Hi, James! This is a retitled continuation of a previous message to you:

It's a long story, but I am beginning to see the
humour in it.... :-)

Well, that's the first dose of medicine.

Agreed.... :-)

<Trying *not* to break out in song. ;->

Not to worry! IIRC I've already expressed my opinion that a singing Mommy is a happy Mommy. As a former band teacher, I can belt out a tenor part so the guys in the back row can hear me. Tone quality is another issue. :-))

Did this summer find you too digging in the dirt?

I learned some time ago, when I had chronic lower back pain, to pace myself while digging. Eventually my back got better. Then Nora came along... meaning I had less opportunity to work solo in the garden. Nowadays I'm still using kitchen scraps & whatnot to make compost. Much of the gardening I do is on a smaller scale, though, and is more indicative of her preferences.... :-)


What happened in this case relates to a camping/kayaking trip.

1) A fair amount of stuff needed to be organized beforehand: kayaking gear, firewood, groceries, spare clothing, etc. I started well in advance because I didn't want Bum Shoulder #1 to fail me while we were kayaking & because we had some extra packing to do this time. We'd heard there was to be a bicycle race involving the same stretch of road we'd have to use to get to kayaking camp... so we left a day earlier than usual & stayed in a public campground overnight.

2) I made it safely through the first afternoon of kayaking. Once we arrive at the camp there is no shortage of young, energetic, able-bodied SP's willing to help carry stuff down to the lake & back. But there are still a few things we prefer to do for ourselves... one of which is climbing onto the roof of the RV & stowing things in a box added by the previous owner. While Dallas was up there I heard an ominous cracking sound. I wasn't particularly worried at the time, but the significance of this little detail became apparent the next day.

3) A light rain began just as we were packing up. By the time we'd returned to camp, a few miles down the road, the rain was torrential. But once again I wasn't particularly worried. This *is* the Wet Coast, after all... and I have been in the same area on other occasions when a downpour didn't last more than ten minutes. We ate dinner, sat around the campfire, and went to bed. But as Robbie Burns observed... the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley.

4) It rained heavily from 4:00 PM until 8:00 AM, when we had to get up if we wanted somebody else to cook breakfast for us. Nora was soaked. Her bunk was soaked. The upper bunk (where we keep extra blankets & whatnot) was soaked... and I've heard from people who should know that in this climate anything which absorbs water & has not seriously started to dry within forty-eight hours will probably be a writeoff! I believe them because we lost a canvas tent that way years ago. The rain was still quite torrential after breakfast... so we drove home, threw a tarp over the roof, and hauled everything out of the bunks ASAP.

5) As far as the RV is concerned "all's well that ends well". We managed to salvage everything, except for the toilet paper! Apparently it absorbed a lot of the water which landed in the upper bunk. And the roof repair was actually quite straightforward because we realized what was going on before any serious structural damage had occurred. While Dallas was standing next to the storage box on the roof, one of the screws by which it was attached to the roof let go ... leaving a hole which wasn't too hard to find. That was the sound I heard.

6) As far as I'm concerned... I had to put all this stuff back where it came from, and while the bunks were empty I thought I should remove the mildew from around the window sashes. This *is* the Wet Coast & Nora had recently noticed a musty smell in her bunk. I had already cleaned what I could reach while the bunks were in use, but there's more working space in the absence of mattresses & we didn't want the mildew to spread any further. Then, as we were preparing for the next trip, Bum Shoulder #2 began to object vociferously. It no longer felt better within a couple of days after I'd exceeded my limit... [wry grin].


I still have to be careful about what I do & how I do it, but as you may have already guessed I can type a lot more comfortably now.... ;-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Hi again, James! This is another continuation of a previous message to you:

I'm practising to be a feisty old lady some day.
If others would rather I starve than put my elbows
on the table, I've got news for them!

"Feisty [...] lady some day." Because of the modifier
qualifying the statement, I'll let it slip this one
time. <ROTF w/hoping my language terms hold water>

Not to worry. Such gallantry compels the left-brain internal editor to stand aside for the time being. ;-)

For those who aren't so hung up on convention I'd be
more than delighted to explain how I've modified my
computer desk & chair at no extra cost.... :-)

I'm almost afraid to ask,

Oops. I see you've got my number... [chuckle].

but when it's in you to explain....

Short explanation: I keep my elbows close to my body... as a physio advised when I had problems with the other shoulder... and I've found a way to support the elbow on the currently injured side while using my computer. In a perfect world, I might have an executive armchair. In this world, I duplicate the effect as best I can with rolled-up towels or whatever else comes to hand. But it all sounds so simple I wonder why I didn't think of it earlier.... :-)

Long explanation: my computer desk is actually a small table with a drawer in the centre, which my father built for me as a study desk while I was in my teens. It's plain, unimaginative, but made to last... just like him! I can use the pulled-out drawer as an arm rest with complete confidence that I'm not causing any structural damage & that it quite literally won't let me down. With the addition of two bath towels I can bring it up to desk level.

Now, here's where things get really weird & you might want to ensure you have an adequate supply of your beverage of choice on hand... [grin].

Long explanation continued: For whatever reasons, my chair seems to be an SJ magnet. It's what some folks refer to as a "mate's chair"... i.e. it has arms which are shorter than those of a captain's chair or executive chair. Our living space is just as crowded as yours & that is all I have room for. I must add that our personal computers are located in a main traffic area. When somebody wants Dallas to play computer guru, we offer them Nora's chair... but SJ's don't like to cause any trouble & they think they know better. They park their fannies on my chair so I can't use my computer. Then they move my chair into the middle of the room, because otherwise they can't see what's going on. (I could have predicted that... but they didn't ask me! The last one even put his backpack on the floor in front of him, thus making it almost impossible to go back & forth whilst preparing Nora to go out.) Meanwhile they don't notice they've knocked down a bunch of stuff which would take approximately six hours to return to its original location. I don't have six hours to spare. But all things work together for good. My chair is now at an odd angle because that's the best I can do to restore order within fifteen minutes. OTOH, the distance between the arm of the chair & the pulled-out drawer is quite manageable. The addition of another bath towel makes up for whatever else may be lacking. :-)

I start to worry about you when I haven't heard a peep out
of Calgary in two months because Kevin's system is down.

He had a few issues. One was moving to a new OS, ROMDOS and
it sounds like I took out his modem while downloading a mail
package. As long as his health holds - that's the main thing.

Yes, and of course I hope it does. But if it doesn't you're welcome to call our BBS. We still have a POTS line.... :-)

All my favourite people are weirdos. How could it be
otherwise when we're dealing with weird stuff hardly
anybody else understands? If it takes me awhile to
answer sometimes, it may also be I'm blown away that
you do.... :-))

Line starts behind me, sister! <LOL>

Aww, shucks! Thanks.... :-) :-) :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Ardith Hinton wrote to James Bradley <=-

For those who aren't so hung up on convention I'd be
more than delighted to explain how I've modified my
computer desk & chair at no extra cost.... :-)

I'm almost afraid to ask,

Oops. I see you've got my number... [chuckle].

L!!! Let's look up Wits End, shall we?

Short explanation: I keep my elbows close to my body... as a physio advised when I had problems with the other
shoulder... and I've found a way to support the elbow on
the currently injured side while using my computer. In a
perfect world, I might have an executive armchair. In this
world, I duplicate the effect as best I can with rolled-up
towels or whatever else comes to hand. But it all sounds so
simple I wonder why I didn't think of it earlier.... :-)

As long as you've thought about it now.

Long explanation: my computer desk is actually a
small table with a drawer in the centre, which my father
built for me as a study desk while I was in my teens. It's
plain, unimaginative, but made to last... just like him! I
can use the pulled-out drawer as an arm rest with complete
confidence that I'm not causing any structural damage &
that it quite literally won't let me down. With the
addition of two bath towels I can bring it up to desk level.

Having never met the man that built your desk, I doubt he was *that* unimaginative. Heck, he raised you to think outside the box after all. Besides, I often check my flights of fancy with some down to earth "What
the .... was I thinking?" and often too late. I *need* to let the
imagination step aside for common sense and *much* earlier so I don't have
to waste so much time, effort and material as I am accustom to.

Now, here's where things get really weird & you
might want to ensure you have an adequate supply of your
beverage of choice on hand... [grin].

Shoot... The coffee cup was left downstairs. (Try to blame *that* on the
cat! |-) One minute while I....

OK, as you were saying.

Long explanation continued: For whatever reasons, my chair seems to be an SJ magnet. It's what some folks refer to as a
"mate's chair"... i.e. it has arms which are shorter than
those of a captain's chair or executive chair. Our living
space is just as crowded as yours & that is all I have room
for. I must add that our personal computers are located in
a main traffic area. When somebody wants Dallas to play
computer guru, we offer them Nora's chair... but SJ's don't
like to cause any trouble & they think they know better.

Oh, *those* kind.

They park their fannies on my chair so I can't use my
computer. Then they move my chair into the middle of the
room, because otherwise they can't see what's going on. (I
could have predicted that... but they didn't ask me! The
last one even put his backpack on the floor in front of
him, thus making it almost impossible to go back & forth
whilst preparing Nora to go out.) Meanwhile they don't
notice they've knocked down a bunch of stuff which would
take approximately six hours to return to its original
location. I don't have six hours to spare. But all things
work together for good. My chair is now at an odd angle
because that's the best I can do to restore order within
fifteen minutes. OTOH, the distance between the arm of the
chair & the pulled-out drawer is quite manageable. The
addition of another bath towel makes up for whatever else
may be lacking. :-)

Maybe a stick of gaffer's tape, or a zip tie or two is what's missing so
your cushions stay in place? I'm at a point where a landslide is another opportunity sort and toss more stuff. (I really *should* be working to move that fridge, now that you mention it. P-)

I start to worry about you when I haven't heard a peep out
of Calgary in two months because Kevin's system is down.

...

doesn't you're welcome to call our BBS. We still have a
POTS line.... :-)

To confound things, the evil internet arrived here also, so ebay has been swallowing up all sorts of my time and available credit.



... James
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.49

--- Maximus 3.01
* Origin: -=-= Calgary Organization CDN (403) 242-3221 (1:342/77)

Hi, James! Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

I duplicate the effect as best I can with rolled-up
towels or whatever else comes to hand. But it all
sounds so simple I wonder why I didn't think of it
earlier.... :-)

As long as you've thought about it now.

Better late than never?? Hmm. While I am slow of thought, word, and
and deed that's understandable in view of my preferred reasoning style.... ;-)

Having never met the man that built your desk, I doubt
he was *that* unimaginative. Heck, he raised you to
think outside the box after all.

Yeah... you may have a point there. Both of my parents did their own
thing without regard for what the neighbours were doing, and they were far more
interesting than the neighbours AFAIC. I guess I took it a step further. :-))

I often check my flights of fancy with some down to earth
"What the .... was I thinking?" and often too late.

Apparently you enjoy giving the right hemisphere of your brain a good
workout. The right hemisphere is where you get your creative ability & spatial
relations ability. I imagine it takes up quite a lot of bandwidth while you're
rejuvenating other people's castoffs. Then the left hemisphere kicks in & does
the math. But you *are* consciously aware of having made this adjustment. :-)

I *need* to let the imagination step aside for common
sense and *much* earlier so I don't have to waste so
much time, effort and material as I am accustom to.

OTOH, I've often managed to achieve the impossible when I ignored the
naysayers! If you learn best by doing under certain circumstances I think that
is legitimate. In addition to the psychobabble I've already confused you with:
I recognize three major learning channels... visual, auditory, and kinetic. As
long as that old motorcycle engine (or whatever else you're currently trying to
fix) gets you out in the fresh air keeping your mind & your body active I think
the investment is paying off to some degree whether or not you reach your goal.
But while the ability to see the potential in things is a useful talent, it can
get in the way of practicality at times. I resemble that remark... [wry grin].

You buy these things at auctions... I buy clothing at rummage sales &
whatnot. In such cases, we both know the previous owner may have discarded the
item in question because there is something wrong with it. If the manufacturer
used non-standard sizing or if Junior dribbled egg yolk on his togs & Mom can't
figure out how to get it off or if there's a button missing but the spare is on
an inside seam (right where I'd expect it to be) or if a garment is last year's
model, I can easily see that. For you the challenge may be greater because you
can't be sure what's wrong with an engine, for example, until you've dismantled
it. Then you have to find somewhere to put the pieces... which now occupy much
more space than they did earlier. If you need time to ponder the situation you
can't just leave it & do something different for awhile, as I often do when I'm
composing a message in my writing area or waiting for stubborn stains to finish
soaking in the bathtub, because your working space is already filled & you have
to remember how to put all the pieces back in the correct order. I can't offer
any solutions... but I *can* assure you that it's human nature to bite off more
than we can chew occasionally & add my own perceptions re learning styles. :-)

When somebody wants Dallas to play computer guru, we
offer them Nora's chair... but SJ's don't like to cause
any trouble & they think they know better.

Oh, *those* kind.

I figured you'd know the type I was referring to. But I don't expect
the individual I mentioned earlier to be driving Dallas & me crazy a few months
from now. He just informed us he's decided to relocate in Calgary... [GD&RFC].




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Hi again, James! This is a continuation of my previous message to you:

Maybe a stick of gaffer's tape, or a zip tie or two is
what's missing so your cushions stay in place?

Hmm. The former would help close the gap... and quite possibly scare
certain individuals away... while the latter would keep the towel on the arm of
the chair from slipping. I like the way you think... [chuckle].

I'm at a point where a landslide is another opportunity
sort and toss more stuff.

I can relate. When the amount of decision-making one has to do seems
overwhelming, a landslide can help solve the problem of where to begin.... :-)

(I really *should* be working to move that fridge, now
that you mention it. P-)

It's taken me awhile to catch myself making such remarks & understand
what's going on... i.e. I'm still trying to please an Authority Figure from the
past while my intuition guides me along a somewhat different route. Unless you
get a lot more enjoyment out of moving heavy appliances than I would, you don't
really want to move the fridge; you want to have done it. (I can't take credit
for the last bit... I ran across it several years ago & the rest fell naturally
into place.) Nowadays I catch myself saying things like "I'd prefer to get xxx
done in daylight, and before it rains again." As an adult I have the privilege
& the responsibility of deciding for myself how I will organize my time. I can
feel virtuous about putting business before pleasure. But I can also recognize
what we're doing here as useful work although Aunt Hortense (God rest her soul)
wouldn't have approved because we seem to be having entirely too much fun. ;-)

We still have a POTS line.... :-)

To confound things, the evil internet arrived here
also, so ebay has been swallowing up all sorts of
my time and available credit.

Glad to know I can now refer you to various Internet sites as sources
of information! If you feel you have some difficulty with getting carried away
at live auctions in Calgary, though, the Internet may be a mixed blessing. :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)