Still No Spring, but…

...but, lotsa flamingo

The pivot tables are getting better. Now, maybe I can make it actually work and be “Nurse Proof” as well.

I finally figured out that it was my sinuses that are causing my hair to hurt.

Today’s issues…

  1. It is still cold and damp
  2. I am still too fat. But, I treated myself to a frozen Xmas cookie from the stash that I have hidden in the freezer under the veggies.
  3. My hair still hurts.
  4. And, the water heater seems to be on the fritz. It is a rented water heater. But, I don’t want to roust the maintenance guy out on the weekend. So – no hot water.
  5. Carlton invited people for dinner on Monday. Good side to that is I can use the water heater and short notice as an excuse to let Whole Foods handle the details.

 

ARGH…

Even my hair hurts

It is like this…

First. Today is free scones day here at the apartment building. See last Friday. And, I am still on a diet. One tiny lousy pound might have vanished. No scones for me.

Second. It is cold and rainy.

Third. Our elected representatives. Need I say more. But, I will anyhow. Michele Bachmann just told us in so many words that she would not support any measure to keep the doors of government opened if any funding goes to Planned Parenthood – because people should not have their tax money spent on things they don’t approve of. (Dangling Participle Alert). Well, now that is a girl I could get behind. We just  pay taxes for stuff that we personally want. And, maybe we can get a refund too – on stuff that didn’t work out too good? Like, say, Iraq?

Finally. I am trying to understand Excel Pivot Tables. But, all this is making my hair hurt.

excel woes

Wrestling with the differences between Excel for PC’s and Excel for Mac’s and Open Office.

Some of my spreadsheets for the hospital have gotten too complex for anything except the PC version of Excel. Sigh. So much for compatibility.

Seeking Spring

Seeking Spring

Things are looking a little greener over looking south.

Went to the dentist this morning. My two front teeth started to disintegrate Monday morning. My front teeth are all patched up.  And, my dental insurance, AKA Vista Card, is five hundred lighter.

My “Be Nice to Carlton” program includes letting him invite people for dinner. I really don’t like doing dinner. I’d be OK with it if he would let it be buffet and everyone sit where-ever. But, those who know Carlton know that he always sits at the table and expects everyone to do likewise. We have nice seating at a table for two. We don’t have easy seating for four. And no seating for more than four.

Also, Carlton thinks that I am a great cook. Wrong. I am an OK cook. Carlton is absolutely no judge of cooking. As long as the fish and meat is cooked, the green beans overcooked, and has no garlic whatsoever, he likes it. Last night he said my tuna paddies were as good as crab cakes. For this I am grateful. But, he thinks my skills are greater than they are.

Seeking Spring

Seeking Spring

The sun came out this afternoon. But, it was cold and windy. So, I am still in hibernation mode. Spent 30 minutes tramping up and down the stairs this afternoon.

Loving Paul Ryan’s  proposed “Massive Budget Cuts”. I will allow as how everyone has to endure some cuts. The poor and elderly get services cut and the wealthy get taxes cut. Love the GOP – the party of unequal opportunity sacrifice.

Carlton is watching the news. There is an advertisement for Viagra on right now. One of the warnings is: If you experience sudden decrease or loss of  vision or hearing, stop taking Viagra and contact a doctor right away. Doesn’t this make you wonder about the intelligence of the pill popping American male?  Now, if all of a sudden I stopped hearing or seeing – I’d get my sorry ass to the Emergency Room ASAP.  But, am not a guy.

Better Weather Today

A crane showed up yesterday.

Since the sun was out this morning, I went on a search for that rather ominous crane that showed up yesterday. I think the resulting building  will not cause any lasting problems with our killer view. And, if it does, well, it is a rented killer view. Unless there has been some hanky panky with the building permits – I think it will be limited to about 12 floors.

Cold, rain, hail, sun so far today…

Apartment Building Got New Computers Yesterday

We have had cold wind, rain, hail and sun so far today. And I think there will be fireworks for our viewing pleasure this evening. Weather permitting. Fortunately, we can view the fireworks from inside.

I haven’t gotten the jack rabbits out of my boots. Still want to hop on a cruise ship that will be chugging back to the Mediterranean sometime soon. The operative word is soon, I think.

Software: If you have a Mac (or an iPhone) and if your library is supported… Library Books is an elegant little program that does one thing very well.   Check out: Library Books

Grumpy Hibernating Old Woman

The 500 calorie scones are back

The cold cloudy rainy almost snowy weather have turned me into a really grumpy old woman. Too much time on my hands. Yesterday I found myself cataloging my audiobook collection. Going back and figuring out how much I had paid for them. Recording where they were stored. etc etc etc. That is borderline insane. Maybe full blown crazy.

At least the sun came out this afternoon. That is a start in the correct direction.

Lead us not into temptation. The 500 calorie really good scones returned to the Friday “Grab and Go” Breakfast here in the building. March was “Fitness Month” so they had fruit and Nutri-grain Bars. Even when I am on a diet Nutri-grain Bars have ZERO appeal. But, the 500 calorie scones. They were hard to pass up. Actually, the scone was not passed up. It went into the freezer. Heck, even 1/2 of that scone ain’t diet food.

Haven’t had a weigh-in since last Monday. Don’t know if any weight has gone – but at least I have stopped the accumulation. And, I added an additional 5 flights of stairs to my the routine. 25 today.

Too much time on my hands – part two. Every spring cruise ships go from the Caribbean to Europe. I am not into “cruising”. As we used to say in Alaska – Cruising “The nearly dead, the overfed, and the newly wed”. But, I could hop on a ship in Barbados and get off in, say, Barcelona. Or I could plan a “Land Cruise” and travel around the country on the train. Strange enough the cost would be about the same if I spring for the cheapest room on the ship or the cheapest sleeper on the train. And avoid all the “extras” on the ship.  No spa day for me.

Is this a great county or what?

 

600K public art

I sure hope this is an April Fool’s joke – but…

A $600,000 frog sculpture that lights up, gurgles “sounds of nature” and carries a 10-foot fairy girl on its back could soon be greeting Defense Department employees who plan to start working at the $700 million Mark Center in Alexandria, Va. this fall. That is unless a new controversy over the price tag of the public art doesn’t torpedo the idea.

 

Yet Another Cold Rainy Damp Almost Snowy Day…

This is getting pretty boring. It is spring already. Where is that “Out Like a Lamb” goodness?

 

So, what to do on a cold rainy damp almost snowy afternoon but to look for a warm and sunny place to go?

I was using one of my junk email addresses to sign up for some travel site or the other. I wasn’t planning on adding my “Title” but it was required. To the left you will see my drop down choices. Methinks that site isn’t for me. I picked “Frau” as my “Title”. But, I rather liked viscounte and honorable as well.

Did a 2 mile forced march and 20 flights of stairs and ate darn little food today. Big treat today was one Hershey’s Kiss. 22 calories. Now that is draconian.

Wondering about the once again threatened “Government Shutdown”. Does this mean that the congress people don’t get paid? And, don’t get free trips back to their districts? Seems only fair to me.

 

And Spring Would Be Where?

Last Sunday

It was sunny today. Sunny but cold. Well, at least cold for someone who spent the winter in Hawaii.

Started to diet with a vengeance today. I have been hungry all day. That is good. That means that the diet might be working. And, I did 20 flights of stairs.

132 @ least 7 pounds too many

Not much spring out there this afternoon.

Rest in Peace – Paul Baran. He was one of the founders of the internet. He invented Packet Switching.

Went back to the volunteer job this morning. That is where the scale is. Now I know… Carlton lost 8 pounds in Hawaii. I found 7 pounds in Hawaii. (To be fair – I think I found some of those pounds in Japan last summer.) Let the dieting begin. I knew I had pudged up. Jeans never lie.

One would think that by the time one is my age one wouldn’t care what one weighed. One would be wrong. Besides, it is such fun being sanctimonious about plus sized people. (I never claimed to be a naturally nice person.)

At the volunteer job – I almost behaved like the cranky computer hack I was for so many years. A couple of years ago I built a really elegant spreadsheet – complete with macros, and 15 different sheets. Well, someone changed it – and now it doesn’t work anymore. Those of you who know computer hacks from the olden days – we would always say “YOU TOUCHED MY CODE? WELL, IT IS YOUR CODE NOW.”  (For all I know, computer hacks still throw that hissy fit.)

Fortunately, I just smiled and said, “I’ll try to fix it.” See, I am mature. Grownup. Yeah, right.

From Sunday's Snow Event - Love Pink Plastic Flamingos.

I hate it when this happens

Snowy Spring Day

I hate it when this happens… it snowed a tiny bit this morning. I decided that it wouldn’t be worth the trip down to the mall. So, I went out in the neighborhood. Took 120 pictures. But, no WOW shots. No amount of tweaking and cropping can turn any of them into the WOW shot. Sometimes you catch the light. And sometimes you don’t.

Status of projects:

  1. The Secret “Be Nice to Carlton Project”… I am trying – honest.
  2. The Diet… I am sneaking up on it. As soon as I weigh myself… then I’ll get real serious.
  3. The Stairs Climbing… Did all 19 floors of the building without stopping today.
  4. The Taxes… Done… Waiting for the refunds.

Today is the last day for Free NY Times. They tried paid in 2007 and signed up a whole 227,000 customers. Including yours truly. But, that effort went bust. They apparently spent 40 MILLION dollars on the new pay wall. That is an incredible amount of money. I wish they would just setup some sort of micro-pay system. But, why am I whining. I know I’ll sign up. In the olden days I had home delivery of the dead tree Times. I can afford $15 a month. But, I’ll try to hold off for a week or two.

Carlton and I are having a little discussion about the New Madrid fault. We are sort of wondering how many people have heard of the New Madrid fault and if they have heard of it – do they known where it is? (There are no nuclear power plants really near the New Madrid fault.)