You're Doing It Wrong

I didn’t realize that my phone has a “square” setting and somehow I was taking square photos. I’m finally working on the tutorial book to go with my phone. I’m on page 42 of 121. My goal is to finish before the next ios comes out.

I had a little bit of extra time off during the holidays. The day before I was supposed to go back to work we had some snow. It was nothing to get excited about but more than was expected. Enough to be slippery on an incline but not enough to be dangerous.

Except overnight we had freezing rain.

Normally we would have worked from home except we’d been off from work and we were anxious to get back in because there were things to do. (‘We’ in this instance is Colleague and I.)

I decided to go in a couple of hours late. By daylight the temperature was slightly above freezing and people were getting around.

My car was so icy I couldn’t even get the door open. [Although later it turned out that I did manage to get it ajar and the battery died so we had to jump it that night.]

This was the last ice tidbit along the front walk a week after the snow.

No big deal. There are 2 neighborhood buses that would take me to the local transit center where I could catch an express bus downtown. I feel like taking public transportation should be a required class in school (where applicable). Once you’re used to using it, it’s second nature.

I bundled up and slip and slided down our street. Even big 4×4 trucks were skidding a little. Once I reached the first semi-arterial there were smaller cars getting along fine. The sidewalk was still icy and I was waddling. I saw the bus I wanted and it was only a half block away.

I waved and waddled but couldn’t move fast enough. This particular bus only comes every 50 minutes (I know.)

Luckily, I knew where the other bus stop was and waddled down to Main Street and caught that bus to the transit center and made it to the office about 2 hours late. Colleague couldn’t get out of his driveway and also had to take the bus.

By the end of the work day everything was nearing normal although it iced over a bit the next night and I had a THRILLING! drive to the park-n-ride.

It turns out I didn’t break a crown. I broke a tooth. I don’t even understand what’s what in my own mouth.

The broken tooth didn’t hurt at all. Not with hot food. Not with cold food. Not with crunchy food. I wasn’t too concerned other than for my wallet.

I severely underestimated what was going on with this tooth.

I went to the dentist yesterday and yikes. The fracture was below the gum line. The fracture point was super sensitive and it took a few tries to get everything numb enough to grind it down to a nubbin. I was fairly distressed by the time we finished with the procedure.

It’s okay today. I have one of those funny temporaries right now. Historically I always lose the temporary in the first few days. We’ll see how I do this time. The instructions say not to worry if I swallow it. I’m going to worry if I swallow it.

Rue is a weird dog. I’m a dog person but every time Rue sees me she makes this pitiful sound that’s a cross between a yodel and a bark. Why doesn’t she run up to me to get her ears scratched?

When we went over to the house we had Shadow with us (see the arrow?) and Shadow is my friend so Rue decided I was okay this time. She kept running up to me to get her ears scratched and her tummy rubbed like a normal dog. She was very sweet but I want her to be my friend all the time.

I’ve been half-ready to update all week.

Christmas was great in terms of the travel. We picked the perfect days and other than a few sections of heavy rain on the way down, we traveled in good weather. While we were there we had plenty of rain and some slush. I normally would have been more wistful waking up Christmas morning and seeing a little bit of snow outside.

Except that the power went out on Christmas Eve so it was dark and I was cold.

My folks have a generator so the basics were covered. Aunt Janet and Meredith cooked Christmas dinner without power — they had BBQs and secret techniques and dinner was fantastic. When you are sending out good vibes for the new year, be sure to include them.

The company was fine and the food terrific so we still had a great holiday.

My sister and I wanted to do a puzzle. Some people made frowny faces and gave us a hard time. Some went so far as to not remember where the puzzle caddy was. We were able to make it happen anyway.

Then the power went out and no TV and we had lots of new friends.

Bob and I were already gone but Erin and Tim finished and tossed back in the box before they made their way home.

I have a bunch of other stuff but dinner is boiling to I have to run.

May all your Christmas wishes come true.

A couple of weeks ago I saw this article in the NYT: OMG The Hyperbole of Internet Speak.

Choice quote:

R.I.P. to the understatement. Welcome to death by Internet hyperbole, the latest example of the overly dramatic, forcibly emotive, truncated, simplistic and frequently absurd ways chosen to express emotion in the Internet age (or sometimes feign it).

I have been collecting notes on this topic although my complaint is about the media in general.

Everything that’s been around for more than 15 minutes is iconic. Minor developments are game changing. Even the most mundane stories are jaw dropping, gut wrenching, astonishing. Poor weather is horrific or unimaginable. A dispute is described as the most divisive and threatening to tear a community apart. Accomplishments “change the way America [does something] forever.” A restaurant opening is the most hotly anticipated. It goes on and on. I saw a woman describe making a routine decision as soul searching.

My favorite was an article about a venerable eating establishment that was closing after 8 months. I went and looked up the word venerable thinking I must have misunderstood its meaning. I did not.

I have no conclusion other than these developments will destroy our way of life forever.

I’ve had notes here for a post and I had grand plans for this evening but I didn’t sleep so great last night and I don’t have the energy. I tried to do a clever photo and this is as far as I got. This the Salmon River in August under extreme drought conditions. Also fires. You can feel the syrup in the air just looking at it.

I’m sorry the weather is causing my traveling plans grief but if it means snow in the mountains, I won’t complain. Too much.