Updates

[trickykitty]

I finished reading The Handmaid's Tale. It's strange how despite all the political and religious commentary that's in it, I ended up focusing on the interesting social "rules" it presents for that dystopian society, which lends itself well towards my next big reading book.

I'm now simultaneously reading The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships, James' Pedestrian Wolves, and taking the two online classes, which for week 1 includes reading the first 3 chapters of the AI text and getting a refresher in linear algebra.

I think I've paid off all the random leftover bills from my surgery today. I'm upset that despite the wonderful hike in my monthly insurance premiums ($170 extra/mo FFS!), my family doctor stopped accepting my health insurance earlier this year, so my regular blood work and exam has to be paid out of pocket.

Watching Earth2 is helping me really get into the mindset for Kev's NextGen game. At the same time, my wanting to watch the show means I'm doing my elliptical workout upwards to 3 days a week, versus my typical maybe once a week.

I'm still getting used to the philosophy club's bi-weekly meetings. They're a bit too late considering my current work schedule, so I'm all sleepy and not as coherent as I'd like to be, especially as my Bendaryl kicks in.

I had to replace my monitor as it wouldn't turn on. It's been gifted to Tom who wants to fiddle with it and get it working again. I liked my monitor so well, despite it's non-wide screen size, I looked and found an exact match online with little-to-no use for $80, including shipping, in its original box and packing. I got it out of the box and it was shinier than my own monitor, which was impressive.

The eldest nephew has been capturing lizards and geckos. He's also learning how to protect them from the cats, else they wind up as blood-spattered sacrifices to the house denizens. When he showed me his two the other night, the 2-inch long gecko was upside down in the water bowl. We took him out to be buried where he was found - in the water meter box. The boy did a mock rifle salute. The lizard is a smaller size as well, and the grasshoppers in the cage seem too big for him, but who knows. I encouraged him to let the lizard continue patrolling the flanks of the house for bad bugs rather than have him caged. I'd rather him do a catch-and-release than his current adopt-and-dead tactic. Poor lizards.

Sister admitted to doing drugs again, "but not in the past couple of weeks." BD2 wrecked the car while drunk and somehow managed to not get arrested. BD1 is in jail for probably the next 3 years. All of this ... unsurprising.