Wednesday: Mixed Bag Day
Just had to use my 'buzzed' icon, because I rarely get a chance. (smile) I hardly ever drink and rarely ever get anything in the way of a 'buzz' when I do. But I let myself have a well-deserved beer (Chelada -- comes already canned -- Bud Light and Clamoto), and I have a tiny buzz right now. (smile)
One week of Lent down -- and in spite of various temptations, Marilyn and I have managed to keep from breaking it. Last year we kept messing up on Fridays, forgetting we couldn't have meat! But I think we'll be good this time around. (heh)
I actually took time today to READ a bunch of stuff here at LJ -- and to Comment, too! (And even Reply a little bit.) Nothing near what I need to do (!!!), but far better than nothing. So I'm happy with it! Maybe it's my start of doing it more in 2014...
Busy IT day, yet again. Phone system stuff and a myriad of other things that don't bear going into, frankly. I was on the phone with both Donn and Kris more than once (as well as Christine). Some of it won't be resolved until tomorrow, some won't be resolved until Friday -- and some might never be resolved, who knows?
We did have something REALLY ODD happen today! It has Donn, Kris and I all stumped! I was Remoting in to PRFA92 -- Caitlin's machine. It read PRFA92 across the top. But Caitlin phoned me to tell me I was actually Remoting into PRFA76 -- Tanya's machine! I could see her Quickbooks link on the desktop, something Caitlin does not have on her machine.
The Server will not allow you to name two computers the same thing, so that can't be the answer. But it's like crossed wires or something. In all the time I've been managing IT for the festival, I've never seen this happen before! Very strange. Yet another mystery for me to try and resolve (if possible!). I'll be looking into it tomorrow at the office.
One of the main things I need to do tomorrow is teach Caitlin how to use the template FISH created for our new version of the eNewsletter. I figured I'd better review it today -- good thing! I put in at least 90 minutes (probably more -- but I didn't time a bunch of it), cleaning up the template. For training someone unfamiliar with both HTML and CSS, the template has to be VERY CLEAN. By that, I mean that it needs to be flush LEFT (which I personally prefer, anyway) and with really good spacing everywhere. This makes it easier for an average person to read it. I realize that tons of indenting is the 'normal' way to write these things, but it can be confusing -- especially for people not used to looking at code. The idea is to make it really easy for someone to see what they should leave alone, and what they'll be changing.
So after 'fixing' the template, I then rearranged some stuff and COMMENTED it all over the place. I think that now it's going to be good to go -- but I guess we'll see if that's true tomorrow! I think Carol needs to hear part of it -- so she understands the major changes we'll be making. This eNewsletter will have nothing in common, really, with the versions I've been doing for several years. But it should be device-friendly (especially cell-friendly), which is a big goal.
Speaking of coding, I was googling some festival-related stuff today. I'm really dismayed by how poorly our website spiders now. There's no comparison to before. Yeah, I get that they've changed all the page URLs (except for the Home page), so it does make sense. Still, I worked very hard to get the site where it was, and it's sad to see it fall the way it has currently. Pasadena spiders better for 'clown corps' than we do! And previously we spidered better than even the major circuses worldwide! We not only used to have the number one response, but we had the entire first page in various search engines...
Hopefully they'll make a serious effort to change that. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Cleaned a couple of drawers (where we keep our ice picks and the drawer where we store our can openers) in the kitchen today. These always seem to end up as semi-junk-drawers (I guess every house has at least one!), so it's amazing to look at them now! They're both wonderful, if I do say so myself. I got rid of bags full of stuff, probably reducing 1/3 of each drawer. Go, me! That hadn't been a plan, but I was looking for something and just decided it was time. Both drawers were difficult to close properly, and now that it is simple. I love this process, I have to say. (Makes a lot of garbage, though...)
Sister Sue and I did not go for Starbucks. I assume she was tied up getting ready for cribbage tonight...
Had a lovely email from my dear friend June! I need to write back to her tomorrow. Maybe I'll try and get over to see her Friday morning (if she's up and about).
Marilyn and I are headed to the beach house Friday afternoon, as soon as she gets home from the office. We'll stay down until at least Monday morning (three nights!). Can't wait. Seaside, here we come!
We have several neighbors (including June and Jim) who watch our house for us when we're gone, by the way -- which is very nice of them! We never have to worry when we're gone to work or out of town.
My bloodcount today was 116. Not bad! I've always been happy when it was under 125, so...
Still having trouble sleeping with my reaction to the Niacin. But I'm hanging in there! I believe if I can just stick it out long enough, I'll adjust and be fine. The Estrace cream is also requiring an adjustment. Right now I'm applying it three times a week (!!!), so naturally my body is getting used to having the hormones again. Marilyn said I'm like a teenager right now. Hahaha. All I know is, today I was having mood swings just as if I was having PMS or my period! It's worth it, of course. And I only have to do the three times a week for the first several weeks. Then I go down to once a week after that.
Yeah, all you boys who are reading, I realize that last bit was pretty TMI! Get over it. Hahaha.
Marilyn had a 16-hour (!!!) day today. Can you imagine? Well, I can -- because we've been known to put in really, really long days during the past decade. Still, I felt sorry for her. That's pretty hard going. I was glad she got some extra sleep last night.
This is long and rambling. Sorry! Oh! The weather was beautiful again today! It really lifts my spirits.
Colored my hair. What a mess. New version that was messy and HARD to wash out. But it did turn out nicely. Marilyn thinks I should spend less time doing it -- but do it more frequently (like every couple of weeks). With dark hair it's a battle to keep the grays (whites???) gone, that's for sure. And I am NOT going there, my friends! It just isn't me.
More tomorrow!