Friday rest

Schedule change - I work tomorrow instead of today and good thing since I woke up with a burning sore throat and heavy head. Resting most of the day.....doesn't every cat need a handknit blanket in their bed?

Cable surprise

Rarely do I plan ahead to watch a program on TV - I did so tonight gladly. I've been a fan of Sally Mann's work since I heard of her in the early 90s. Tonight, Cimemax showed a wonderful documentary What Remains concerning her work. Catch it if you have the opportunity....some content may make you squirm but also make you question your beliefs about death (among others). She lives ~40 miles north of Roanoke so you will also see the beautiful area where I live!

I joined a gym today. I'd cancelled my membership a few months ago since I seldom used it but the frigid weather today convinced me to rejoin. Ran on the threadmill for 30 minutes and used other cardio equipment for another thirty. Work the next two days then off the weekend!!!!!!

Food and slippers

I'd done some tasty cooking the past few days. First, I made Provencal Bean Pot from Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons - every soup I've made from this cookbook has been fabulous.

Comfort food was on my mind today so I made a lentil loaf topped with my homemade tomato based barbeque sauce, whipped potatoes and green beans.


Taking leftovers for lunch tomorrow at work..... I learned to knit in elementary school and would buy the little books about knitting that used to be sold in department stores. Browsing the 'net the other day I found directions for house slippers I remember seeing long ago. Well, I just had to start a pair for me. Here's the first one - yes, I have tiny feet!

A Gift of Time

No lecture after the test in my afternoon class today so I had an unplannned extra hour! Weather is cool but certainly bearable so I decided to do some errands on foot and get some much needed exercise. I live within a mile or so of a grocery store, drugstore, post office, library, several ethnic markets - there's much more commerce close by but these are the places I usually go. With my running shoes on my feet and the packages of Bookcrossing books I needed to send I headed to the post office. This neighborhood is friendly to walking with many sidewalks and plenty of stop signs (drivers can only go so fast if there's a stop sign ahead). I try to minimize the use of my vehicle but could certainly do better - Roanoke does not have a very efficient bus system. To get most anywhere, you have to first ride to downtown and transfer to another bus. I've tried to use the bus sytem throughout the years but it never seemed to work for me. I often consider what I'd do for transportation as I age because I suspect I'll need to stop driving at a relatively young age due to my (corrected) poor vision. Oh well, as long as I keep on my feet I'll be able to get around. I had a wonderful brisk ~3 mile walk - good use of my "extra" time today. Next two days are work days...notice anything about the clock?

Snow

Half day off from school due to inclement weather - hey, I'll take what I can get!

Biking Indoors

Thirty minutes on the exercise bike last evening - quite cold outside.

Quiet

The past week or so I have been in several waiting areas and have noticed the ever constant presence of a television blaring in the background. Two of these waiting areas were in doctors' offices and I can't help but wonder the health implications of all the noise in our environment. During the 90 minute wait I had in a doctor's office today I heard at least three loud ring tones and the accompanying conversations once they were answered. A small TV was in the alcove of this particular office and several people were scanning the channels - thankfully one person turned the volume down so only the people close by could hear it. I also heard several loud conversations about people's health conditions etc. - do people realize how loud their voices are sometimes? One of the ongoing battles I had on my former job site was the playing of a radio at the nurses' unit. There is so much noise in the hospital we can't control - monitors and other equipment, telephones and pagers, overhead announcements.....the radio blaring just added to the chaos. Additionally, the radio was mounted on the top of a large cart that was often in the way and had to be pushed to the side to access needed supplies. Well, it was a battle I lost and I left that unit - not just because of the radio even though it was symbolic of the problems on that unit...... On a related note, I read about John Francis and his 17 year silence in his quest to listen more completely - listening more fully is a goal for me - along with decreasing the noise pollution in my environment.... ....meanwhile the lovely clicking sound of knitting needles producing yet another pair of socks....