Or as Oblivion would put it: Look at the muscles on YOU!


Yeah, if I was that strong I'd be impressed too. But as it is I merely have a very well sharpened chainsaw

Project: see adequately while at the computer
Status: much improved, not perfect

I've used the same pair of $12 off-the-rack Walmart eyeglasses at the computer for years and years, well over a decade if not longer. Those $12 glasses no longer provide sharp focus, not helped by the stick'm-ism I developed maybe five years ago.

My prescription bifocal eyeglasses correct stick'm-ism. They do not, however, work at computer-screen distance. I was at wit's end trying to figure out a workable solution. Then, yesterday, I recalled that 4 or 5 years ago I asked my eye doctor to write a computer-distance prescription, giving him the approximate distance in inches I sit from the screen. The resultant pair of glasses was a failure, too out of focus to use. (They were fine at about 2ft. I sit roughly 3.5ft away, sometimes more.)

My vision has worsened since then. I hoped that the once-too-strong prescription might now match my vision. It does! Not perfectly. But it's appreciably closer than my $12 wonders. Stick'm-ism is corrected! Focus could be a bit sharper, but is definitely improved. The "new" glasses are still at their best if I move closer to the screen. Since that ain't gonna happen I'll take what I can get.

As expensive as glasses can be, it’s really good that you were able to finally use those prescription lenses! It’s great they help you with your ‘puter!

Good on ya, Decrepit! My vision is fine except for age-related presbyopia for which I need reading glasses. I learned some time ago that I need one strength for actual reading and a different (about 1.0 less ) strength for the puter. Fortunately, off the rack cheap reading glasses work - just have a different (weaker) set by the puter.

Computer glasses is a standard thing in my profession... (the profession of professional computer screen starers). I have four different pairs of bifocal glasses for different situations in life... err... different screens that I use... It is one expensive hobby. But once your eyes give up focusing, there isn't much else you can do.

Firewood: The Endgame


Next Marvel movie..?


Maybe not, but we are indeed in the final stretch of firewooding 2024. Today was the last of cutting full-length logs into pieces and now we just have to split them. Not a whole lot either, but still enough for maybe two Saturdays unless Dad does some work during the week.

We'll get more or less as much as last year to our customer. A little bit less to us but we don't need that much anyway. Despite me burning through as much as I could last fall we still had some left spilling into this year. So we good


Random moisture test showed between 9% and 15% in the pile so it's drying up nicely.

I was going to make some healthy homemade fruit roll-ups but ended up making some kind of berry mixed applesauce that's really good. Going to have to recreate it for Thanksgiving Day.

Sounds like that would be yummers in some dressing!

Happy to announce that the Kindle version of the third book of our series Ancient Powers is available for pre-order. (Paperback will be live on July 7).

Also, the Kindle versions of the first two books Challenge Accepted and Separate Paths are available for .99 US through July 10.

Writing these has been great fun, and we have many folks here at Chorrol to thank for giving us the support and encouragement to have reached this point. One thing to note: While there are now THREE books, "The Unnamed Saga" won't exactly be a "trilogy." The draft of Book 4 is already at 96000 words, and even that one won't be the finale. Or maybe the series WILL be a seven or eight book "trilogy."

Our deepest gratitude to everyone here in the Chorrol family.

Project: Oil change in Rocu car
Status: COMPLETE

Comment:

Project: Exercise Walks
Status: Modus Interruptus

Monday morning. My errand day. I had only a brief window of time to get groceries before it became unbearable hot in the car. Therefore, no Walk.

Tuesday morning. Excessive heat warning for the entire day. Even at 0545 it was too hot to safely leave the house. Therefore, no Walk.

Wednesday morning. A storm front moved through. It ushered in cooler temps, but rained without letup. Therefore, no Walk.

Today, Thursday. Reasonably cool morning temps for this time of year. No rain. Dry streets. I walked Worries that three days off in a row might negatively impact performance proved groundless.

Nice to know that you've still got some resilience yet!

Got some good work done today! Frame around window painted and boards planed and cut to correct length and tomorrow they will be put into place and be painted.

Window from earlier this summer
Window painted today

Boards and planer ready!
Aftermath; local ants celebrate

That's some serious sawdust!

mirocu, that is a nice-looking window you have there.

Right?!

Good work ‘Rocu!

I love that planer


Thanks! We found it hidden when clearing out an old storage. With that frame on it will look nice beside the other window on the tractor garage


Thanks! Don't have a picture up yet to show where I put them but will do so asap

Strange. |I associate the Crow with Nocturnal, but the Planer Vortex is more Molag Bal's thing.

Subject: Potential large amount due for what has always been an insurance-covered Dental exam/cleaning
Status: Nipped in the bud

Had the first of two routine yearly dental exams+cleaning on 29 Aug. Received a statement from my Dental Insurer yesterday afternoon. It shows that I owe the Dentist $160 for that visit. Too late to contact my dentist yesterday, I called immediately after today's exercise-walk. According to them, my account shows "0" due, including the 29th. The two "not covered" items are routine write-offs. (The exam itself went well. No cavities or other dental issues. I was complimented on having noticeably less tooth stain than is usual for me, likely due to a change in toothpaste combined with dietary changes.)

Good news indeed D! Glad it went well!

I got my ears pierced today. I had them pierced before, a long time ago. But I did not wear earrings for a long stretch through covid, and the holes closed up. I went to a tattoo shop down the street from me to get it done this time. It was a big difference from when I had them pierced the first time in a mall Claire's, and a teenager working part-time used the gun on me. This was an actual professional piercer doing it. She was really cool to hang out with as she took her time and did it right. We are about the same age, so we talked about watching the Brady Bunch as kids, and Conjunction Junction on School House Rock, and Saturday morning cartoons. All in all it was a good experience. They were really friendly people in the tattoo place, which is what I expected.

Glad the ear piercing went smoothly. Gotta keep them 'rrings in there now!

Conjunction junction
What’s yo fu-unction?

I’ve heard that actual needles are better than guns for piercings. Glad you had fun!

Yes, the needles are much better. The guns basically punch a hole through your ear lobe with brute force. While the needles, well, poke a much neater hole through. The needles are probably cleaner too. They sterilized the needle and earrings before doing the procedure, using an electrified steam bath thing. I think the people with guns just douse them with alcohol and roll with them.

Yikes! D:
That sounds like an infection waiting to happen!

Planed boards put up
And painted

New project
There's a hole in my bucket wall
Done
And done

Nice! I bet that extra light is most welcome.

It is and that window did more than I expected. Good thing we found it

Nice!

Fell a tree today

What. . . is that white stuff on the ground?

PROJECTS for 2 Jan 2024, in order accomplished

Project: Post Electricity bill payment
Status: Done

Project: Call County Tax Assessor and initiate Property (car) and Real Estate (home) assessments
Status: Done

Project: Call dental office to find out date and time of next cleaning/exam
Status: Done

Project: Call Pulmonology and schedule 6-mouth follow-up visit for this Feb
Status: Done

Project: Call Cardiology and move pre-existing late Feb appointment to an earlier date
Status: Done

Project: Visit the State DMV website for online 2025 car registration renewal
Status: Done

Project: Enter car registration renewal expense in computerized account register
Status: Done

Project: 2+1/2 mile exercise-walk
Status: Will do so after lunch

Project: Walk City Utilities bill payment to City Hall
Status: Will do so immediately after exercise-walk

Busy morning! Sounds productive.

Been working on clearing the bank next to a small river. Last time was January 2013 so it was due. Most was just finger thick trees that we just fell and let be, but some could be taken care of.

This pic is from December 2022
And this is from today
Birch downed


Even though today's pics are taken close up, you can see the difference.


And this is what we in the trade call

skillzz

Lotsa work. And lotsa firewood too it looks. Brrrr!

Project: Exercise-walks
Status: Modus Interruptus

Unlike last winter, mild with only a few days severe enough to prevent my walks, this winter is made of sterner stuff. Already I've had a multiple-day enforced break. Today looks to be the start of another break. I hoped to get in one final walk this afternoon, but a quick trip outside to check mail immediately after lunch convinced me otherwise. I've walked without harm in colder temps. But the combo of cold temps and strong frigid winds is too much.

On the other hand, I had my best "heavy" (haha) weight/resistance training session in ages this afternoon. It's been so long since I experienced a "weightlifter's high" that I'd forgotten that such a thing exists, until today.


Project: Acquire documents required to prepare and file my 2024 Fed and State tax returns
Status: Nearly done

To the best of my knowledge, only my mutual funds and bank tax statements are lacking. No rush. I don't file until February. I'll use TurboTax, as I have for decades. My return is so simple I could do it myself the old-fashioned way. But my math is so bad I fear making a booboo and getting in trouble.

Decrepit; Your second project looks like one on my project list. Only I have yet to begin.

Currently I've been shoveling snow and breaking ice for my two houses. In a week, 3-storms laid down a foot of snow over 2-inches of ice. Now, I'm reliving those long-gone ice-fishing days with my brother in upper Wisconsin.

Project: Prepare and e-lile 2024 Fed & State tax returns.
Status: BINGO!

This is almost the only day since catching influenza type-A on Jan 27 that I haven't felt utterly miserable, so I figured I'd better tackle my tax returns. I was a bit hesitant to do so since, though I'm physically better, my mind remains a shambles. But it's got to get done, and who knows when I'll have another halfway decent day?

There were times I was sorely tempted to throw in the towel due to heavy brain fog, but plowed on regardless. It's all water under the bridge now. For good or ill, both Fed and State returns are complete, e-filed and accepted by the IRS and State Tax Agency.

I did mine at the beginning of the month, and I already received my State return. So yay for alacrity.

Project: Back up my entire Kindle library to a computer directory
Status: DONE!

In case you haven't heard, on the 26th of February Amazon is removing the ability to download purchased Kindle books to computer. There are tons of videos about it on YouTube, which is how I caught wind of it. While it might end up not being a big deal, I can see all sorts of potential downsides, especially at a time when bannings and censorship are on the rise, and Amazon can reach into our Kindles to remove or edit our Kindle ebooks without our consent.

I currently "own" 225 Kindle ebooks! They must be downloaded one at a time. The process is fairly simple but time-consuming. Due to illness I didn't feel up to the task until a few days ago. At that time I DL'd a "page" worth of titles. This afternoon I took the bull by the horns and downloaded the rest. I don't think I missed anything, my storage directory shows that it holds 225 items, matching the number of Kindle titles I own.

What this means for the future I do not know. My paperwhite and its contents are among my prized possessions. I suppose I'll just play it by ear and hope for the best. Maybe.

Thank goodness "send to Kindle" isn't touched (so far as I know), so I can still upload Project Gutenberg titles to Kindle. And in any case I've always saved backups of those on PC. Believe it or not, I possess far more Project Gutenberg titles than I do Kindle titles.

I guess in a way I got lucky, in that back when I was buying books from Kindle I was working at a place that blocked the internet. I could use the Kindle for PC app on my work laptop, but it could not connect to Amazon. So I had to physically download every book and copy it to the work laptop before I could read it.

I did see this sort of thing coming. So I stripped out the DRM every time I bought a book and kept that copy of it. So when Amazon suspended my membership a few years back I could still read all my books. (Someone hacked my account and used it to make a bunch of fraudulent purchases. I refused to pay for it, so Amazon froze my account. Explaining it all to them did not help of course. So I have not used Amazon since, and never will).

I forget what I used to strip out the DRM, but there were several programs around at the time that did it quite easily.

I found that Calbre is a good tool for converting ebooks to different formats. And now I use SumatraPDF for reading them.

Then again, isn't the best experience to hold a real book in your hands?


And project-wise to build up a nice library in your home. I don't read much these days but if I started I would want to make a nice set of shelves to store the books on.

Until not many years ago I had no interest in e-books. Nowadays I have difficulty reading paperbacks even with reading glasses. Hardbacks are often easier to read, but difficult to hold for extended periods while lying on the sofa, which is how I do almost all of my "pleasure" reading. E-books solve these dilemmas handily. Too, e-books tend to be significantly cheaper than their paper counterparts. I rarely pay more than $1.99 - $3.99 per e-book thanks to frequent sales. For instance, I often see Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" in an e-book omnibus edition (one book as Tolkien intended rather than three separate books) sold for $1.99 on Amazon. You can bet I grabbed it, no questions asked.

In pretty much every way I prefer e-books and e-readers. This came as quite a surprise when I got my Paperwhite. My original thought was to use it only when out and about, such as waiting to be seen at a medical facility. As things turned out, I only carry my Paperwhite with me if I suspect an all-day or multi-day hospital stay, Otherwise, it stays home.

I still read paper books daily for one specific scenario, at the kitchen table while eating meals. I've got a nice wood tabletop bookstand that holds hardbacks so I can eat as I read. (It doesn't work so well with paperbacks, but again, I have trouble reading those anyway.) The last thing I want is my Paperwhite screen splattered with grease.

All that said, the prospect of having e-books I paid for edited or removed without my consent is becoming more and more of a worry. Maybe little or nothing will come of it, but ya never know.

Thanks for explaining that, Decrepit. And I must say you have quite solid points there, I can see why you like e-books. And having them edited or even removed after purchase without prior consent or knowledge is sickening and I would argue borderline illegal. I'm glad your project of saving them to your computer is, as Emperor Palpatine would say, complete!

Project: Survive Cardiology Appointment
Status: Outcome Surprisingly Bloodless

Yesterday, Monday January 24, 2025, I had two periodic medical appointments back-to-back; Pulmonology at 1300, Cardiology at 1415. During the first I divulged the history of my still-ongoing ailment, which began life as influenza Type-A in late January. I was asked to provide a sputum sample which I couldn't do on the spot so was given a cup to bring back once I coughed up the requirements. (I did so this morning). I'm also now on a two-week Levofloxicine treatment and scheduled for a follow-up visit in early April.

That was the easy visit.

Next up, Cardiology. I'd dreaded this visit for some time. Why? Because I needed to spill the beans about my diet change from impure vegetarian to impure carnivore and weaning myself off Statins. Complicating matters is the fact that doing so shot my once-stellar (by conventional medical wisdom) Chorestorol readings through the roof. I've heard horror stories of these truth-telling confrontations going very badly for the patient. It didn't help that, as poorly as I feel, I didn't prepare as well as I might have were I in good health. Regardless, it had to be done.

With a lot of fumbling around and starts and stops, I got through it, explaining why I did what I did to the best of my meager ability. To my happy surprise, I was neither flung out of the second-story window nor told to immediately vacate the premises and not come back. She bemoaned my Chorestoral readings and gave me the standard lecture on the supposed benefits of low Cholesterol. That done, she stated that their policy is to give guidance and recommendations to the patient, but not force us to comply. I'm still concerned since the doctor I saw today is one of the clinic's sub-doctors. My next appointment, six months from now, is with the head doctor, who might not be as "forgiving". Time will tell.

Project: Move dental appointment
Status: done

I just finished doing so. It dawned on me this morning that, with the appointment scheduled for this coming Monday morning, and me constantly spitting up wads of gnarly sputum and feeling miserable to boot, I probably can't endure a lengthy sit in a dentist's chair getting my teeth cleaned without potentially disastrous consequences. It's now scheduled for Monday, March 31.


Project: Let brother prepare and file his 2024 tax returns on my computer, an annual ritual
Status: Up in the air, but hopefully this coming weekend

He wanted to do so this past weekend, but I felt too miserable and worried that he might catch whatever I've got. I'm still not 100% sure if I'm risk-free, but my pulmonologist thinks I have infected lungs, which isn't spreading, unless someone decides to drink the sputum in the cup I now keep at my side at all times. Besides, time is running short. It's got to get done sometime soon. The stumbling block is that he's still a working man, and like me, he has no cell/mobile phone. I've left a message on his landline phone answering machine, and hope to hear from him today once he's home from work.

Project: Report of a decrepit life during early 2025
Status: Here it is


It’s been quite a year-to-date, health-wise. It began well enough, with me continuing my exercise-walks and weight/resistance sessions. I even progressed to being able to do three sets of 12 full push-ups, which I couldn’t do any of as recently as mid-2024. (I have been doing sets of “knee push-ups” for several years.)

On 27 Jan this year, I visited Dermatology to check a non-healing scab on my left leg, near the crotch. Dermatology is within the complex that houses all my too-many specialists and my hospital-of-choice, but in a separate building. I’d not been there before. As such, I gave myself an extra twenty minutes, just in case. As it turns out, I spotted the building right away, and signed in right away, twenty-plus minutes before I needed to. The waiting room was jam-packed with patients. My appointment ended up beginning 38 minutes later than scheduled. In other words, I spent a good hour in the waiting room before being seen. This will come into play later.

Once seen, a doctor numbed the appropriate section of leg and proceeded to remove a layer of skin for testing. That done, his assistant applied a standard-issue cottonball plus conventional band aide atop the open wound. I commented that this combo would likely not hold well, me being a bleeder. The assistant ignored me. I didn’t press the issue, figuring a little blood loss, should it occur, is no big deal. I should have pressed the issue.

Before I reached home my left trouser leg was saturated in blood. I became lightheaded and needed to periodically shake my head to remain focused. But make it home I did. Thankfully, I have rolls of self-adhering elastic bandages at the house. I made a beeline to the bathroom, dropped my pants, and quickly wrapped my leg with an elastic bandage. This did the trick. Bleeding stopped. That out of the way, I downed lots of water and rested awhile. Felt well enough to resume my normal routine not long afterward.

The test turned out positive for cancer, thankfully non-spreading. I return to dermatology for its removal early April. You can bet I’ll carry a roll of elastic bandages with me, just in case.

Next day, January 28, was my birthday. I felt perfectly well all day, though I elected not to do an exercise walk for fear of reopening my leg “wound”.

January 29 began well. I got in one of my best exercise-walks in some months, and was pleased with that day’s weight/resistance session. Then, about mid-afternoon, I began feeling unwell. My health eventually worsened to the point where I knew I needed treatment, so drove to Urgent Care, suspecting either COVID or a very nasty flu. Bingo! Influenza type-A. Was prescribed standard-issue flu meds and sent home. Over the next few days, I improved little by little until I felt I would likely be able to resume my exercise routines the next day.

It wasn’t to be. My health plummeted. Within days I felt worse than ever. I reached a point when I honestly felt as if I was on death’s doorstep and might cross the threshold at any time. I managed to drive myself to ER, a nightmarish experience, its only outcome a new standard-issue prescription med. Pretty much all of February was spent in various stages of misery. I’d occasionally feel halfway decent with hope of recovery, then slide into another period of seemingly perching on death’s doorstep. For much of this time I lost the ability to eat, everything put in my mouth tasting so obnoxious it couldn’t be swallowed.

Thankfully, I had a periodic appointment with my long-time pulmonologist toward the end of the month. He, if anyone, would get me on the road to recovery. During the visit, I provided details of my symptoms and was asked for a sputum sample, which I provided the next morning. The result? Pneumonia that can not be treated with swallowable antibiotics but must instead be treated in hospital with IV antibiotics.

Once in hospital I improved daily. Yesterday, Mar 11, I was deemed well enough to come home, but not fully cured. I was released with a "PICC-line" in my upper left arm, a supply of IV antibiotics, and was this afternoon trained on how to administer IV antibiotics on my own! (I’ve since forgotten half what I was taught, but hope to fake my way through the procedure. In any case, I have a number to call if and when things go amiss.)

I must say that my hospital stay was a delight. Everyone was super friendly and helpful. Believe it or not, I even stepped out of character and remained sociable and, if I may say so, charming, the entire time. Who would’ve thought? Heck, after a few days some of the staff would come to my room to say goodbye at the end of their shifts, let me know when they’d be back, and occasionally comment on how they enjoyed having me as a patient. Even stranger, I wasn’t faking it, but actually enjoyed these social exchanges. Then again, this was an ideal situation for me to unleash a normally comatose side of my personality. I could be sociable within a confined space and limited timespan, without fear of triggering any sort of long-term social commitments, which I consider unwelcome to the nth degree. Now home, I again bask in blissful solitude. Yet, I suspect I will cherish the memory of a time when I allowed a rarely-seen facet of my persona to shine forth, to the end of my days . . . or the middle of next week, whichever comes first.

What a well-written summary of your not so great year so far. I'm so glad your pulmonologist was able to give you an actionable diagnosis and some time in the hospital to fix the pneumonia. Also glad your leg spot is not spreadable and hope the April procedure is successful and less bloody than the test was. Annoying how that stuff gets in the way of our fitness programs, is it not?

Thanks Acadian. You have a better opinion of my narrative than do I. And yes, lack of exercise was my most commonly held regret from the onset of influenza type-A near the end of January until three days into my hospital stay this March. Of course most of that time my regret was on a back burner, since my ongoing illness robbed me of almost all physical and mental energy. There was no question of me attempting any sort of physical activity beyond the bare minimum required to exist from day to day.

Not mentioned in my original post is that, during the third day of my hospital stay, I began feeling well enough to resume exercise. I thought about attempting a few pushups but was told weighted arm exercises were (and are) a no-go as long as an IV insertion point remains in my arm. However, I took it upon myself to begin exercise walks . . . after a fashion. That first attempt was confined to within my room, walking from one end to the other ad nauseam. I was able to maintain a decent speed while doing so. I expected to peter out within 15-20 minutes, but lasted the entire hour! Next day I took advantage of the fact that mine was one of the two rooms at the far end of my wing, with space for an emergency exit before hitting the end wall. My walk thus increased to from the far side of my room to the hall's end wall. I fully expected someone to stop me, but was left alone, again getting in a full hour. Next day I realized that I had a bit of extra walking space in the hall going in the other direction. Walking that small stretch of hall became my track for the remainder of my stay, utilizing my room only when my end of the hall became "busy". All this said, there were of course interruptions "most days" for vital sign readings, blood work, and so on. In those cases I kept an eye on how long these breaks lasted and tacked the time to the end of my hour. It worked out pretty well, if I do say so myself . . . and I do.

Additionally, on day four I added several ab exercises that put only minimal stress on my arms, began doing "chair squats", and lastly several leg strengthening exercises that again don't unduly stress the arms. I was surprised that, although I was obviously weaker, I retained enough endurance to do as many reps as I did pre-illness. Now, when I'm finally able to resume weighted arm exercises, always my weak point, I fully expect to have to drop weightage to below pre-illness levels. How much below remains to be seen.

First piece of firewood for 2025!