Howard Dean, first in the hearts of his country peeps! (OK, so we inhabit a special country.)
For some reason last night I couldn't get my entries to stick. Odd. Doing well, weather has cooled off very nicely, CrossOver windows emulator for Mac works just fine for the Win XP program I am experimenting with. Had some weirdness with updating Mac last night too; wouldn't reboot properly. I will boot in safe mode and see if that fixes it. If not, I will investigate further tomorrow.
Social Security online application system rejected Miyoko's application--didn't consider her spousal benefits as they should have. Tomorrow I will call up the human beans at the local office and set up an appointment. This is probably why they say to apply three months in advance.
Son had an interview at the science museum last week. I guess it went pretty well. Today he has a "background check meeting". I always thought that was a "behind the scenes" sort of thing. Never imagined it would involve a meeting.
Woo! Twas chilly this a.m.: 41°! Which should have been terrific sleeping weather, but which wasn't, alas. Up at 4:30 for pain meds, back to bed at five, up at six thirty to let puppy out, wanted back in at seven, and we both went back up to finish the night's sleep. Last three hours the soundest of the night. Have been alternating max dose of naproxen and acetaminophen. One of either won't make it the whole night. And taking them together feels scary to me. The second lap, no matter which order I take 'em in seems to be the best stretch of the "night." But this is exhausting, in truth.
Today only peaking at 68° ~~ a real blessing, and the last preternaturally cool day for a while. May manage to get the table painted! The porch has been a projects dump for the past couple of years, but I'm beginning to be able to see an actual pretty and usable porch again. Adapted, of course, to the Goobey's needs and proclivities, lol!
Cat ~~ You should have gotten an e-amil from Chicon reminding you of the Hugo voting deadline. That contains all the information you need to download the Hugo packet, if you haven't already done so -- I haven't heard anything from you about this. If you didn't get the e-mail or there is any other problem, plase let me know.
Cat ~~ I will certainly do my best to make it a great con. [big grin] We are particularly happy about the attendance. There has been a perception that Wroldcon attendance has been dropping for the past 2 or 3 decades. But we are looking at 6000, maybe more, which would probably be the third largest in history. The relatively small Worldcons of recent years reflect the choice of location.
Incidentally, it you couldn't persuade your muggles to visit Chicago this year, do you think you can persuade them to visit the Alamo next year? What sort of vacation do they usually take?
My mugglees don't take vacations. They/we never go anywhere...literally. Sunday's trip to the park/zoo with Patty and her family was the first time I had been out of the house in I don't know how many months. Probably since we buried Binky in September. On the way back to the house Sunday I got Peter to take me over to visit Binky for a few moments, the first time I'd been able to visit her.It was very hard, but I'm glad I was finally able to do it.
We're going out on Saturday, to visit friends and go with them to a concert. It will be an all day affair, and probably very tiring, but I'm looking forward to seeing Chris and John. My mother doesn't like their girls and thinks they stay too long when they visit, so she won't allow them to visit at all. It has been several years since I've seen them. Of course we talk on the phone and on Facebook, but still, one likes to actually be with one's friends sometimes.
Listener, putting your friend who is losing his sight in touch with Bill is an excellent idear.
As to the Mass. Commission for the Blind, they are not my favorite bunch of people. At the same time, I haven't dealt with them for some years, so perhaps they have improved. Just tell him to be wary and not to accept everything they tell him as gosppell. A number of companies offer products for the blind; he may be able to get a directory of such companies from the Commission. I had such a directory years ago, but don't recall where it came from.
If he needs computer and tech type stuff, IRTI, GW Micro and AI Squared are all online. I've dealt with all of them and find their products and services of good quality.
The Hadley School for the Blind offers a slate of excellent, free courses, including ones on braille literacy, using the Cramner abacus and various daily living and coping skills. IIRC they have one on Macular Degeneration. I can highly recommend Braille Reading 1 and 2, Braille Writing and Abacus 1 and 2. Haven't taken the practical courses such as Self Esteem and Adjusting with Blindness, Low Vision or Independant Living, but I am sure those are of equally high quality. They also have courses such as Going Places and a physical fitness course as well as ongoing seminars on various aspects of living a fulfilling life despite vision loss. Such courses and seminars will also help him and his family find out what's out there, what's possible and how to go out and get it.
I believe the NFB also has courses, but I've never taken any of them. Also, IIRC you have to pay for them. He might want to get in touch with the state affiliates of the NFB and the CAB - Can't quite remember what the "C" stands for in CAB. Googling "Organizations for the blind should bring up both the NFB and the CAB. There are also Mass. state organizations for the blind where he might be able to get info and resources.
I'm reading Gulf by Robert Heinlein in a volume called Assignment in Eternity. Overall I'm enjoying it, though the scene in which the girl is tortured to death disturbed me mightily, the more that it is left almost entirely to the imagination. That poor girl is gonna haunt me, I'm sure.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its equals are very violent. The violence mildly disturbed me at the time, but it hasn't stayed with me, possibly because it was explicit. One read it, one saw it, it finished. The horrors inflicted on the unnamed girl in Gulf were too appalling for print. Of course, there's something like sixty years' difference between the publications of the two books. Intellectually I understand that and understand that if Heinlein were writing today, he would be free to make his violence and his sex too as explicit as he could possibly wish. But the emotional impact of the two styles, leaving nothing to the imagination and leaving almost everything, remains quite striking. The latter is a great deal more frightening.
Howard Dean, first in the hearts of his country peeps!
ReplyDelete(OK, so we inhabit a special country.)
For some reason last night I couldn't get my entries to stick. Odd. Doing well, weather has cooled off very nicely, CrossOver windows emulator for Mac works just fine for the Win XP program I am experimenting with. Had some weirdness with updating Mac last night too; wouldn't reboot properly. I will boot in safe mode and see if that fixes it. If not, I will investigate further tomorrow.
Social Security online application system rejected Miyoko's application--didn't consider her spousal benefits as they should have. Tomorrow I will call up the human beans at the local office and set up an appointment. This is probably why they say to apply three months in advance.
TTFN
Absolutely! We live in Deanland... don't I wish!
DeleteSon had an interview at the science museum last week. I guess it went pretty well. Today he has a "background check meeting". I always thought that was a "behind the scenes" sort of thing. Never imagined it would involve a meeting.
ReplyDeleteGo figure.
DeleteWoo! Twas chilly this a.m.: 41°! Which should have been terrific sleeping weather, but which wasn't, alas. Up at 4:30 for pain meds, back to bed at five, up at six thirty to let puppy out, wanted back in at seven, and we both went back up to finish the night's sleep. Last three hours the soundest of the night. Have been alternating max dose of naproxen and acetaminophen. One of either won't make it the whole night. And taking them together feels scary to me. The second lap, no matter which order I take 'em in seems to be the best stretch of the "night." But this is exhausting, in truth.
ReplyDeleteToday only peaking at 68° ~~ a real blessing, and the last preternaturally cool day for a while. May manage to get the table painted! The porch has been a projects dump for the past couple of years, but I'm beginning to be able to see an actual pretty and usable porch again. Adapted, of course, to the Goobey's needs and proclivities, lol!
Cat ~~ You should have gotten an e-amil from Chicon reminding you of the Hugo voting deadline. That contains all the information you need to download the Hugo packet, if you haven't already done so -- I haven't heard anything from you about this. If you didn't get the e-mail or there is any other problem, plase let me know.
ReplyDeleteBill, I got the e-mail and voted earlier this afternoon.
DeleteAlso looked at the con's Facebook page. Sounds like it's gonna be a great con.
Cat ~~ I will certainly do my best to make it a great con. [big grin] We are particularly happy about the attendance. There has been a perception that Wroldcon attendance has been dropping for the past 2 or 3 decades. But we are looking at 6000, maybe more, which would probably be the third largest in history. The relatively small Worldcons of recent years reflect the choice of location.
DeleteIncidentally, it you couldn't persuade your muggles to visit Chicago this year, do you think you can persuade them to visit the Alamo next year? What sort of vacation do they usually take?
DeleteMy mugglees don't take vacations. They/we never go anywhere...literally. Sunday's trip to the park/zoo with Patty and her family was the first time I had been out of the house in I don't know how many months. Probably since we buried Binky in September. On the way back to the house Sunday I got Peter to take me over to visit Binky for a few moments, the first time I'd been able to visit her.It was very hard, but I'm glad I was finally able to do it.
DeleteWe're going out on Saturday, to visit friends and go with them to a concert. It will be an all day affair, and probably very tiring, but I'm looking forward to seeing Chris and John. My mother doesn't like their girls and thinks they stay too long when they visit, so she won't allow them to visit at all. It has been several years since I've seen them. Of course we talk on the phone and on Facebook, but still, one likes to actually be with one's friends sometimes.
Sorry to have rambled and ranted so.
Not rambling at all. It's interesting to get an insight into how others live.
DeleteListener, putting your friend who is losing his sight in touch with Bill is an excellent idear.
ReplyDeleteAs to the Mass. Commission for the Blind, they are not my favorite bunch of people. At the same time, I haven't dealt with them for some years, so perhaps they have improved. Just tell him to be wary and not to accept everything they tell him as gosppell. A number of companies offer products for the blind; he may be able to get a directory of such companies from the Commission. I had such a directory years ago, but don't recall where it came from.
If he needs computer and tech type stuff, IRTI, GW Micro and AI Squared are all online. I've dealt with all of them and find their products and services of good quality.
The Hadley School for the Blind offers a slate of excellent, free courses, including ones on braille literacy, using the Cramner abacus and various daily living and coping skills. IIRC they have one on Macular Degeneration. I can highly recommend Braille Reading 1 and 2, Braille Writing and Abacus 1 and 2. Haven't taken the practical courses such as Self Esteem and Adjusting with Blindness, Low Vision or Independant Living, but I am sure those are of equally high quality. They also have courses such as Going Places and a physical fitness course as well as ongoing seminars on various aspects of living a fulfilling life despite vision loss. Such courses and seminars will also help him and his family find out what's out there, what's possible and how to go out and get it.
I believe the NFB also has courses, but I've never taken any of them. Also, IIRC you have to pay for them. He might want to get in touch with the state affiliates of the NFB and the CAB - Can't quite remember what the "C" stands for in CAB. Googling "Organizations for the blind should bring up both the NFB and the CAB. There are also Mass. state organizations for the blind where he might be able to get info and resources.
I'll pop by on Wednesday with responses. Ever so tired tonight. ♥
ReplyDeleteWill have a new Ally updte with photo too. Worth waiting for.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to it, Listener.
DeleteI'm reading Gulf by Robert Heinlein in a volume called Assignment in Eternity. Overall I'm enjoying it, though the scene in which the girl is tortured to death disturbed me mightily, the more that it is left almost entirely to the imagination. That poor girl is gonna haunt me, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its equals are very violent. The violence mildly disturbed me at the time, but it hasn't stayed with me, possibly because it was explicit. One read it, one saw it, it finished. The horrors inflicted on the unnamed girl in Gulf were too appalling for print. Of course, there's something like sixty years' difference between the publications of the two books. Intellectually I understand that and understand that if Heinlein were writing today, he would be free to make his violence and his sex too as explicit as he could possibly wish. But the emotional impact of the two styles, leaving nothing to the imagination and leaving almost everything, remains quite striking. The latter is a great deal more frightening.
On a more pleasant note, today I got to try Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Therapy. It is definitely what the doctor ordered. 8)
ReplyDelete