It all comes crashing down sometimes, the bad waylaying the good.

I was doing so well a month ago, then BANG out of nowhere this crap happens - again, just like it has before. Eating right, exercising, working hard at the job... apparently not in the right combo, because I injured myself.

It's maddening.

Four years ago, I started writing my novel, and a year ago I was derailed by a random deadly illness and still haven't made significant writing progress since. I'm not working myself into a froth here, but really... I fight through 8 months of panic attacks to get myself back to being steady and WHAM: foot injury out of nowhere. I'm limping around my house, unable to sit or stand more than 30 minutes at a time, out of fear it will make things worse, I can't get the massage therapy that would help me RECOVER because I can't afford it and my FRIGGING WORK INSURANCE WON'T COVER IT BECAUSE OUR PLAN IS 'WEIRD' ... according to the rep I spoke to on the phone - twice.

*deep breath*

None of the above helps. Yet I can't just smile it all away: the physical pain is there, right along with the frustration. So I pick off what I can from my daily To-Do Lists, ensure I eat and sleep right( propping up the foot )and entertain myself... then do it again the next day. At least I'm getting paid for the time off from work, but it feels like I'm cheating, and I HATE that feeling too: I want to work for my pay.

Writing about it in the blog here helps, and keeps me from triggering on all the small, silly daily frustrations: I can keep perspective, but it's hard.

Anyway. On with the week...

Aug 31 – Cosplay Lack

There's a definite lack of 'low-budget' cosplay advice out there. It seems most of the people doing cosplay these days who make more than one costume every six months have a superior set up for doing so to a large degree. By that, I mean that they have dedicated space for costuming, even if it's only a corner of their basement where they can keep their supplies and do their work on a regular basis.

For many other people, myself included, this isn't feasible, not the least because I don't happen to have a basement - or a third bedroom / den to work in, unlike this talented cosplayer( ZonZonZonbi ):

I think there's a healthy market for someone to create a "Costuming For The Average Cosplayer" guide or something to that effect, covering how to create decent costumes using your kitchen table and some basic materials. I've seen quite a few YouTube videos where the costume instructor is showing how to build whatever item they're talking about while surrounded by thousands of dollars of supplies and equipment which most people watching won't have access to - it's like showing someone how to build a toy inside a fully-equipped factory.

In any case, I think I did a dang good job on my USCM costume this year( especially with the significant help of my family during last week of preparation! )but there's no way that I can put together something like an Ironman suit that looks credible enough while painting surfaces by just using my bathroom as a workspace.

Progress is needed, but I'm not movingn aytime soon, so it's a moot point for now.

Sept 1 –  Insulating News

New month - good news!

Today my building's superintendent passed on a bit of good news: new high-efficiency windows are coming coming sometime in 2017 - yay! About time too, as I've been in this place for four years now and quite honestly the road noise is beginning to wear daily on me. The new windows will make all the difference in both terms of cutting down significantly on exterior noise infiltrating apartment as well as eliminating the drafts from the 1960s-era glass slabs that we currently have. I'll still likely have to put up some insulating film over the two front windows this winter, I think, in order to keep things warm.

My place's windows are on the left.

This is indeed significant news, since moving anywhere else in Victoria would be extremely difficult due to the current ultra-low 0.6% vacancy rate as well as being EFFING expensive! There are bidding wars taking place now on apartments all around the city, with the average two bedroom now going for around $1400 for a so-so place without more than the basics and in passable shape. Add in things like granite countertops or stainless steel appliances and you can bet that your monthly rent will be significantly more than most people take home in a paycheque after taxes - not a good thing in terms of the city's livability rating.

We're also into the cooler weather now, with the extreme heat of the last few weeks now giving way to cool winds blowing off the ocean along with rain, which is quite welcome after an extremely dry summer on the Island. I have to say that I find it easier to keep a place warm then try to keep it cool, and it doesn't hurt that we have free heat and hot water in this apartment either.

Sept 2 – Another Week?

A visit to the doctor today and some more frustration.

According to him, I have to spend another week housebound while trying to give my foot time to get back to normal. I'm not spending the whole day with my foot up, but rather alternating 30 minutes with it elevated and then about 15 min. of walking around in order to stretch the tendons ever-so-slightly without damage.

The total lack of massage therapy hasn't helped either. I should explain that my 'weird' health plan, while good for Dental( only every 9 months, which is indeed weird )will not cover the first $600 of massage therapy... making it a moot point to try to use, as each massage session is over $100. So I'm screwed that way for de-tensioning my hamstrings.

But I'm doing what I can; a friend recommended that I use a golf ball to roll under my foot, which I think is a good idea as long as I do it to gently and not often during the day. I can feel that my hamstrings are still extremely tight, moreso on my left leg, which has always been less flexible due to my breaking my femur when I was eight - one factor among many, I guess, in my current health puzzle.

At least I'm done fixing my computer and it's all set up the way I want it; better than before, I daresay. This week has seen me tweak it as I add little thing here and there to improve the functionality even more, but it's basically done, for which I'm grateful as it was a huge time sink last week.

Sept 3 – Getting Out

I think I'm getting a touch of cabin fever.

It hasn't been all that bad, I think, in that I've kept pretty busy these last two weeks, at least mentally. But staying home this much without getting out of a day to a different only serves to remind me that I'm not well and feeds right back into the cabin fever mentality.

So today my amazing girlfriend and I went to see The Secret Life Of Pets, to get me out of the house and pack in a few laughs while we were at it. No spoilers below, either.

The movie was quite funny and over-the-top ridiculous at times, to the point where my lady mentioned that it strained her limits of believability. I responded with the simple credo that it was an animated movie and they were allowed to stretch the bounds of reality a little more than usual for a laugh - which they did!

I really liked the energy of the film, which was a fun-filled romp from start to finish without telegraphing any of the plot points or expected moves that you might think would come up: it was really a surprise almost at every turn. I laughed quite a bit, as did the audience, in all the right points and really had a good time, which I needed.

Afterwards, we went for a drive along Dallas road to take in the sights. It's truly a breathtaking series of scenic views, with the incredible Olympic Mountains rising in the far distance above the clouds near their peaks across the far stretches of the azure-blue ocean. We even went up to the top of Mount Douglas just after the sun had set and I hobbled out to the railing to enjoy the view of the city spread out far below in the fading light: truly spectacular.

We're very lucky to live here.

Sept 4 – Mugging Myself

It was a cold morning, and I was feeling a bit down.

My mood the last few days has been somewhat mercurial, and while it's easy to think "I'll just focus on all the positives" the mood doesn't just wash away with a flood of positives: part of it is that my body chemistry is off due to a lack of exercise and elevated stress hormones, among other things.

Thankfully, my lady invited me out today to a ceramics workshop with some of her poetry friends and I accepted, just to get out of the house... and to spend more time with her too, for that matter - there's been too little of her company these last few weeks.

We went to Fired Up! which is a lovely little corner ceramics studio with room for several dozen people at the various tables inside. Having never been to one of these paint-your-own places before, I wasn't sure what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised by not only the selection of paintable ceramics, but the relaxed atmosphere: everyone was here to create, and it was as quiet a studio as I've every worked in.

We picked our items and quickly got to work.

I chose something simple: a mug, though one with a unique shape, and while I had to shift around regularly while I sat painting, I was able to concentrate on my work enough that I didn't feel frustrated at the total lack of artistic skill in my hands. I chose to create a Babylon 5 mug to complement the one already in my cupboard, with a B5 and Earth Alliance logos along with a phrase from the show.

After a few hours, I think my initial work turned out pretty well:

You can't really see the letters on the bottom, or the 5 on the other side - yet.

The mug's not finished, as there's still a lot left to do: I have to come back to paint the entire background of the mug black. It'll probably take another few hours again, as I have to do several layers in order to give a thick enough coating that it will look glossy once it is fired, not to mention the painstaking task of filling in around the yellow lettering of the phrase on the bottom.

We left for a delicious relaxed dinner at The Penny Farthing, and then I headed home, as my foot was starting to bother me again, having tightened up from a little too much sitting. So frustrating, and I can't really work on stretching it all that much as it's still tender underneath, even after two weeks of rest.

Though tomorrow is a holiday, I don't feel like I'll be relaxing much: I have to dig into editing my book's draft this week, working around my foot frustration as best I can in order to get some real work done and take my mind off my minor aches and pains.

Nobody wants to hear about a bad week, I know... sorry. I've had a lot on my mind - as always - and this foot thing is really bugging me, one more Distraction on my already-crowded Road Of Life. It's a great metaphor: full of potholes, detours, wacko drivers and all the other things that keep you from doing a little more than the speed limit towards your intended destination... but I persevere, because it looks really good up ahead.