Let there be light?

Today's problem we will attempt to solve is light.  More specifically, light around my desk area.  I need to be able to see!  These new contacts are great but - as the good doctor warned me - in order to see with them, I need lots of light.  Right now I have good light on my desktop monitor.  Good light on a small patch to desk real estate.  Crappy light on my laptop.  And nearly zero light on the rest of the desk.  Yesterday I was trying to read the info on the memory stick in my laptop.  It required a highpowered flashlight and gymnastics to get the stick into the light of the highpowered flashlight (without taking it out of the laptop).  I can do better.

There's a fine old store 3 blocks over from here.  Seattle Lighting.  I took pics of the area and put them on the Lifebook.  When the joint opens this morning, I'll be there looking for a solution.

I talked to Mom this morning.  She was in her chair with the tv on taking a nap.  She sounded clear and good and she said she wasn't in any pain.  We are entering the personality disorder part of her recovery.  I remember this from last time. 

She is normally a very gracious person.  But, I think the combo of her not thinking straight and her resentfulness at having to be looked after, just squeezes out the room in her brain that she would be using for gracious.  This morning when I called she couldn't hear me and I could hear "turn that TV off, Pat."  "Pat, come here and turn that TV off!"  Pat is her favorite sitter.  Mom's tone was not one I ever want to hear and her "please' seems to be missing in action. 

I hate hearing this.  I hate hearing it in anyone but I really hate hearing it in Mom.  There were many many years when had I used those words in that tone with any human, I would have been punished swiftly and thoroughly.

In the middle of this entry, she just called me.  She said that she just wanted to check in.  I think maybe she forget that we chatted this morning.  A lot of getting old is just not that pretty.

And I need to go to Costco.  I'm one day away from being totally out of coffee. 

My brother just sent me the flyer for his store's grand opening... I so hope it goes well for him. 

Let there be light?

Today's problem we will attempt to solve is light.  More specifically, light around my desk area.  I need to be able to see!  These new contacts are great but - as the good doctor warned me - in order to see with them, I need lots of light.  Right now I have good light on my desktop monitor.  Good light on a small patch to desk real estate.  Crappy light on my laptop.  And nearly zero light on the rest of the desk.  Yesterday I was trying to read the info on the memory stick in my laptop.  It required a highpowered flashlight and gymnastics to get the stick into the light of the highpowered flashlight (without taking it out of the laptop).  I can do better.

There's a fine old store 3 blocks over from here.  Seattle Lighting.  I took pics of the area and put them on the Lifebook.  When the joint opens this morning, I'll be there looking for a solution.

I talked to Mom this morning.  She was in her chair with the tv on taking a nap.  She sounded clear and good and she said she wasn't in any pain.  We are entering the personality disorder part of her recovery.  I remember this from last time. 

She is normally a very gracious person.  But, I think the combo of her not thinking straight and her resentfulness at having to be looked after, just squeezes out the room in her brain that she would be using for gracious.  This morning when I called she couldn't hear me and I could hear "turn that TV off, Pat."  "Pat, come here and turn that TV off!"  Pat is her favorite sitter.  Mom's tone was not one I ever want to hear and her "please' seems to be missing in action. 

I hate hearing this.  I hate hearing it in anyone but I really hate hearing it in Mom.  There were many many years when had I used those words in that tone with any human, I would have been punished swiftly and thoroughly.

In the middle of this entry, she just called me.  She said that she just wanted to check in.  I think maybe she forget that we chatted this morning.  A lot of getting old is just not that pretty.

And I need to go to Costco.  I'm one day away from being totally out of coffee. 

My brother just sent me the flyer for his store's grand opening... I so hope it goes well for him. 

(no subject)

The only reason I bought these was so I could take the picture. But, Jake now believes that his job is to push and scatter them. So, I'm afraid I'm going to have to eat them all. Right now.

The excursion to the lighting store was a total bust.  This is a high end store. I kind of had in mind that I would walk in and be attacked by a sales person and then flip open my computer and describe the problem and then try not to buy the $500 solution but maybe see if I could get by with the $150 one. 

Instead we played a game of Invisible Woman.  I walked in and wandered around totally on my own attracting no interest from anyone.  I found the desk/task/floor/halogen - y area and started testing and looking at price tags and generally sussing the situation.  Still no one is noticing me.  I wander all the way around the store looking in every nook and cranny for some kind of ideas.  I not only found none, no one found me!  

I didn't see anything at any price that would work for my setup so I just took my old Invisible Self home.  Poop on them.

I forgot to go to Costco.  Definitely tomorrow.   

(no subject)

The only reason I bought these was so I could take the picture. But, Jake now believes that his job is to push and scatter them. So, I'm afraid I'm going to have to eat them all. Right now.

The excursion to the lighting store was a total bust.  This is a high end store. I kind of had in mind that I would walk in and be attacked by a sales person and then flip open my computer and describe the problem and then try not to buy the $500 solution but maybe see if I could get by with the $150 one. 

Instead we played a game of Invisible Woman.  I walked in and wandered around totally on my own attracting no interest from anyone.  I found the desk/task/floor/halogen - y area and started testing and looking at price tags and generally sussing the situation.  Still no one is noticing me.  I wander all the way around the store looking in every nook and cranny for some kind of ideas.  I not only found none, no one found me!  

I didn't see anything at any price that would work for my setup so I just took my old Invisible Self home.  Poop on them.

I forgot to go to Costco.  Definitely tomorrow.   

The invisible woman rocks!

I decided that putting off Costco was too dangerous.  Running out of coffee in Seattle is just plain stupid.  So I made a quick dash.  Coffee got.  And butter.  My freezer stash is down to one stick.  And...

Undercabinet slim touch lights!!!!  $20 for two of them.

Came home grabbed extension cord, drill, screw driver, clips to tuck the cords back into the corner with and I did the deed.  I now have light behind me!  Wohoo!!  I can see the laptop!!  And a whole new section of desk!   Unfortunately, it's the same section that I gave Jake a couple of weeks ago but since he's taken to living on top of the external harddrive under the desk, I don't expect he will mind.

I am quite pleased with myself. 

My sister-in-law called from Mom's.  She had a good and uneventful trip.  She is so sweet.  We have zero in common.  She is not my kind of person nor I hers but I don't know that there is anyone in the world that I am more grateful to today than Dana.  And I know my Mom is happier to see her than she would be to see my brother or sister or me.  By the time My Sister The Entitled gets there on Saturday, she'll have her defenses all healed and be ready.  And my sister will only be there through Wednesday.  By that time, I'm sure Mom will be delighted to be rid of everyone.

Whew.

Nice. 

The invisible woman rocks!

I decided that putting off Costco was too dangerous.  Running out of coffee in Seattle is just plain stupid.  So I made a quick dash.  Coffee got.  And butter.  My freezer stash is down to one stick.  And...

Undercabinet slim touch lights!!!!  $20 for two of them.

Came home grabbed extension cord, drill, screw driver, clips to tuck the cords back into the corner with and I did the deed.  I now have light behind me!  Wohoo!!  I can see the laptop!!  And a whole new section of desk!   Unfortunately, it's the same section that I gave Jake a couple of weeks ago but since he's taken to living on top of the external harddrive under the desk, I don't expect he will mind.

I am quite pleased with myself. 

My sister-in-law called from Mom's.  She had a good and uneventful trip.  She is so sweet.  We have zero in common.  She is not my kind of person nor I hers but I don't know that there is anyone in the world that I am more grateful to today than Dana.  And I know my Mom is happier to see her than she would be to see my brother or sister or me.  By the time My Sister The Entitled gets there on Saturday, she'll have her defenses all healed and be ready.  And my sister will only be there through Wednesday.  By that time, I'm sure Mom will be delighted to be rid of everyone.

Whew.

Nice.