weapons of massdistraction

Sorry for the silence. Still here, but going all ostrich-like…as I become increasingly stressed and overwhelmed.

But still on left coast time. Today should be pretty brutal…as the little man goes back to school, and I go back to work. And we’re already running late this morning. Doh. More soon.

I love a stormy night. Except when I’m trying to, you know, sleep. At 3:30am this morning a Zeus-style thunderclap woke me up. I jumped out of bed, with my adrenaline racing, before I realized what was up. Took me a while to calm down, but eventually I fell back to sleep. And who needs an alarm clock when you’ve got tornado sirens? Those suckers started blaring around 6am. You’d think that would rouse me, but I lingered in bed, listening to the storm…after the sirens had died down. Last night I must have spent another 11 or 12 hours in bed, actually. Slept much of the weekend away, and when I was awake I was quiet and still, sitting or lying down in a dark room. And yet, I am on day eight of this damned migraine. Friday’s doc visit was helpful in that he named this thing for what it is. I complained that usually my migraines aren’t like this. They generally don’t last quite so long, just a day or two, and they usually render me completely useless…rather than barely functional. But the doc insisted it was a classic migraine nonetheless, and prescribed some new meds for me. One to be taken next time, at onset, the other, 800mg of ibuprofen, to be choked down twice daily. Sadly those horse pills don’t seem to be helping. I don’t mean to keep harping on the same, dull topic, but it’s become a quality of life issue. And that quality is so low lately that rather than being excited about our impending trip to San Francisco, I am dreading it, if I’m still feeling this craptacular come Wednesday. Perhaps I will experience a miraculous recovery before then. And maybe the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus will all be on our flight too.
Bonus: A British author I’ve been enjoying, Charles Stross (responsible for space opera such as Singularity Sky and Iron Sunrise) has just gone and gotten himself a Hugo Award for his novella, The Concrete Jungle. I’ll have to read that when I get the chance.
Plus: Some sad news, in the ’strange reminder of mortality’ department. Ibrahim Ferrer, the charming singer from Buena Vista Social Club, has passed away, at age 78. Tonight’s episode of Fresh Air will have a segment devoted to him, featuring an archived interview with Ry Cooder. Also…it’s been a decade or more since I watched teevee news with any regularity, but Peter Jennings was one of those iconic figures who, for me, brings to mind another time in my life. Perhaps I’ll listen to This American Life’s “Who’s Canadian?” episode, in his honor.

The husband is a long-time Linux man. And has, unsurprisingly, always had PCs. So when he got his folks a computer many years ago, he bought them a Dell. If the computer had been for his own personal use, he would have just built it himself. But buying them a machine from Dell ensured they would have a support number to call in times of need. And that worked. For a while. The warranty has long since expired and the old box seems to be causing far too many problems these days (some of which are operator errors). So the husband decided it was high time for a switch. And surprised me by buying my in-laws…a Mac mini. Goodbye crappy Windows ME. Goodbye Internet Explorer (we’d tried to get my father-in-law to use Firefox exclusively, but I don’t think that was happening). Goodbye bi-weekly tech support calls to our house. See, the husband also purchased the three-year Apple protection plan. Yes, it was $150. But that boils down to less than a dollar a week. Well worth the money, I’d say. We delivered the new little box last night and I have to say, I was sad to see it go. But I’m sure it will work out as intended, and hopefully the Tiger we’ve unleashed on my unsuspecting in-laws will play nice.

Criminy. It’s flipping August already. That means the little man and I leave for San Francisco next week. The dates that we’ll be away were selected specifically to:
a) coincide with a good chunk of his ten-day school break; and
b) procure the cheapest direct flight possible.

But there are two factors I failed to take into consideration:
1) I will be missing much of this year’s Fringe Festival. Though I will attempt to see Adventures in Mating (a romantic comedy inspired by the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books) before I go, as well as my co-worker friend’s Unicycle Showcase.
2) I will also be missing my own wedding anniversary. Doh. Actually had to look the date up in my weblog because I can never remember it…what a good little wifey I am, huh? Will have to make it up to the husband somehow.

There are many other things going on that I will, hopefully, not miss. The night before we head out Le Tigre is playing at First Avenue. And next month marks the little man’s 6th birthday (6?!). And I begin my Arabic Language for Beginners course (yes, I did sign up after all). And there will be a bonfire up north, put on by an amateur astronomer/coworker at his observatory. As well as the Headwaters Walk for Justice. And Sigur Ros will be at the State Theater on September 24th. And in October The Decemberists come back to town, on the 21st, at First Avenue. And we’re going to see Cirque du Soleil…at some point. And of course there’s Halloween to plan for. Plenty to keep us occupied. And preoccupied.