I've been running for the Kleenex box a bit more the last couple days, but I just did not feel sick.  I was wondering if it could perhaps be spring allergies kicking on, but alas, today I admit defeat, its a cold.  I went to bed at midnight, and got up at 2 in the afternoon.  I slept for 14 hours, I hope the rest did something good for me.  I hate to be sick, though I don't know that anyone does.   Anyhow, its not the worst cold I've ever had, just the first one I've got in a long time. Oh well, it was my day off anyway.

A wonderful, though slightly rainy day trip to Carmel by the Sea, California, just an hours drive south, but have somehow never made it for a visit till today.  Its funny how popular tourist location near your own home are some of the places you've never been to.

Next on that list would be the Winchester Mystery House, which is maybe 2 miles down the road.  I drive past it all the time, shop across the street, or go to the movie theater next door, but have never actually been on a tour of the Mystery House!  I've seen TV programs about it, I've seen billboards for it hundreds of miles away. 

Are there famous places near your home that you have yet to visit yourself?

I give you Carmel by the Sea, California, USA.

I had what really amounts to a minor water leak, but it gave me such an anxiety attack, I was beside myself.

Last night I noticed some water behind the toilet, not much, but certainly not supposed to be there.  Upon investigation I saw just a little trickle of water running from the bolt between the water tank and the bowl, and I thought, NO this cannot be, and in the middle of the night, who can I call, what do I do!?

Water leaks are really my biggest fear of owning a home, not being a skilled plumber, nor sure whats minor and major, and well I just spin in my mind with worry, and action seems difficult, I might do the wrong things and make the problem worse.

Anyhow, I got bold and touched the bolt, and noticed the nut was a little loose, I hand tightened it, and then decided to grab a wrench and secure it just a tad more.   I think this has worked.  No more water, and the area has now been dry all day long. 

I had my brother stop by to look it over, he knows plumbing, electrical, etc.... and he shut the water off on the toilet, opened up looked, tightened a tad more to check, and though perhaps we will still go ahead and replace some washers that may have worn, it looks good.  And it makes the whole problem of a leaky toilet look manageable and solvable.

I truly do know that this is a little issue, that a trip to Home Depot can solve, but in my mind it spins into such an ordeal, I don't trust myself with tools, I fear doing the wrong thing too much, and really then being called on it after the bigger mess is made.   I dealt with this last year in my counseling, and come to think of it, it was about this same time of year, possible part of the SAD manifesting itself in anxiety and fear of things, and I know its not worth worrying about things that have not even happen, but when my mind just goes there, its hard to let rational thought prevail.  I try.

But all the while I keep checking to see if more water shows up, and I half think my mind can invoke leaks.  I know this does not make sense, but well, there you go.

Digital Delay?  Are you kidding me!?

I cannot believe there is now talk of delaying the switch from analog to digital TV, cause many people are not ready?!!!

They have been having promotional bits on every station for over a year now, if you could not get your act together from then to now, then you wont do any better waiting a couple more months.

I suppose the thought is the poorer folk who cannot afford it.  I suppose, and maybe I just don't live near poor enough people, but even in the low income places here, you see sat dishes, all over.  Heck, even when I went on a mission project to help fix homes on an Indian Reservation, THEY had dishes.

I'm thinking the motivation some people will need, is having their TV cut off.  A week with no Jerry Springer or COPS, and boom they will get things in gear.

Although, the biggest loser really, the advertisers.  Think of the millions of people not seeing their commercials! They should maybe mail out free converters to these folks, put an add on it even?  This converter was provided by Geico, Viagra, Nike, Bud Light, Tostitos, etc.

I suffer from SAD, Seasonal Affected Disorder.

Its probably a combination of the winter, but also working nights.  That makes my winter daylight exposure about 2 hours a day, and I feel it.

In the summer, I hardly notice that I work nights, I get up and enjoy a full day.  But now, despite living in California, I can barely see the sun for 2 hours.  It kinda sucks, and it makes me moody, and anxious, and just more irritated.  Of course, if I did not work nights, I'd have to wake up early in the morning, and that makes me upset too, hmm I'm just complaining in general, which is par for the course. Anyhow....

I try to get out and move around, exercise and look for sunshine when I can. But really, it will be the spring when I snap back to my best mood. Its January, so at least now the daylight is coming back, slowly now, but it will pick up in the coming weeks.  Just have to hold on till then, and know its just me, I'm just crazier for a month or so more.

HAPPY 2009!

My Peace bumper sticker is gone. 

For the past couple years I've had a magnetic bumper sticker on my car, it was a yellow hand making a peace sign, and it said peace across it.

Going back to my car from the gym, it was clearly gone.  Perhaps it fell off?  It was weathered, and its possible it just got tired, lost magnetism, and fell off on the road.

But more likely I suspect, it was taken. By who?  IDK, peace can be controversial to some people. Or some punk kid just thought it would be funny, or some kleptomaniac just needed to have it for their own? 

I'll have to now come up with something new for my car, I'll update when I find it.

I'd even share the photo of my bumper sticker, but Xanga seems to find that photo also, unavailable.

Peace is clearly hard to come by today I guess.

Facebook is one of my favorite sites these days, its not going to replace Xanga in my life, its altogether different, nobody blogs on FB, its just to find friends and share pics and the going ons of the day.

Well in my friend circles of late it seems rather popular to be sharing old photos of high school and jr high.  I did not keep in touch with anyone from high school, I graduated and did not look back, much.  I did not have great friends there, just mostly aquaintences, and people I went to school with, and I'm friends with a few now on FB.   Not that my classmates were really mean, just I did not really get included and/or we just we never did connect. I'm sure some of it was me but I just did not see people wanting to be my friend.  And now I see all these pictures other people are tagged in, and see how much was going on, that did not EVER include me.  All sorts of gatherings or parties, just times hanging out, and yeah, it kinda flashes me back to the early 90's and suddenly I'm there again, feeling the same, left out, and forgotten.  Even post high school, the people that stayed friends, and were in eachothers weddings, or go on vacations, or just still hang out, and here, all those people only exist in my world of 14-20 years ago, and then now virtually on FB. I'd never know anything about thier lives, or even what they were doing without me all those years ago, if it were not for FB.  I've moved on in life, and had better years since then, and thats truly worth noting, just to get these emotional flashbacks to my least favorite years, I shudder a little, and am so glad to not be in high school anymore.  Its so in the past, and I'm never going back.

Had a lovely afternoon of ice skating in Downtown San Jose, my company had the rink rented our for an hour and a half, along with catered munchies.  I don't skate really but once a year at this annual event. But I did not fall down! 

Skate

I'm getting Christmas started now.