Things I did today while waiting for Backblaze downloads to download:

Cleaned out and organized neatly my messy, messy desk drawer, the one where everything I don’t know where to put goes.

Did some top-of-desk arranging.

Cleaned out and sorted my tool bin in bathroom. You know, screwdrivers, nails, screws, hooks, old tools I’m never going to use in a million years that were my husband’s that he left when he left twenty years ago. I still have these because?

Rearranged some things in the linen closet for easier access.

Cut apart an old calendar and hung the pictures I like. Rearranged the wall above my desk at the same time.

Made a toasted cheese sandwich.

Refilled the wet wipes container in the bathroom.

Yesterday, while waiting for some backblaze downloads to download:

I sorted and rearranged my meds container and figured out which pain meds to take which days, depending on if I actually want to have less pain or not, like if I’m going somewhere or Traci or Tess is coming over. Ibuprofen for those days, and if I want to sleep the night before, although that’s not guaranteed. Nothing else ever works, Tylenol, Extra Strength Excedrin, Aleve, even the vicodin I have left from the dentist doesn’t work all that well. Anyway, because I take a lot of pain meds, and they don’t want me to just take the one what works too often, I try to alternate. Thanks, modern medicine, for not finding a pain reliever that works without somehow killing you behind the scenes.

Did more desk stuff yesterday, too, and did some decluttering in the bedroom.

Yesterday I was having a lot of pain, but still got stuff done. Last night I could not sleep, so just gave up and got up at 3am and did more downloads and stuff. Crashed on the couch, (Literally. Eyes would not stay open) from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Was in a total fog with a headache for a couple of hours, and then started doing one little thing, and the next thing you know, I was on a roll, getting stuff done. I do my best work when I can’t find something, like in a drawer or cupboard, and the next thing you know I’ve completely rearranged the entire kitchen. Well, I used to, now it’s on a much smaller scale of getting things done. But if feels so good just to be able to do one little thing, let alone a lot of little things.

I think I will treat myself to a lobster roll and a caprese salad from Papa Gino’s, because I’m worth it. Or it sounds really good and I”m hungry. Whatever.

Went to order Papa Gino’s online and couldn’t find the caprese salad. Noooo. That’s the best massively over-priced salad ever. So did a phone order instead to make sure they still have it and they do. So why isn’t it on the menu online? Don’t scare me like that, Papa.

First, a few leaves are yellow on one of the trees across the street They were not yellow yesterday. Autumn has begun. Also, it is raining. Woo Hoo!!

Second, I cooked. I made the best chicken I’ve ever had. I had to use the thighs from the freezer, bone-in and with skins, the last anything that isn’t coffee or cheese or flour in there, since it is on its last legs and then what? Landlord no longer required to provide frig, so it’s on me???

Anyway, chicken. Wipe iron skillet with oil, heat on medium, add thighs skin side down, brown well for about twelve minutes, rearranging to make sure all it all gets to the middle of the pan. I cheated and browned the second side a bit, too. I did turn it down to between medium and medium low when it started to spatter. If you have one of those spatter-screens, use it. Oh, salt and pepper liberally, especially pepper. I like pepper. Meanwhile, heat oven to 475. Add pan with skin side down chicken, cook 12 minutes. Flip, cook 5 minutes to 165. Drain on paper towels. Eat the skin if you’re brave, cause it’s really, really good and most of the fat has rendered. Oh, yum is it good chicken. Juicy, tasty, perfect. Salt and pepper. That’s it.

Delicious chicken and rain, rain, rain. It’s a good day.

If you don’t know how to care for an iron skillet, it’s really easy. Wipe it with oil (I’m using sunflower cause it’s what I have) or pour some in, depending on what you’re cooking. Cool it down when done, wash it with paper towels and hot water and maybe a green scrubber thingy if you really have to. Or salt. Salt scrubs it out well. Don’t soak it, and don’t use soap. Set it on burner on medium to dry, and when it is, pour in a bit of oil and rub the entire insides with a paper towel to spread the oil all over. Cool, wipe again. Stick in oven or where ever you keep a thousand pound skillet. Those things are heavy.

This picture is totally irrelevant, just so you know, however, it makes me smile.

Remember on Monday when I said the modem was not working, but I fixed it?
Yesterday. The modem was not working. I did the reset, and the unplug, seven times each during the day. It would say it’s connected but nothing would connect. I could read one email, but not two, on and on all day long. It would be connected, then unconnected or limited connection randomly without me touching anything. I am trying to sync some dropbox stuff and it is taking years because of this, and so I did not turn off either the pc or the laptop. Last night, since nothing was connecting or working, well, tv works. Yay. I don’t watch tv as a general rule, but I decided to watch Netflix on my roku which connects to the tv. Roku was connected, but nothing worked. Unplugged everything except the pc and the modem and the laptop. Same old same old. Did not shoot self, only because I do not own a gun. Same with sledgehammer to skull. Don’t actually have a sledgehammer. Drat! Finally turned off the pc. Laptop worked perfectly. No connection issues at all. PC is working perfectly today except for restarting itself once. Was it the Perseids? They were shooting by unbeknownst to me and screwing with my electronics? I believe the peak was last night, which of course I couldn’t see because Tedeschi’s thinks that light pollution is a requirement, or something. They NEVER turn off their bright lights. You’re closed people. Turn the damn lights off, please! Since I am probably 50 feet from them, it is never dark in here, even with the curtains closed. Anyway. WTF was the week from electronics hell about? I haven’t tried the Nexus, or the Roku or even the laptop today, but I am (kind of, sort of, maybe???) hopeful. Could not find a decent scrambled egg brain image, but I did find this. I apologize. That is so unbelievably disgusting, there are no words. 🙂

First, stupid computer is stupid. It can’t even update itself, and keeps ‘failing’ or freezing in the middle. It is so going in the closet when the laptop gets here. Where is it, btw? It’s supposed to get here today. I want it now!

UPS came to pick up the phone I am returning. Half an hour later I remembered that I had not removed the sim card. Yes, I am an idiot, but hey, I’ve had a stressful week, people. Anyway, called my carrier, got someone not exactly fluent in English, spent some time, got transferred to someone with a southern accent. Spent an hour and 3/4 having the best and funniest conversation with her, talking about life and jerk husbands and my old job, and everything under the sun. It was so much fun. And I’m getting a new sim card that will fit any phone and the old one is cancelled. Yay.

Also, it is raining. Could this day BE any better? Thank you, Chandler Bing. LOL

Chatted with Motorola, can’t be fixed only exchanged, for a fee. Computer shut itself off in the middle, but miracle of miracles, I was able to reconnect where I left off with the same person.

Chatted with Amazon, they are sending UPS to pick up the phone for a refund, so there, Motorola. I love Amazon. They have never once failed me, even when an order was stolen from the lobby thank you FedEx.

So no lovely new phone.

And did I mention that something bit me several times while I was sleeping? This is the third August in a row that something has bitten me while I was sleeping on the sofa. Just the one incident, but every year. And you thought life isn’t weird. HA!

The modem quit working. Got it back, but still. I mean, I get that electronics are iffy, but seriously, everything at once? And the stapler? It doesn’t plug in to anything and is certainly not wireless. WTF, universe?

Notes on the health front, since this blog is about ‘living with chronic illness’. Right. I think I am going to give up physical therapy. I really wanted to do this, and wanted it to work, but that’s not how it’s going, so I am throwing in the towel. I had a bit of a minor mishap Thursday, and thought nothing of it. Saturday morning I had a really bad cramp in my calf just as I woke up. Both legs then hurt all day, and going out was not as fun as it might have been, in spite of three Extra-Strength Excedrins, which don’t work, don’t work, don’t work. Calf muscle hurt like hell for awhile when I went to bed, then there was another cramp. Yesterday, I had full body pain and just lay on the couch reading all day. Better today. Anyway, last night I was bemoaning the fact that I seem to always have pain for no reason. Then it occurred to me that it was the delayed pain caused by the mishap. I have a delayed pain thing as part of this stupid illness, and sometimes I’ll do something, like accidentally hit my hand on the corner of the desk or something, but because it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t really register. Then, two or three days later, when my hand does hurt, I have no idea why, because I have no recollection of the hitting it on the desk thing. Makes like interesting. Yes, interesting. That’s what we’ll call it. LOL In the end, I am hobbling around and my legs still hurt, less but still, and I just can’t put myself through the after effects of physical therapy again. Life is hard enough already.

On the bright side, it is yet another gorgeous day. This is the best August ever, so far. Bright, sunny, breezy, NOT humid days. How can you not love that?

IDEK. I really don’t.

But I ordered a new laptop from Dell. It has 8, and of course can be upgraded to 10. I have had no experience with 8, so we’ll see how that goes.

Went to (oh, god, I am a horrible person) Walmart to check out laptops there, and found one I liked, which they did not have in stock. Came home, pc actually worked, so looked on Amazon and they had the same laptop, but then went to Dell and found one I liked better, for about the same price. So. I am nothing if not impulsive, people, and I have a credit card. So there! This isn’t it, but this is soooo purty!

I was too pleased with it.  The universe hates me, I know that, and yet I keep tempting it.  Stupid pc froze twice, once in safe mode, and now appeared the really lovely blue screen of ‘freaking what the hell is wrong with this stupid piece of shit?’.

It’s a gorgeous day, and I am going out to do errands with my friend Tess, so screw you, computer.

Oooh, the anger.  LOL.  😬. 😠. 😤. 😣

Went to check weather on cell phone when I got up, battery ded. Ded. Why? Plugged it into charger. Plugged in computer, which had been behaving horribly yesterday, so just unplugged it yesterday afternoon. Plugged it in this morning, waited half an hour or so, started it up, something like two hours later, I finally got it working. Had the blue screen of death twice, and numerous ‘start, gets so far, freezes, restart, gets to a different point, freezes, rinse, repeat’ over and over and over. Googled blue screen of death message on Nexus and it pretty much said the particular issue either needed a system restore, a bunch of stuff I can’t get at to do, or a reinstall, which I was considering anyway. Anyway, there are no restore points to restore it to. Why???? I just fixed that awhile back. I thought.

Checked all my reinstall info, set out making sure everything everywhere everywhy is backed up. Still backing up one thing to Dropbox, backblaze takes care of most things, but not this, and it is taking years. Years, I tell you. So I have been at this since 9:30 this morning (it’s 9:30 pm now), with brief timeouts for screaming fits and lots of swearing, eating Caprese Salad from Papa Gino’s (I’m ordering so much, the delivery guy was all, “Hi, Jean, how’s it going?” LOL But their Caprese Salad and Fenway Penne Pasta is soooo good, and I can get three or four meals out of it for 18 dollars plus tip), cleared off and rearranged desk and computer table, cleared out my overflowing inbox (the real one, not the email one), discovered that the stapler will only staple if I manually push the staples forward every single time, filmed Gertrude whining at me, and yelled at her because ‘I distinctly remember putting food in your dish, so shut up already please’, go to kitchen a bit later and no, I did not fill her food bowl. That was last night. Duh. Finally crashed, couched and read a bit. Nexus is working, reader is working, unplugged cell phone only to discover it’s not working.

I figure I’ve got at least another day of work before I can get to the actual reinstall. I reinstalled once before, and I don’t remember it being this complicated. It’s been a couple of years, though, so I may just have blocked it out. 🙂 I have no idea what’s wrong with the cell phone. I tried rebooting, but it just showed me mr android with a ‘no command’ message. Then went black. Not off, just black. 😦

Please, somebody, just put me out of my misery, will you? I clearly have angered the universe somehow or other. This was the first day since I last went to physical therapy nine days ago, that I wasn’t exhausted. It was going to be such a good day. HA!

And so do I!

Psychology Gets It Wrong

We really are not the brightest species on the planet, are we? I mean, look at us, fouling our own nest as fast as we possibly can. But this made me think of all those medical studies that were done only on men, and then the resulting drugs and treatments are created for men, and just applied to women almost as an afterthought. Because, well, we obviously don’t matter here.

I particularly like this bit, “It was kind of like biologists suddenly learning they had based their entire science just on the animals living in a single cave in Montana.” NOT the sharpest tacks in the box, humans.

Yesterday, I came across this:

The Smartest People in the Room

Notice how many of these are women. That’s right. One. ONE. Marie Curie was the only woman considered smart enough to include here. How many of those men do you think took credit for some woman’s work? Not that I don’t like men. I do. A lot. But seriously, they need work.

We can’t help how we’ve evolved, but brawn really isn’t the best qualification for anything except beating up those who aren’t quite as brawny.

Look at the men who are running for office as Republicans. Tell me those men have actual, working brains. Yeah, I didn’t think so. I’m not really that confident with a lot of them who are running as Democrats, either, except that they seem to have at least gone to school and learned to think.

Grumpy Jean is grumpy. Can you tell? More pain, more fatigue, more I am so sick of this shit. And people. I am so sick of people. So!

Stupid body. I have been exhausted for an entire week, and so had to skip PT again today. I am soooo disappointed in myself.

Also disappointed in my stupid, stupid computer. I am trying to move some music files to Amazon Music Player, or Google Play Music thingy, or something where I can play them on my laptop without actually having to get them onto my laptop, if you know what I mean. Does anything work? Noooo. Can I figure it out? Hell, no. (Slight screaming and head-banging going on here, people) Why doesn’t shit just work?????