Life and Times of Dana

The weather really took a turn yesterday. It started out at 5 a.m. with a thunderstorm and then turned to high winds all day with lots of sunshine. We had sustained winds of 40 mph and gusts of 60 mph. Lots of limbs came down and the electricity was out for a while. I still have a large limb to remove from my metal shed, I wasn't going to go out in that stuff to remove it yesterday.

What really got to me was that people were out in those winds trying to rake their leaves. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. 40 to 60 mile per hour winds and people were raking leaves. Makes one wonder about some people some times.

Since I decided to just stay put, for the most part, and I worked on my other website most of the day. While doing some more research on missing kids and on help for older adults I ran acrossed quite a few links to help and information on abuse, so I made a page with those links. They include links to all kinds of help for victims and for the families and friends of those people.

These links aren't just for people in the U.S. or Canada, I have included links to international agencies and programs too. I did the same with the missing children's links and eldercare links.

Remember that abuse isn't just being beaten. It can also be verbal and sexual (including rape and incest) as well as using children for labor in sweatshops across the globe. It can also be bullying and the financial abuse that often happens with our elderly. Read up on it. Get involved. Don't just sit on your collective asses while our children and elderly are being taken advantage of and being abused.

You'll find those links in the Family and Health section of www.megz-bytes.net.

We have been expriencing great weather around here lately. Temperatures are a full ten degrees above normal. It sure has been nice to be doing things outside. I know that when winter hits I'll be working mostly inside and finding things to do in the house. I already have a few projects around here planned like recovering the couch. It's gotten a little ratty in the last year. I had planned on getting rid of it last year when I was planning on moving to Canada, but since that didn't work out now I have to do something with it.

First thing I have to do before I can do the couch is to get my sewing machine working properly. Yes, I sew too. I have many talents, auto mechanic, welder, plumber, carpenter, electrician, electronic repair, computers and many others. I know just enough to be dangerous in many fields and yet I am a master of nothing.

Growing up in rural Ohio during the 50's and 60's you either learned to do these things or the farm went broke hiring others to do the work. I also lived in areas of Arizona where it was a two hour bus ride to school every morning and then back home again. You learn a great many things when you live so far away from any kind of real town.

Today I have a computer to go work on up in Toledo and then back home to work on another one that I have to mod the power supply on and then reload Windows.

Today is the first time in a about a week that I'll have a day pretty much to myself. The weather is supposed to be really nice today so I think that my dog and I will go for a walk and I might even get a bike ride in.

I HAVE gone for a couple of short 3 mile walks lately. The other day I was watching as the hawks were starting to flock up. What a sight that is! Watching as small flocks of them gather up into one large flock of twenty or thirty and slowly spiral their way south. Yesterday I even saw a falcon. They usually nest in the city, about 25 miles north northwest of here so he must have been heading south too.

Since the weather is cooperating so well lately I think I might even be able to get outside and do some work there. The leaves have pretty much fallen from the trees so it's time to fire up the garden tractor and mulch them up. Most people around here either burn them or just sweep them up and dump them back in the woods. I just mulch them right where they fall. It's also time to get the pump house ready for winter so that the well pump doesn't freeze.

After the yard work and such I'll start working on building a shelf for my mother's computer desk. She doesn't have enough room on it for the printer and the scanner together and there is wasted space in the corner so I'm going to make a corner bracket so that everything will fit. I also have a small stand to make for her so that another stand can nest on the top and raise it to a more comfortable level.

I finally made time to fix my mothers computer today and got her scanner fixed too. I also went and got all the blood tests done this morning.

Right now I'm in the process of adding some more links to my other website and rearranging one of the pages.

The weather is a little better out today. It's still dark and cloudy but at least it warmed up a bit. Maybe tomorrow morning I can get out on that bike and also take the dog for a walk.

I have been talking to my ex on IM and even on the phone a couple of times over the last few days. It seems strange but at least it hasn't bothered me TOO much. As long as things go slowly we might even become friends again. I really would like that.

I can't believe that I forgot my own birthday yesterday. I was out on a computer job and I had to re-install Windows on the machine when I came to the setting the date and time I suddenly realized it was my birthday.

My mother had sent me a card the day before but it just didn't click in my brain that my birthday was the 19th. She was the only one who sent me a card, not that I'm complaining. This morning I did get an e-mail from my ex wishing me a happy birthday, so that makes two people who remembered. Oh well, It's not like I haven't had birthdays before. I'm 54 so I guesss it's time for everyone to stop celebrating a birthday with me.

Normally I would have gone to a meeting on my birthday, but I was tired by the time I got home from working on computers and grocery shopping so I just made a pizza and had some ice cream later in the evening and watched some tv then went to sleep early.

I have been talking to my ex on IM for the past few mornings and it seems to be helping me somewhat. She's going through a lot at home right now too, so it's good that we can talk.

I'm getting tired of this cold wet windy weather we're having here lately. I can't even get out to walk the dog or go bike riding.

I have been getting a lot of computer work again and have been teaching some classes in html. It's good to have all this work coming in. Now I'll have a decent christmas this year. I'll be able to get what I want for my mother and some others in my family as well as my granddaughters.

I took the plunge this morning to call my ex-fiance. I don't know where any of this will lead, but, at one time we were friends and maybe one day we will be again. Building a friendship takes time, honesty, openness and willingness and if either of the people don't have that to give to the relationship then it just won't develop into a good friendship.

The hurt is still there, for me, but the only way that I know of to get rid of that hurt is to face it head on. For me, that means talking.

Today I went in to the Doctor for my quarterly check-up and my bloodpressure was way down to where it belongs. Ever since I quit getting myself all tied up in knots trying to get into Canada my blood pressure has come down over 30 points. It's a good thing too. My Doctor was going to put me on meds if I didn't do something.

It's really crazy, I went on a low fat diet and started exercising more, by riding the bike and walking more, and I have gained 4 pounds and brought my blood pressure down. I'm not eating any more than I was before so I figure that I have gotten rid of the fat and gained muscle.

I went and got me my gel seat for the bike and got it on, then went for a short ride. It sure made a difference.

Well, now it's off to walk the dog and take another short spin on the bike.

I love lazy days like this. I don't have much to do, in the way of computers, so I'm taking full advantage of today.

I took the dog for a 3 mile walk then took a five mile bike ride. I'm waaaaaaaaaaaay out of shape for the bike but I enjoyed it anyway. My legs will sure feel it tomorrow, not that they weren't a bit wobbly when I got home.

The weather is a bit crisp today, but out in the sunshine it feels so good. All the trees are changing colors and the smell of autumn is in the air. The crispness of the air and the warmth of the sunshine makes it a beautiful day.

Man, what a nice weekend it is outside.

Yesterday while I was working on a friends car it got up to near 80F. I started out the morning in my heavy coveralls and before noon I was down to my t-shirt. We got his car going though. We had to change the fuel pump and gas filter.

One thing I can say about small towns is, when you start to work on something out where people can see you, you end up with all kinds of help. We had to take the gas tank out in order to replace the fuel pump and before I could get the strappings unbolted I had two of his neighbors over to help lower it and get it back up again.

Today I got my carpeting down in the bathroom. That was job and a half. None of the walls were square so that meant I had to center the carpet and cut along all the walls plus cut out for the toilet. It'll be worth it once the cold weather really hits us though. Now I won't freeze my feet off first thing in the morning.

I took that bike ride yesterday and in the 2 1/2 mile that I covered I had to stop twice and fix the chain. I ended up coming home and fixing the deraileurs. I hope to get out again today and go for 6 or 8 miles and try to do that every day.

Before I can go biking today I have to go into town and teach a class on html and ftp on a Mac. I am one of the very few Mac knowledgeable people in the area and the only one in this immediate area. It's funny that they use Macs at the High School and yet they don't teach them how to use the Unix line commands or even let the people know that there is such a thing in OS X. The only thing the seem to teach is how to use office programs and how to use some of the other things like iDvd, iTunes and the like. They don't even let you know that X-11 is built into OS 10.3 and if you add Fink and Fink Commander you can use almost any Linux program.

After I do that class I have to go into the big city and deliver a monitor and pick some things up for tomorrow.

I'm going over to a friends in another little town and show to change a fuel pump on a small car tomorrow. At least I know what I'll be doing on Saturday this week.

Today I'm going to try out that bike, but I think I'll leave the dog home when I do. Just so she doesn't get mad at me, I'll take her for a walk first, then go for the bike ride.

I think today is just a day for relaxation. For me that means going outside for a while but it also means that I'll be working on my websites. Believe it or not, working on websites is relaxing for me. I put up two more pages on my main site yesterday and will probably get 5 more up today, if I stay with it this morning.

Yesterday started out a little slow. I waited for one of my clients all morning and they didn't show up until 3 in the afternoon. I DID help my brother-in-law out by letting the gas company into their house in the morning, but that didn't take too long.

Actually I had two clients show up at the same time and the last one didn't leave 'til after 6, but I got them both fixed up. One paid me in cash and the other paid by trading new carpet for the kitchen and bathroom and a bicycle.

I can sure tell that I haven't been on a bike in a while. I took it out for a short spin and by the time I was back I was already feeling the pull in my legs. Also the seat is one of those skinny ones that I will have to get a gel seat for. I have a boney butt and the seat is not at all comfortable. I can't complain though, at least I have a bike again and can ride some of the trails around here. I could use the exercise too. I spend far too much time here at the computer.

This is going to be fun teaching the dog to trot along beside me. She has a tendency to just stop or reverse her direction when we walk. Trying to hold onto a 95lb. Rottweiler should prove to be challenging while biking.

I just thought I would share this little item that I found.


12 PROMISES FOR NEWCOMERS

1. You will know your full name and address.
2. You will be able to shave yourself.
3. You will be able to dress and undress yourself.
4. You will know the town, state, country you live in.
5. You will be able to find socks that match.
6. You will be able to smoke without burning yourself, your clothes or furniture.
7. You will lose the fear of food.
8. You will spend less time in the bathroom.
9. You will be able to walk straighter and pass a breathalyzer.
10.You will lose the fear of police cars and sirens.
11. You will be able to answer the door without looking through that little hole.
12. You will realize what a mess your life has become and thank God for AA.

This week has already started out interesting. My sister brought me a sick kitten yesterday to try to help. I don't know if she'll make it but I'll give it my best shot. My rottie is helping me out with the kitten. Now there's a sight.

I got two calls for computer work to do today. One guy is still using a DOS computer so I get to have fun. The other one is a "head hunter" that I do computer work for.

Tomorrow I am doing some computer work for barter. I'm getting a ten speed bicycle and carpeting for my time.

I got outside for a walk with the dog yesterday and it sure seemed good to get out of the house for a while. I like taking walks in this nice crisp autumn air. It clears the mind. I always do my best thinking when I'm on those walks.

I'm getting closer to being able to contact my ex-fiance. While I don't like the way I got dumped, I am still in love with her. I know that we will never get together again, but I still would like to repair a friendship that we once had. Friendship is better than nothing. She really isn't a bad lady, she just makes bad judgements at times. Dumping me wasn't necessarily a bad judgement, it was the way in which she chose to do it.

What a way to spend a Saturday. I spent most of yesterday working on my other website and then fixing two laptops.

In the morning it was raining and cold so I didn't want to go out and then in the afternoon it cleared up but was still a might crisp. I should have taken my dog for a walk but I just didn't feel like going out at that point.

I used to like this time of year, the smell of the fallen leaves and the clarity of the atmosphere, but this year I seem only to have the memories of last year to contend with. My ex-fiance and I both have our birthdays in October and last year she was here for them. She also loves Halloween and we went to just about every "haunted" thing we could find. God, did we have fun.

This year, every breath that I take reminds me of those days. Every drive down these country roads reminds me of the places that we went. It's a constant bitter-sweet reminder of what I used to have.

Here it is a nice rainy Saturday morning and Ive been doing website work since 6 a.m. Thats all ok though. I have come to the conclusion that dating is just not for me. I would rather spend my time on websites and computers than to have to deal with most people.

I'm tired of dealing with dishonest people who lie or lead you on.

Until someone just pops up that I can honestly deal with I am quite happy living with just my dog. At least when she looks at me I pretty much know what she's thinking and she's straight up with her wants. Not that she wants very much.