Of Moose And Men
The Best Laid Plans Of Both Often Go Astray

First purposeful walk on the treadmill after the cold. Bugged the hell out of my knee afterward, but some time spent beating up my shins and quads with a foam roller helped tremendously with that. As did ibuprofen. Here’s hoping there’s not a repeat cold any time soon; I’m tired of not breathing clearly.

The husband and I had lunch with friends to plan a trip to Boston this fall. Then I made some good progress on the next book for my leadership class while the husband was out a movie with another friend. He’s more the social butterfly these days, which is a good thing. Monitored some work stuff that’s pending for implementation tomorrow. I don’t know that 47’s team will appreciate how much people do at odd times because we have the equipment at home because of teleworking, and how much that capability will dry up because many people won’t bother taking laptops home just to haul them back to the office the next day. Oh well.

I had rough plans with a friend this weekend while the husband is down at MAL, but as usual with this friend a house emergency came up (leaking roof this time) so I’m flying solo. I told the husband I looked forward to him complaining about the number of comics I’ll read this weekend (complaining because he then has to sort and file them all at once).

Spent the work day on a last minute emergency that is only an emergency because a) lawyers who worked at the agency before me gave bad advice; and b) our public affairs shop can’t plan things in the normal federal budget cycle. The agency has an anniversary next year with a big number and what should have happened was that planning should’ve started 2-3 years ago so that we could’ve asked for the budget authority to do the big shindig they now want to hold, but which they didn’t start planning until last year (an agency develops their budget plan each spring for the fiscal year that starts almost two years later; so for 2025 they would’ve had to develop it internally back in the spring of 2023). When they did approach me about it, I got to tell them that no, we don’t have any authority to pay for food for a shindig, and in fact there’s a statute that affirmatively says we may not pay for food for a shindig, and by the way here’s the two Justice memos that back me up on this. The previous lawyers had told them that a certain pot of cash we have didn’t have to follow the normal rules, which is horse shit. I did tell them how to get the authority to pay for food (ask for a one-time increase in a special reception budget, or ask for permanent authority to pay for food at shindigs. Or, preferably, both), and I’ve told this to everyone in management who will listen, but the game of telephone based on the previous bad advice is still going strong and people don’t want to hear the bad news. Oh well.

Had another couple we’re friends with over this evening, and made some new dishes (a maple glazed pork loin with Swiss chard & carrots; roasted broccoli; and lemon & parsley quinoa). They turned out well, for the most part, and were well received. The broccoli was a trifle overdone in spots (overly hot burner while pan roasting), but still tasted good. Then we played a couple riffs on queer versions of apples-to-apples that we picked up at the end of the year. Fun time.

Last day of work for the week was good. Nice chat with a new coworker, talked over some stuff that’s going on with transition, and made plans to address at least one of them with a couple quick meetings next week (because, putting on my former information lawyer hat, one should never create more written records when a conversation is better suited to the topic). Also talked about how I’m not completely clear on what my role is going to be going forward as a big part of my portfolio is moving over to another attorney who just started. I’m okay with the hire, just in a bit of limbo over the scope of my duties at the moment.

The week between Xmas and New Years can be an odd one. Cleaning up from Xmas, figuring out where new things need to go. Finishing off leftovers. Etc.

Two weeks on the new drugs, and also dropped a decongestant that I’ve been taking for forever (20 years?) because it can raise BP. Other than the withdrawal from the decongestant (felt like a bad head cold, especially on day three), things have settled in. Of course there’s a weird paranoia that comes with having had a TIA – is any odd sensation, which would not have raised an eyebrow prior to three weeks ago, related? They’re not, of course, but that doesn’t stop one from idly questioning each and every one. I’m more likely now to move out of a position that will give me pins-and-needles now than I was previously, if only to prove it’s not my brain misfiring (as opposed to just cutting off nerves/blood supply). Whee! Bodies are such fun.

Picked up new glasses this afternoon, which was a whole other adventure in being more active than I have been. The new Echo frames are fantastic. The other regular frames I picked out back in August seem to be cursed. Second set of lenses, second set of “this isn’t right”/headache inducing oddness. I have to go back next week for a pair of readers (prescription adjusted for close work – yay aging eyes), so I’m trying out the regular ones off and on, but I swear that VSP either did nothing with the lenses, or they just can’t get the prescription right. Especially since the Echo frames are, as stated above, fantastic – no issues seeing out of the new lenses there. *shrug* Hopefully they’ll be able to test the lenses and see what’s going on there.

The in-laws came down for Xmas and we had fun playing card/board games and what not with them. And of course the usual Xmas stuff of gifts and stockings and what not. Fare was relatively simple, no big bird or beast, but the melting potatoes were a hit again.

We have another couple coming over for New Years eve, and I need to plan out dinner. They’re mostly vegetarian, which is easy enough, but I did a risotto already for them pre-Xmas so I need to plan something else this time.

Not the shopping day I’d planned for, but hey. Started out early, with a 9am appointment at BJs to replace the front tires, because one of them has a giant bulge and a slow air leak. Get there ten minutes early, doors are closed. They finally bother to open at 9:25 (after calling the main desk twice to see where they were), get to the counter, they don’t have the tires I preordered and prepaid for. Then it was into the main club for a refund, because at that point I was done with them. Appointment made for another place Wednesday morning, and I’ll call Tuesday night to doublecheck that they have the tires.

So then it was on to get some food and planned haircuts. While eat we decided the husband needed some more shirts, so we picked the closer of the malls and headed there for wandering and shopping. I picked up grooming supplies, and he got a bunch of shirts. Ah, married life. Heh. Book shopping next, then a late lunch and gas for the car. The tire held up well, thankfully, and I didn’t have to reinflate it while we were out (I keep a pump in the car normally anyway).

Ran twice this week, very basic run/walk workouts on the treadmill, but the first such since covid last month. The fatigue is finally gone, thank heavens. Blood pressure is still higher than anyone would like, but some regular exercise should start to help with that, or at least keep it from getting worse. I’d really prefer not to go on drugs for that; I resent the allergy and reflux medications as is, so the thought of adding more just makes me grumpier. *phhhbbbbtttt*

Off to a brunch showing of Margaritaville at a local(ish) dinner theater tomorrow. Should be a hoot. I have a nice Hawaiian shirt with flamingoes on it for the occasion, and the husband has something similarly loud. We’re meeting friends for it, which will be nice as we’ll have a four-top table for the group, and no strangers to try and make awkward conversation with. Final show of this run, which is always fun to see.

We had the Mini’s windshield replaced back in June, after a particularly large pothole on Route 50 jarred the car badly enough to cause a large crack to develop. And then I kept forgetting to re-coat the new window with Rain-X. I prefer having that on the windows because I find it easier to see out of them, and you can run the wipers less; at highway speeds the water wicks off on its own, and I find wipers distracting. Personal preference, your mileage may vary. Last night we went out to dinner and it was pouring, reminding me again that I hadn’t done the windows. So this morning while coffee was brewing I ran downstairs and finally cleaned and Rain-X’d the suckers. Now watch me not need to go out during any rain any time soon. Which is fine, because I’m prepared now.

Yesterday we found out a friend of ours has been on meth for several years now, when he called about some not-so-smart decisions he’d made the past week and finally confessed that he’d been using. Ugh. I have a lot of sympathy, and a lot of wanting to smack him upside the head. Nasty stuff. Does explain some of the mood swings and workaholism. What a mess.

Knitting on the latest scarf is proceeding apace. I’m on color number two of four. I made the first block a few inches too long, but whatevs. I thought about just extending the others, but that would make the whole thing an extra foot long versus an extra three inches, so no thanks. And I successfully managed not to buy more yarn at the yarn store yesterday for the local men’s knitting group. I did buy another project bag, but no more yarn.

On the eve of my wedding:

“I don’t mind that you couldn’t come. I do mind that you couldn’t tell me that you couldn’t or wouldn’t come. I understand if you had previous plans that you couldn’t (or wouldn’t) cancel, but to not even be able to bother to tell me that you wouldn’t be able to come to my wedding was a real kick in the balls. I did think that we had a slightly better relationship than that, though I suppose the lack of regular interaction killed that. I wouldn’t have minded even the simple, ‘No, I’m sorry, I can’t come.’ But to just ignore me entirely, even after receiving a ‘save the date’ and an invitation in the mail and reminders over electronic media, which I know you read because the read receipt told me that you read them, was beyond rude. So, I suppose we are at an end. And I mourn that loss, even as I begin the next chapter in my life. I’ll miss you tomorrow, but it’s time to move on.”

Been fighting a head cold for the past two weeks. Been to urgent care once (my doc was closed), after my parents bullied me into going to ensure it wasn’t pneumonia (it wasn’t). I think I’m going to try to get to the regular doctor tomorrow. The fever had left before the end of the first week, but it popped back up today, which indicates to me that the thing has gotten worse. That or the second cold I was exposed to this weekend decided to hit me on top of the original cold.

Friend came to visit this weekend (long planned trip) and he had come down with something just before he left. So, this could be cold #2, or a combo of the 2, or a restrengthened cold #1. Who knows. Regardless, this is one of the worst colds I’ve had in a couple years and I’m really, truly tired of dealing with it now.

After a month break from writing, and three months off from regular exercise, it’s now time to get back to both. Monday is six months (24 weeks) from my next triathlon, and the beginning of training for the same. I’m trying to set out a manageable plan to work on getting faster (3:12 is the time to beat!), including weights for once. Gonna be an interesting season.

Also been working on the training plan for our new triathletes this year. I have the times and most of the heart rates, it’s just plugging in extra stuff like swim workouts and the like now. Plus setting out the stuff for their weight workouts. No pressure. This year should be the most difficult, once this is laid out it’ll just be a matter of tweaking it here and there.

I hosted friends at my place for Thanksgiving this year. Just a couple of us, but I did the majority of the cooking. I enjoyed that, it was fun getting everything together and timing it all out to be ready approximately at the same time. May do the same for the christmas holiday if there are folks in town.

Had one last appointment with Comcast today, and they fixed the issue. The tech who came out knew his stuff, didn’t put up with anything from the folks on the phone (specifically asked if the first person knew how to do cable cards and asked to be transferred to someone who did; also made the other person repeat back all numbers he read to them). Didn’t take him more than 10 minutes tops, and it worked fine as soon as he had them activate it.

Is nice to have the thing back and working. While I’m going to continue exploring the catalog available to watch instantly on Netflix, I did miss some of the current shows that I watch.

Otherwise the weekend was a bit off. I helped a friend who needed company Saturday evening, watching some bad movies and chatting about his worries. Had an odd trick Friday night that ended up not being quite worth the lack of sleep. My favorite part was when he said, “If I’d’ve known I was coming over I wouldn’t have had Mexican.” Indeed. I ended up not getting off because I wasn’t going to risk the results of the Mexican food.

I checked out the new Safeway. They’re still missing some of the staples of my diet (organic soy milk, for one), but it was much nicer than the old one, and though I normally don’t care for self-checkout, it worked well. It’ll be good for ‘pop in and get a few things’, but I think I’ll still be making regular trips to HT for staples. I’m hoping the quality stays up and it’ll be good for things that I need the same day or the next day.

In related news, I’ve been trying to eliminate most sources of high fructose corn syrup from my diet, and I was appalled to discover the bread I’d been eating had it in there. It actually took me about half a dozen brands of whole wheat bread before I found one without it. Yuck.