January 9, 2006

• back online (at home)

  

  [first
  three photos:  above, the southern sky along the highway at the
  spring;  on right, Doug is using the Mutt to cut steps in the
  slick slope down to the spring; below on left, I wanted a shot of the
  trees on the snowy hillside over the spring and crouched for an angle
  that would include the full height of the trees.  I slipped, fell
  on my butt, then rolled back flat because that was the angle I'd
  wanted.  Some traffic went by, and Doug said, "Now there are some
  people who don't even know you who think that you're weird." 
  Yeah, and those who do know me know it for certain.]

  I have been pushing myself pretty hard lately.  Just seeing those
  words on the page made me laugh ruefully.  This, from the woman
  who used to work two full-time jobs and still have the energy to dance,
  bicycle all over town or hike through the woods, and maintain a
  garden.  That activity, of course, was all during a period of
  remission and it has been over a decade since my last remission.
  
  Now, my body is happiest when I don’t ask much of it.  Between
  Christmas and New Years, I did a water run one day, broke my glasses,
  and when I called around to find the best price for new glasses,
  learned that I could save $50 by getting them before the end of the
  year.  Consequently, I went to town the next day after that
  difficult
  water run.  The usual pattern is that the more exertion I do
  between rests, the longer it takes to recover.  I bumbled and
  fumbled around here for more than a week after those two busy days.

  Then, when the computer was repaired and the new glasses were in, I
  went to town again, made the physically demanding rounds of shopping,
  and rewarded myself with an AA meeting where I got my little bronze
  medallion as reward for thirteen sober years.  I don’t get to AA
  very often, being more at home with NA, but when I go there is always
  the warmth and inspiration of seeing my brothers and sisters
  (especially important to me, I think, since I’m an only child) and
  basking in that highly spiritual ambience.

  [Following
  photos:  on right, when I stopped at the Willow Public Library to
  blog from their computer on Saturday, two men were harnessing a numerous,
  Iditarod-sized, dog team to a sled for a training run on the trail around Willow Lake.  The dogs had been transported
  there in the usual "boxes" on the backs of two pickups, plus an apartment block of dog stowage on a little trailer
  behind one of the trucks.  I didn't recognize either man and
  wouldn't interrupt them to make small talk.  I just snapped a few
  shots for you.  This is the best of them.  I wish I could
  supply the sound, too.  The dogs were yipping and howling with
  enthusiasm and impatience for the run. 
  
  Below left and right, ilsurvive 
  had asked for pics of Felony Flats.  Greyfox's cabin is in the
  left photo, tucked back between the big cabin on the left and the
  teensy one (where he lived for a few months at first) on the right,
  with his red Mazda and my silver Streak Subaru parked in front. 
  The photo below it on the right is the row of cabins to the west of
  his, with Xmas lights on one and sunset light reflecting from windows
  of another.  The last shot of that series shows the sunset over
  the row of businesses across the highway from Felony Flats.]

  Alas, the computer wasn’t actually fully functional.  They put in
  a new motherboard and the sound card that came with it.  The sound
  card was defective, and so was the tech who neglected to test it before
  declaring his work to be done.  Also, the modem which had been
  functioning before they got their hands on it wasn’t working any longer
  when I got it back.  The next day, Saturday, I took the computer
  back and they made things right.  They gave me a “new” modem (I’d
  say it’s probably a used one out of some other comp they’ve worked
  on.  Their shop specializes in used parts.) and a new sound card,
  paid me $5.00 for the sound card they’d taken off the old motherboard
  and $25.00 as a discount/refund because of the defective sound
  card. 

  That just about covered my gasoline expenses. 
  Nothing but time and rest will correct the physical effects of the two
  days in a row of unaccustomed activity, but the Saturday night NA
  meeting was an even better high than the Friday AA meeting, so I have
  no complaints.

  Yesterday, I saved all the photos I’d taken while the comp was
  down.  I would have uploaded them and written a blog saying
  essentially the same things I’m saying here, but I just wasn’t up to it
  after doing some editing for Greyfox and being the doorman for the dog
  and cats all day.

  Last night I was determined to get some
  sleep.  I spent eleven hours in bed, and slept maybe six or seven
  hours all together, in numerous short bursts.  I know I dreamed,
  but don’t recall the dreams now.  I still  have the
  respiratory crud that Greyfox mentioned here when he left the message
  that I was offline due to hardware problems.

  [Following
  photos:  Sunday morning, January 8, 2006, around my neighborhood, beneath
  a heavy overcast, the low-angle winter sun was illuminating
  hoar-frosted trees.  The temperature was relatively warm, in the
  teens above zero Fahrenheit.  As soon as I noticed the light, I
  slipped into my boots and went out in pajamas, no gloves, hat or coat,
  to catch it.]
  
  

  

  

  

  

  • 5:10 pm
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