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tbutlerJust so I can get *something* posted again, have another cat pic. :)
(I used to be discouraged by my low ability to get pics of *my* cats, but I'm increasingly thinking this is more down to my apartment being naturally very dim. :( Also a big reason why I never really liked e-ink book readers, because they require a relatively strong, clear light that is in short supply around here.)
The last month has been pretty grueling around here.
Xmas weekend was an attempt to take care of a lot of people on my list - Dad's in Des Moines, Columbia Outlet store in Iowa to pick up Xmas presents, Xmas itself at sis's in Bloomington IL, visiting my Nashville friend after several failed attempts to meet up and deliver lots of items in the fall/winter, with a side-stop to drop off some things for another friend in Indianapolis. (Did you know that going from Bloomington to Nashville via Indianapolis only adds about 30 minutes to the shortest direct route? Odd, I'd have thought it to be much further out of the way.) This culminated in a 3 1/2 hour delay in southern Indiana because a semi-truck overturned and blocked the entire interstate, just far enough south of the previous exit that a whole bunch of people had no warning to exit - leading to a 2am arrival in Nashville. And finding out that my last grandparent passed away, just before traffic started moving again, added another surreal touch.
Physical stress from that trip was probably the opening for the attack of shingles I've been dealing with since the beginning of the year - thankfully, the really nasty part was over within about a week, but the skin spots still haven't completely finished healing. Fortunately, it wasn't enough to keep me from making the KC-Des Moines-Illinois run for the second time in two weeks, picking up Dad and driving with him to Grandma's memorial get-together because he was still getting over a serious cold. The memorial has actually been the highlight of the month so far; it went about as well as could be asked for, a chance to see many extended family members for the first time in years, and all the conversation dwelling on the good memories.
Last week, the precautions I'd been taking to try and curb the shingles outbreak turned out not to be enough, and I came down with a regular cold on top of it all; fortunately, I'm mostly recovered by now.
All in all, I haven't had the time or energy to do much at all productive lately - no photo expeditions, no chance to continue sorting through prior shoots and posting good stuff, not even my walking exercise. :( Hoping to do better starting now, as I think the worst of all the health issues may be about past.
(I used to be discouraged by my low ability to get pics of *my* cats, but I'm increasingly thinking this is more down to my apartment being naturally very dim. :( Also a big reason why I never really liked e-ink book readers, because they require a relatively strong, clear light that is in short supply around here.)
The last month has been pretty grueling around here.
Xmas weekend was an attempt to take care of a lot of people on my list - Dad's in Des Moines, Columbia Outlet store in Iowa to pick up Xmas presents, Xmas itself at sis's in Bloomington IL, visiting my Nashville friend after several failed attempts to meet up and deliver lots of items in the fall/winter, with a side-stop to drop off some things for another friend in Indianapolis. (Did you know that going from Bloomington to Nashville via Indianapolis only adds about 30 minutes to the shortest direct route? Odd, I'd have thought it to be much further out of the way.) This culminated in a 3 1/2 hour delay in southern Indiana because a semi-truck overturned and blocked the entire interstate, just far enough south of the previous exit that a whole bunch of people had no warning to exit - leading to a 2am arrival in Nashville. And finding out that my last grandparent passed away, just before traffic started moving again, added another surreal touch.
Physical stress from that trip was probably the opening for the attack of shingles I've been dealing with since the beginning of the year - thankfully, the really nasty part was over within about a week, but the skin spots still haven't completely finished healing. Fortunately, it wasn't enough to keep me from making the KC-Des Moines-Illinois run for the second time in two weeks, picking up Dad and driving with him to Grandma's memorial get-together because he was still getting over a serious cold. The memorial has actually been the highlight of the month so far; it went about as well as could be asked for, a chance to see many extended family members for the first time in years, and all the conversation dwelling on the good memories.
Last week, the precautions I'd been taking to try and curb the shingles outbreak turned out not to be enough, and I came down with a regular cold on top of it all; fortunately, I'm mostly recovered by now.
All in all, I haven't had the time or energy to do much at all productive lately - no photo expeditions, no chance to continue sorting through prior shoots and posting good stuff, not even my walking exercise. :( Hoping to do better starting now, as I think the worst of all the health issues may be about past.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-24 05:32 am (UTC)Sorry to hear about all the health ish and the stress. Hoping things continue to improve. *support support*
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Date: 2017-01-24 05:49 am (UTC)Speaking of which - an art book arrived that I assume was from you. :) Many thanks, and what I've had energy to glance through looks nice.
Have a couple of discs to send your way, BTW; RightStuf was closing them out, and the series is quirky enough you might enjoy it.
Oh, how did you guys find Inside-Out? Am curious about benchmarking reactions, if nothing else. I initially had a lukewarm response; but the week after seeing it for the first time, it kept percolating in my brain, and when I saw it with my Nashville friend and his family the week after, it utterly blew me away (and they loved it too). My Indianapolis friend, OTOH, had much the same reaction as I did the first time.
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Date: 2017-01-26 03:22 am (UTC)We enjoyed Inside-Out! I think it's a little too on the nose, but it has a lot of charm to recommend it, and I cried (which doesn't mean much, because everything makes me cry). My daughter had watched it first on her own, and her remark was, "Yup, that's how kids work," haha.
Honestly, the entire movie would have been worth it for the very last Easter egg thing at the end where it's revealed that cats are run emotionally by having cats walk over the keyboard. ;) IT'S CATS ALL THE WAY DOWN.
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Date: 2017-01-27 01:39 am (UTC)And yes, that is so very Cat. Although I have to disagree; it's cats all the way UP. Cats are always at the top of any hierarchy. ^_-