32 posts tagged “work”
Returning to work today at least one coworker was certain I had the flu >>the Swine Flu, no less<< and not a severe cold as I've been saying. So I Googled --symptoms cold vs. flu-- and got very helpful results. I wanted to reinforce my knowledge, not refute the coworker who no doubt by now has burned the chair I was sitting on in her office. I'll list only two of those excellent, succinct sources:
- FluFacts.com -- a simple table of symptoms. For me, I wound up picking one from column "A" and one from column "B" for a mixture of symptoms. The important pointers, in my opinion, aimed at "Cold."
- About.com -- they offer an interactive quiz that will tally the likelihood of your having one or the other disease based upon your symptoms. Takes less than a minute to complete.
Work, itself? I've been chasing down weird computer issues all morning. Could they have the same thing I had? At least they all have been inoculated with a strong anti-virus!
As the day progressed today (Thursday) I've begun to feel more like my healthier self. I'm still taking a cough suppressant/decongestant to relieve some cold symptoms: except for a little sniffle and the occasional clear cough, my outward symptoms are gone. No fever, no chills, and energy levels are coming back up. I'm feeling stronger and have more stamina. I'll be going in to work tomorrow.
After watching a 2005 Biography Channel program about the Dalai Lama today, I've also been reminded I've been increasingly off-center in my life recently, mainly thanks to work. Sometimes we lose track of how we should live even when we think we're trying to do the right thing. Enough said, here.
I received word this evening that my first of two ordered copies of the Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade has been shipped to me via Amazon. I was actually hoping to have received it today --release day-- so that I could mess with upgrading my notebook computer over the weekend. I doubt I'll get it before Monday and I'll be too busy next week to install. Oh well, sometimes the anticipation is more enjoyable than the activity... er, yes, in more things than this!
Oh yes, it's good to feel well again... or to be headed in that direction!
Above: Another photo from my Tuesday evening shoot along the West Branch of Rocky River... the Frostville Village Church.
Yesterday (Wednesday) I stayed home from work. My cold had interrupted my sleep and drained my energy to the point where I couldn't do anything at all constructive even around the house. I just sat and napped all day. Sounds nice and restful but, well, it was a cold and I was fairly miserable. Oh, and it was one of those gorgeous fall days, too, wasted on me.
Stayed home today, too. Though much improved over yesterday, I still felt a little weak in the knees and had occasional coughs. If I feel up to it I may work on some photos later today or tonight but I can't count on that.
Today's a cloudy but golden autumn day. The wind is kicking up and swirling the leaves around. From the couch I can hear the weather changing.
I feel like such a wuss being decked by a little thing like a cold but there you are. Now, for lunch and another dose of aspirin!
This was my weekend to work. I was able to keep busy so the time at the office was well spent but leaves me with little to write about. Mom is back home from hospital and doing very well. She doesn't believe in this blogging stuff so I leave out any details. The little photo show looks nice at the library. Few comments except kind words from staff there. The new pictures are pretty and I won't stop shooting lovely nature scenes, but the gritty old B&W stuff from the '70s, well, those are art. Digging out those old photos really stirred me up, reminding me of days long passed as a youth involved in an artistic community. {sigh} I've got to recapture some of that feeling and take an old approach with my new work though I'll not quit the nature scene. For now, though, back to the weekly grind... at least it pays the bills!
Going back to work, especially on a Saturday, following a few days off can be less than appealing. Somehow I was ready early today and it occurred to me that a stop in a beautiful place along the way might make the transition easier. Though I rarely visit there, David Fortier River Park in Olmsted Falls is one of my favorite places. The Rocky River runs through a broad channel of rock in Olmsted Falls, smoothed by ages of flowing water. In the shadowed depths of the valley a secondary channel, much narrower, joins the river within the park. Trees and moss grow thick there and most of the time the waters run tame and quiet. To be surrounded by natural sculpture, soft light, beauty everywhere, well that's not a bad thing when you're on your way to work.
Tonight is shaping up to be a beautiful night. As the sun lowers into the western sky it casts long shadows and warm light. My thoughts turn to the long trip home from work --my late night-- and the need for rest. If I were to drive toward home but continue on, I'd reach the Observatory by about 10:30. I would probably stay there for more than an hour, getting home at, say, 1:00 Thursday morning ... a "work" day. I'll have to settle for a disappointing peek at the night from my none-too-dark stoop, then crawl into bed. Sadly, I should not answer though the sky is calling.
As a pleasant diversion (and out of curiosity) I left early for work Wednesday morning and made a trip out to Letha House Park in Medina County, the site of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association's observatory. I wanted to see what progress had been made on the new driveway and parking lot for the park. I also figured I could enjoy a little nature walk around the pond and wetland area there, a little respite before the workday --and night-- began. There was no progress on the lot except that a giant digging machine had been removed. The day was sunny and surprisingly hot. Walking slowly, dressed in shorts and tee shirt, I sweated as I moved along the path to the wildlife area. Dragonflies (yes, again) were everywhere so naturally I started shooting photos of them.
I also encountered a bird that flitted from perch to perch obviously trying to evade me but not wanting to go very far. I figured it was a mother and didn't want to tip me off about the location of her nest. Later I was able to confirm that it was a female red-winged blackbird. This particular bird was holding an insect in her beak, obviously a meal for her offspring, as I photographed her watching me.
Note: At home that night I found my camera no longer wished to talk to my PC. Haven't yet fixed it but I can do what many others do... offload the photos from Compact Flash using a media reader.
Today was a work day for me and, as I sometimes do to get some stress relief, I paid a brief lunch time visit to the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center in nearby Bay Village, Ohio. It seems like this is my "Dragonfly Summer" as I took advantage of several opportunities to photograph the insects. The creature pictured above posed at the end of a twig anchored in the Center's lovely water feature. This was a "super-macro" shot, not telephoto, so the camera lens was mere inches from the subject. Yes, it almost appears to be smiling for the camera! The 15-minute break helped me a great deal.
Ugh! It's been an uncomfortable few days. My cold symptoms kept shifting (in typical fashion) ranging from the sore throat at the beginning, coughing and sneezing yesterday, to a fever and headache today. Misery during a week of velvety blue skies by day and clear comfortable nights. The view out the windows is of perfection --those aforementioned blue skies set off by a foreground of lush green trees-- but I've stayed indoors. Besides the beauty of the days, I missed a golden opportunity to do some stargazing last night. Friends set up telescopes 10 minutes from my place of work and on a night when I was scheduled to be there til sunset! In fact, I left work early last night and called in sick today which, for me, is extremely rare. I figure with all the virus fears people have these days, my co-workers were happy I stayed away! I'm also glad I stayed home because it was not a good day for me.
I kept the TV off for most of the day, preferring to keep the top of my head from popping off by sitting in the subdued light of a quiet room. I did get to see half of a film I recorded from Sundance Channel: How to Cook Your Life; She Who Must Be Obeyed had taken the day off by pre-arrangement, and wanted to watch something. She became involved with the film as did I. I'd seen a bit of it the other night and was intrigued enough to want to see more. The documentary centers on Edward Espe Brown, a chef and buddhist priest, but it's really about our relationship with food. It was the segment on breadmaking that captivated me in the preview and, as it happens, it was bread that started Brown on his life's journey. Interesting to me is the prevalence of people involved in spiritual practice and breadmaking. I hope to see the balance of the film tonight. As a baker myself, will likely order Brown's classic, The Tassajara Bread Book.
My symptoms seem to be moderating. I'm feeling a bit peaked right now but then, I haven't eaten all day. Tomorrow's a scheduled day off for me so I'm hoping I can complete my recovery in time for the weekend.
Not much to write except to say the day started off nicely. The garden area tended by She Who Must Be Obeyed is sprouting beautiful new green. It has been cool and wet so my favorite foliage plants, the hostas, are looking very good.
To take a break from a day full of frustrations --installing a new server machine ought to be easy for me, but when the manufacturer and vendor strip it of all documentation, well, it isn't easy-- I ate a quick Taco Bell lunch and headed for the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center in Bay Village. The Center is nestled in a beautiful suburban metropark and features exhibits and a lovely courtyard dominated by a large water feature. Wild and captive (injured) birds are in residence in the open and are both fun to view and easy to photograph.
I'm glad I took time out to enjoy a little open air and wildlife. The afternoon wasn't nearly as frustrating as the morning since I pretty much resigned myself to the fact I wouldn't finish the installation today! Left work for home and, hopefully, a good weekend. Viewing these photos tonight brought back good feelings of a lunch hour well spent.
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