Mac Resources: Essential Applications

Essential Mac OS X applications via LifeHacker

Linux Distribution Chooser [ © 2005 – zegenie Studios], also from today’s LifeHacker

I managed to go to work, and I have mostly cleaned off the desk. We have to put all our belongings up on our desks before we leave for the December holiday break because they have the carpets cleaned while we’re all gone. I think it took the majority of the day just to get back to the desk again. I still feel very rudderless.

I went in late and left early, though I left early because of an appointment for my hair. My grays are all hidden again, for whatever difference that makes. It needed cut more than anything, so it’s probably happier now.

I may be entering a special dark period. I just don’t seem to have any focus or to know what I should be doing. I have just felt like going to bed for several hours now, which is really uncharacteristic for me. I feel like I’m falling apart with all the hand problems. I managed to get an appointment with a resident on Monday, rather than waiting till the 19th for my regular doctor. It’s so incredibly painful if I move my fingers the wrong way. It can’t be normal. I think it’s tendinitis, but there has to be something I can do to help it get better. Bedrest maybe. Hmm. maybe that’s how I can justify going to bed so early. I dunno what’s wrong with me.

For those of you following my exciting travels, let me announce that I’m back home. I can’t say that the car’s unloaded completely. I got here a little over an hour ago and brought in my drugs, clothes for tomorrow, and my laptop. Oh, and my pillows and Shamu.

My house is freaky quiet. I keep hearing noises and jumping. I’ve taken to turning things on just for background noise so that I quit jumping around. Unfortunately there was nothing on TV that I could commit to so I’m back to listening to NPR on the laptop.

Tomorrow brings another work day, but I feel absolutely energyless (is that a word?) about it. Maybe I’m just depressed. I dunno. I wish I could just hide out for a while. :(

Time to shut down the machine for the road trip. Maybe I’ll get out of here by 1 PM. I’m so bad at getting up and leaving at a normal hour. On the other hand, these are MY hours. It’s probably normal for me. It’s no hardship for me to be up all night. It’s normal. It’s just not convenient. My niece tried to argue that since it’s so late, I should just go ahead and stay another day. I suggested that she could call my boss and discuss that with her.

I’ll post from the road as possible. (Cue Willie Nelson song…)

For some reason, I decided to make a fist yesterday. I think it was to throw both hands over my head in a sign of victory because I had gotten the Jeopardy question right. When I did, the carpal tunnel / arthritis / tendinitis / whatever the hell this is went sent pain through my hand that is heretofore unknown.

I believe that it’s tendintis in my middle finger or something that controls my middle finger. It feels like a hopped-up version of what my thumb did when I had tendinitis there. If I bend my finger, I am in much pain. Making a fist or curling my hand to hold something (like bags that you want to load into the car) is impossible without insane pain. So now, in addition to wrist braces, I have my finger taped so that I won’t inadvertently try to bend it too far. I’m not sure that this will wait till the doctor’s appointment on the 19th, but since I’m leaving Virginia in a bit (if I ever get dressed and whatnot), I can’t do anything about it today. Maybe tomorrow or Friday. I’m going to try wearing the braces and tape while I drive.

The carpal tunnel issues seem to be at their worst in November and December when I’m driving back and forth to Virginia. I’m not sure what I do while I’m driving to cause this. OR it may be something that I’m doing while I sleep. I don’t get to sleep in the same position here. In Illinois, I have a pile of pillows that I use to keep my hands slightly elevated at night, and I’m beginning to think that makes a difference. Maybe it’s a combination. I don’t know, but it hurts and I’m not happy.

Now back to getting out of Virginia and on the way to Illinois.