Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Defaced Ace

Nameless Agent:  What's the password for WiFi here?

Me: Defaced Ace, all one word, all caps.

Nameless Agent:  What?  De -- face --

Me: Defaced Ace, all one word -- and all caps.

Nameless Agent: Okay.

Pause

Nameless Agent:  Nope -- incorrect password.  What is it?  Deface...?

Me:  (using hand gestures) Defaced Ace -- but all in one word, no spaces, and all capital letters.

Nameless Agent: Okay.  D- F...

Me:  No -- defaced.  D-E-F-A-C-E-D.

Nameless Agent: (stares blankly at me)

Me: (writing in capital letters in the air) D-E-F-A-C-E-D-A-C-E.   All one word, and all caps.

Nameless Agent:  Defaced?

Me:  Yes.

Nameless Agent:  Okay.

Pause

Nameless Agent:  Nope -- incorrect password.  Never mind.  It can wait.

Me:  Want me to enter it for you?

Nameless Agent:  Oh, yeah!  Would you?

I enter DEFACEDACE.  The computer makes a brief melodic sound.

Nameless Agent:  Oh, Face Dace!  I thought you said something else.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Me on the Weekends

I love my Sundays.  I love the fact that I get up at roughly the same time I do on a weekday -- seven, this morning -- and then have hours of quiet and stillness and peace, while my neighbors sleep.  I love that I have already taken down a load of garbage and dusted everything and redone the couch cover before I hear the floor creak upstairs.  I love that the weather continues being the weather even though I am the only one up to witness it -- the rain keeps trickling down the window, the wind blows in raggedy bursts.  I love that I can watch Perry Mason in between each job, and not feel like I am wasting my time.  I love my hot coffee, and my thin, crunchy toast, my hummus and my special, home made raspberry jam.  I love being me on the weekends.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Fallen Arches

So this is day six of wearing the arch support brace that I got last Friday.  Since the severe and increasingly crippling pain I was experiencing in my arch-foot-ankle-calf-knee, was that of a fallen arch.  You know, you read about people with fallen arches in books, and they are always either men who can't get accepted into the army, or elderly fat ladies with spoiled poodles, who make rich fruitcakes.  I do make the worlds's best fruitcake, even though I hate it, personally, so I guess I had better just give up and start spoiling some poodles.

However, the degree of pain that this condition was causing me was really an eye-opener.  I mean, I had to limp heavily everywhere I went, sometimes I could not go down stairs without hanging on to the wall,  I had difficultly moving in bed at night, since every shift sent severe pain rocketing down my leg -- it was a serious thing.  And getting slightly worse every day.

But now, with the brace filling in for the actual arch, the pain is getting slightly better every day.  Today I notice that I can walk, still more heavily than I would like, but almost naturally!  I sleep much better, and don't have suppressed shrieks filling my inner ear. I can sit comfortably in my chair, no matter which chair it is, since I'm not aware, constantly, of the pain in my foot and leg. It's possible that I am going to be able to live out my life in some degree of normalcy, instead of as an agonized, mean-spirited and very fat lady!

I am going to have to get some new shoes, however.  And I can't just wear whatever shows up in my size at the Sally Army.  I need to buy some ankle boots.  The ones I am wearing are coming apart, since they were second-hand when I got them, and anyway, are a startling orange suede.  Not the best for my quiet, mostly dark clothing choices.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Morning Delight

Every morning when I begin my drive to work, I suppress a momentary frisson of excitement.  Because, come on, I'm just on my way to my place of employment, the spot where I labor, in order to be given money, with which to pay my bills.  

Right?  

But no -- because what I am actually looking forward to, is the drive itself, and the morning hours that I am alone in the office at the computer.

The drive, is going to be pleasant, non-scary, non-crowded, and beautiful.  Every morning, whatever the weather.  I go overland and avoid all congestion, love the flickering raindrops or bursts of wind, or dancing tree branches or swaying circle of leaves.  I have the power of an automobile under my hands, and can, by quick small movements, traverse the corners and hills with ease, and dryness and no effort.

And the morning hours, when I am in the office early, are a delight as well, since I have online access and talk to myself, as I am doing now, with my fingertips.  I can see what my friends and family and acquaintanceship are doing with their time, and comment on it, and I can look at pictures of things that make me feel stuff.  All very happy ways to spend one's time.