Ode to a Kindle

I should really, no really be doing something else right now.

I mean honestly, when you have to purchase receipt paper rolls to create your weekend to-do lists, you really shouldn't be dinking around the internet. I blame this on my parents.

Weekends were more like Workends at my house, but we all loved it. There's no way to excape it either. It was always a "Hurry up! We need to relax!"

Anyway. I've kind of broken that mold a bit. Here I sit, Saturday morning. After sleeping in until 7am. I snuggled with a cat. Made a cup of coffee, wrote in my journal, then... picked up my Kindle.

A pageless turn, a weightless thing

How could I so swiftly discard my others?

Speakers yes, but no backlit screen

It lays on a table, not bookcase with brothers.

It feels so light, yet heavy with knowledge

So simple to transport, and hard to escape

I acquire new adventures must faster at current

Visit endless worlds, with hardly the baggage

If my arms grow weary, I switch it to landscape

Buy, trade, and share? Books even for rent.

I like it. Its easy to carry and find new books without having to GO anywhere. I'll probably read tons more now that I have one. No longer confined to what the library has, or what is a decent price at the bookstore.

I don't really like acquiring things. You always have to store things, and keep up with them, etc. I never seem to want to read the books I have on my shelf, because they're always there. There's no sense of urgency. I rarely read library books I get because I don't want them to get damaged when I carry them around.

I do see the negatives of a Kindle though.

The snoop factor is gone.

When people come to my house, they can't really snoop through my books. Potential conversations are lost. Also, when reading in public no one can see what you're reading. Good and a bad thing. But then again, potential conversations are lost. No one is going to be like, hey that person is reading a book I've read. Maybe we're similar enough to have a pleasant moment. Nope. Moment gone.

Also. I'm spending a lot more money on books now. The nice thing is, Kindle books are much cheaper...

The Constant Struggler

Ha HA!

I'm back.

A few days ago I had a dream in which I was the lead researcher for the Harley Davidson Institute of Neurotrama Research.

This does not exist.

Except in my head and on my whiteboard.

Today marks one week of me doing absolutely nothing at work. This is an exaggeration of course, but it feels that way. Going from working an understaffed ER to reading computer manuals is a bit of a change of pace. Considering that I finished reading them all last wednesday and we still have about a week of scheduled "study time" I've been doing various other things.

I think today I'll make a presentation about Diffusion of Innovation as discussed by Rogers.

It's applicable to the instigation of computerized charting at the hospital.

Besides, I've run out of internet...

It happened again. I hit my responsibility spiral and crashed out of control.

This one was interesting. I tried introducing some "color" to my clothing palette. This was a bad idea. There's a reason I need to keep things remarkably simple. If not I make them incredibly complex and it rapidly gets out of control.

I'm reading Running and Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind there's a bit where Kevin Kinghorn writes about "Single Decision Makers" He likens them to Anscombe's intentional actions. Where you can give an explanation as to why we do them. I found this describes me a bit too well.

For example.

I decide to go running every morning (this month it's every other day.) That's the decision. Every subequent action that follows are intentional actions. I put out my shirt and shorts, find my shoes, set my alarm, make sure my phone is charged, and fill my water bottle before going to bed.

In contrast, there's another sort known as the constant struggler. My roommate for example. She's decided to exercise everyday, but where I decide to do it and go into autopilot. She makes a decision every step. What time of day should I exercise? What clothing should I wear?Depending on what exercises I'm going to do. Should I cardio first or second? Which muscle group today? How long should I wait after eating? What will I refuel with?

I don't choose what shorts or shirt to wear. I don't (typically) change my time of day. I don't "mix up" my routine (except monthly.) I've decided on something and that's how it is until the review period is over and I can re-evaluate.

I do things like this for a month. Review the data collected and see what I need to alter.

Here's the unfortunate bit that seems to have taken a while to get to. I decided to add color to my closet. Once I did this I couldn't get up and put clothes on. I had to make multiple decisions every time I wanted to get dressed. Would this underwear show through? Was it too hot for this shirt? Are these pants clean? What socks do you wear with this? AURGH!

It was very difficult.

I gave up yesterday.

I'm wearing scrubs and a white t-shirt.

Business casual is so overrated.

Things are simpler when you don't have to think about it.

This is one of the main reasons I'm a vegetarian. There's usually about one good thing per menu when I go out to eat. I don't have to decide if I feel like chicken or steak. I can always have pasta!

Carbivore out.

Snip Snip

So, when I friend of mine made the post that she bought $66 worth of items for $0.94 I sort of sat up and took notice.

I was raised to be a good steward of money. Really more as a bragging point than anything. Oh yea, and so we could go on living our lifestyle.

My Dad once bought a suit at JC Penney's for around $3. I found a pair of puma trainers for $10. Paying full price seems like such a rip off. Every time a sale goes on, John comments, "So THAT's what the real price is."

On to the extreme couponing phase.

I don't have television access except at the gym so I stay relatively 3months to a year behind on trends and whatnot. Turns out there's now a show teaching people how to save money by using coupons. I feel I learned this is Home Economics (of course, being homeschooled cleaning the bathroom was considered home economics...) This sharp change in the economy is teaching people to be a little more careful in their planning. There are a few sacrifices to be made however.

Is this something I think I need to look into?

You must develop a strategic plan.

Turns out you can't really skim the grocery adds for what's cheapest anymore. I could never do that to begin with. I already set aside a portion of my weekend to flip through cookbooks with my roommate (Sarah) and decide on recipes for the week, who will cook what night and the overall health of the foods we are choosing (it's fun to live with scientists.) These decisions are all copied onto this What to Eat pad and checked against the pantry for what we need. The missing items are checked on this All Out of List and off we go with our "Green Bags" to Kroger, Sam's, or (if it's just me) WholeFoods and the Farmer's Market.

I am a terrible person at the grocery store. I hope you never have to see me. Not only do I have terrible control over the MONSTER-SIZED carts (just can't get leverage if you can barely see over) I also read the labels for EVERYTHING, bring my own bags, use coupons, self-checkout, purchase alcohol (while looking like a 12 year old), buy insane amounts of fresh produce, check unit prices on items located in different isles (or even different stores.) Sometimes, I even get on Amazon while in the store to see if it's cheaper to have it mailed to me within two days.

Do I really want to add the crazyness of getting weekly emails, printing, snipping, planning, etc. Just to save a few bucks?

Here's the sad kicker...

All this time I've been thinking about this (thinking includes creating a coupon email account and signing up for a bunch of online coupon sites, reading the ehow, and watching some tip videos on youtube.) I keep coming up with one repeating idea that I can't seem to shake and really reveals my personality.

Why?

What's the overall net gain?

A few extra bucks?

Is all this work worth it?

I already spend a great amount of time recording and analyzing my diet to keep kcal and sodium low while maintaining protein levels separate from animal proteins. (not as hard as people seem to think) Do I really want to add an additional level of crazy?

Then I think, what will I do with the money.

Anything I need I already have. I could probably live comfortably 2-3 months without buying another item (if I ration the food properly.) Things I want I either purchase or talk myself out of. School bills have been part of the planned budget since highschool and therefore are well foreseen. Emergency money is placed well out of reach.

Hmmm,

Here we go.

I'll find a charity/organization/or cause and donate the remainder of my planned grocery budget to them after 1 month of couponing.

Suggestions would be appreciated.

If you think you're infected...

So here's what happened.

Friday evening I developed a rash across my abdomen, by Saturday it was spreading up my neck, and it covered me by Sunday. Monday when I went to see my Doctor it was in my ears and my mouth. Monday afternoon I had a fever.

I had erupted in pseudovesicular pustules all over my body.

They think I had a severe allergic reaction to sunscreen. So bad it became systemic. I've been on steroids for 4 days now, and it looks like I'm overcoming chicken pox.

I still have a few open sores so work is frowned upon as well.

I was eaten up.

Now it's time to embrace the paste.

This is how you get ants...

Well, here's to having written something yesterday and forgetting to submit it.

Oops.

We have ants.

The 2D character sketch from Archer was pretty much the conversation held in my house...

But we also have a plan.

I come home around midnight when I get off work and I find my "big board" (<-reason why we have it.) covered in a very specific strategy to "Starve the Bastards!"

Incidentally, I had a very ant-related dream that night in which I did panic.

Now I find this scary business.

Ant-zombies.

The scientists found that at solar noon, when the Sun is at its strongest, the fungus synchronised ant behavior, forcing infected ants to bite the main vein on the underside of a leaf. The multiplying fungal cells in the ant's head cause fibres within the muscles that open and close the ant's mandibles to become detached, causing "lock jaw," which makes an infected ant unable to release the leaf, even after death. A few days later, the fungus grows through the ant's head a fruiting body, a stroma, which releases spores to be picked up by another wandering ant

Jeez. Thanks Science Daily.

Now I have the decision. Do I want fungus in my house or ants?

Here's a zombie movie potential.

Them and 28 Days Later.

If only I had a little ant doll...

What's with the candypan?

Here I sit at Starbucks, freezing bits of me off that I didn't even know I had, but hey, Frappuchinos are half-price!

Supposedly, I'm working on my Ethics in Nursing paper. Last paper for this semester, once it's done, I'm done.

Meh.

I've made the cover page so far.

I've been such an oscillator of moods recently. I became visibly upset over getting lost on my way to a wedding today. So upset, in fact, I gave up and decided to go home. Now, every thing is just peachy. I'm trying to decided if this is a problem or simply life and I need to figure a way to chill out.

I really think it's just life. One can not be happy all the time, nor should one expect to be. I don't need medication or hormone therapy, I just have moods. Right now, I'm cold.

SO. Onto the interest of the day.

It's between 1430- 1500 at work and everyday I try to pass around the ED with a bedpan full of chocolate. Nothing gross like that. They're all neatly packaged and I hand them out to people.

So, why the bedpan?

Here's why.

Everyone knows a little bribery goes a long way but Alice Isen has isolated even more. She reviewed some studies with doctors, candy, and correct diagnoses.

A little positive influence helps doctors come to correct diagnoses faster and more accurately.

In addition, if I can't be skinny at least I can make my co-w0rkers fat!

Once again, back in action.

So let's all glance around the room and pretend that this is going to be more than just a one time thing...

Let's hope.

My job is changing in a few weeks. I'm no longer going to be a floor nurse. I'm headed over to the IT department to help design our computerized charting. I'll be there for an ENTIRE YEAR.

Yay.

This is great timing. My job satisfaction is hovering around a zero. We did finally hire a manager. Maybe things will straighten out and be fixed and shiny when I return.

I have to give the quick run down of life recently. Then I'll get better at appropriate updates.

Lets see when we last left I had just finished a marathon.

Life sort of stalled after that.

I've read about PMS (Post Marathon Syndrome) but didn't really think it would happen to me. I mean, come on, after 26.2 miles doing about 30minutes a day shouldn't be that difficult.

I was wrong. I finally FELT like running for the first time yesterday. I've been running about every other day (or only on my days off) but I haven't really felt like it.

Finally, got out of my funk yesterday.

Probably why I haven't been blogging. I've been in a seriously bad mood. Nothing seemed interesting or noteworthy. Then, of course, the dilemma of am I really so arrogant to think that people are interested in this life? Or then dilemma of am I really so arrogant that I believe myself to be above sharing my story with others?

Gah.

I'm doing this for me. To stay updated with myself. It does make me feel better. Of course. I don't have all the interesting things to blog about such as my friend JT (recently moved here) or awesome little comics like my friend Kyle (badideagoggles (<- this always turns into bad idea google. )) However. It does contain... me.

I think I'll run now and get something to actually write about later.