On holidays

A good excuse to have Christmas Vacation this year.

They offered me taxi service, but I wanted to walk. It wasn't far back to my home.

December 16, I was released from psychiatric care with a bag of forms and artwork. Luckily not a bag of bills.

My employer found that I had accrued 35 sick days over the years I've worked as a custodian. Paid sick days. He said, "Enjoy the holidays."

I'd thought the sick days vanished at the end of each year, but apparently they carry over.

Christmas vacations were good memories from grade school days.

I didn't plan to burn up all my 35 days, but taking a few made the holidays for me.

Too bad so many people have to work right through the holidays, I took a break. In these recessionary times, there were people looking for the hours anyway.

It was more like a holiday than sick time.

Remember, mental illness is different from physical illness. One of the first things I did was get on my bike and head out to Larabee State Park. Quiet along the trails.

Back home, quiet is what the doctor ordered. Time to catch up on sleep. Also fielding calls, emails and Facebook comments form various folks and family members.

Do I need ongoing medication?

White noise from fan of this air filter helps sleep.

The doctors listened to my suggestions on medication. There's lots of pills for sleeping, anti anxiety and anti psychosis available. I didn't want to get dependent or build up a tolerance to any of these things so I just decided to have a light anti anxiety pill available. 1 MG tablets, Lorazepam.

Some mornings (I sleep in the morning due to night shift work) I sleep fine without any pill. If sleep is difficult on other mornings, the pill helps.

Rebuilding a bit

During Christmas Vacation, it was time to go shopping for myself. Maybe this sounds selfish, but time to bolster my being.

I was still using old glasses without the earpieces. First ear piece had fallen off a few months ago, but glasses stayed on. Just before going into hospital, second ear piece fell off and new glasses had just made it to my "to do" list.

These are still just reading glasses from the supermarket. Good enough. I'm a bit far sighted.

These are Dr. Dean Edell Glasses. Cost less than $20. One can choose magnification from a chart by the display. What a difference clean lenses can make.

Strange co-incidence

My desktop computer gave out also. It's last functionality was early AM on December 12. When I woke up the next noon in a weired state, my computer stopped working also.

Corrupted boot disk? Ghost of a person I knew who had died? My own illness infecting the computer?

Back from hospital, I tried to reinstall Windows, but to no avail.

At least my data is backed up on CD Rom and all my web pages are on-line.

Next idea, carry computer down to store and see if they can figure it out.

I had another computer that could serve as a backup.

My Asus notebook which is used for checking mail from wifi spots during bicycle tours.

Problem is, I forgot the wifi password to get into my own modem.

Run to the Swan Cafe for wifi?

No, how about sorting my box of computer stuff.

There I found the document with that password.

Soon I was up and running with Linux.

Email, Facebook, Skype and all working again on this Linux desktop.

Even my wooden desk had been neglected. Still standing but wobbly with a broken leg.

Hardware Sales has computer desks of various styles. I walked out there and bought one. Could have rolled it down the street about 1/2 mile, but such treatment is hard on casters.

Another desk was still in the box. How does one get a large box home from the store without a car?

They let me borrow a dolly and I rolled it all home from the store. Then I rolled the dolly back.

Meanwhile, computer store calls and the verdict is, "no problem with boot sector." Everything on hard drive is fine, but several things on motherboard gave out. They could replace a few chips and get things running again, but it's a "work around" patch at best. A patch to get new technology talking to the old technology inside motherboard. Technology has advanced so far since I got that computer.

For not that much more money, I could have a brand new computer with 4 times the memory and processor speed of my old system.

The old system did well surviving 4 years in the harsh environment of my room where it often must warm up in 55 degree air. Temp change can be hard on microchips. Also lights can go out when downstairs neighbor plugs toaster into wrong plug.

Time to also get a super surge suppressor with storage battery backup. Helps me ride out the few minutes when breakers in this building snap.

Back up power unit only cost $90.

I figured the prices and really, a new computer costs about as much as one month's rent for many of Bellingham's one bedroom apartments.

Amazing times we're living in.

Glad my rent is lower than that.

Imagine buying a new computer each month.

No wonder dumpsters are full of products. Someone's got to sell these things to pay their rent.

$700 is not that big a deal these days; especially compared to house values or doctor bills. I got the new computer.

The computer store had my old Windows XP back up and running. I reinstalled my old programs from CDs and the net.

I had plenty of time to get this new computer going and assemble my new desk.

The rest of Christmas "Vacation."

Then there were some parties to go to.

Christmas and New Year's Dinner was buffets at Best Western Inn (glad the buffet staff was still working).

There was a Solstice celebration, and a friend's New Year's gathering.

After New Year's, my Christmas "vacation" was over and I'm back to work.