Yesterday I went to Horseshoe Bay and spent some time in downtown Vancouver. While in these locations I did not do the following:
Lift anything heavier than a regular sized beverage
Push or pull anything of significant girth or weight
Twist my body in a pretzel-like shape
Indulge in any sort of exercise more vigorous than walking
I mention these things because by dinner I felt a few twinges in my lower back, the kind that raise miniature red flags. In the middle of the night I awoke to considerable stiffness and discomfort in my lower back. Why? I do not know. I am not especially flexible, which makes these sorts of issues more likely to happen, but it’s still a tad frustrating to not have a metaphorical smoking gun to point to.
I initially opted out of work, then foolishly went in late, thinking a T3 would get me through the afternoon. T3s do not really work for sore or spasming muscles, alas. I spent about five hours experiencing a quiet agony, the pain persistent and unyielding no matter how I stood, sat or attempted to hover.
The best relief came in the evening when a soothing bubble bath with bonus Epsom salts allowed my back to temporarily experience pseudo-low gravity, my body bobbing blissfully in the warm, redolent water. So if I could work from a bubble bath my problems would be solved.
Failing that, I’ve opted for taking Robax, avoiding sitting, indulging laying down, and have gone to bed early, all in the hope that tg latest part of my body to declare itself in disrepair will at least somewhat mend itself overnight.
If I win the Lotto 6/49 I am going to seriously look into purchasing a robot body. I’m good with the brain but at this point I’m willing to trade in almost everything else.
Run 577 Average pace: 6:09/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:21 am
Distance: 5:05 km
Time: 31:11
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 18-20ºC
Humidity: 54%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 162
Weight: 165.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 4470 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8
Well, I now have two back-to-back runs with a pace of six minutes per km or more. This is not a good thing, but it’s still better than collapsing halfway through the run because my knees exploded and getting carried off by a pack of dingoes.
First, the conditions. It was a lovely summer-like day, with warm temperatures, a light breeze, and clear sky. I actually sweated a little, but it wasn’t too bad, and the air wasn’t super-dry, so I didn’t feel parched. The sun did feel surprisingly toasty when I was out from under the tree canopy, though.
And the trail was not as busy as last Saturday, which was nice. A few unleashed dogs threatened but never quite got underfoot. Overall, a fine day for a jog.
But the walk to the lake left my knees feeling sore, which is not helpful when you are about to start running. My mantra was again to just go through and not push at all, not even for the first km, which is usually easy peasy.
A couple ran past me just before I was to start, so I milled a bit to give them some space. I didn’t want to catch up to them and pass, because that would require accelerating to pass, then running faster long enough to create enough space to keep them from being on my heels. My knees were in no mood for this.
My pace for the first km was a pokey 5:59/km, so I stayed true to my word. The second km was only slightly off because, as feared, I closed the gap on that couple and ended up having to pass them. Surprisingly, my knees were not really any worse for this, but I did begin experiencing some cramps shortly after. Normally cramps are a sign that I’m just plain running too fast, which is currently impossible, so it’s more likely a sign of, “LOL you are SO out of shape, slow down before you rupture something.” And I did slow down.
In fact, my pace for the third km fell through the proverbial floor, dropping a massive 22 seconds. Here are the splits for all five km:
1 km
5:59
2 km
6:02
3 km
6:24
4 km
6:25
5 km
6:07
I did pick up for the final stretch, but was definitely in that “please lord let it be over” state of mind. Well, maybe not that bad, but I was certainly glad to end the running part and go back to the walking part. The walk back was fine, though this time I didn’t have the energy to mix in any running, save for a bit during a few small stretches. Mostly I want to get back and have a nice bubble bath and pretend I had the world’s best knees.
Another positive from the run was a BPM of 162, about the same as the last run and well below the 170 max I try to stay under.
But much like my broken tooth that got infected and forced me to see the dentist instead of pretending they were mythical creatures, I am likely going to have to talk to my (new) doctor about the knees. Perhaps I can be outfitted with bionic replacements or given some miracle cure that will make them feel a hundred years younger. If the actual cure is “find some other exercise that doesn’t involve running” I will be sad and such.
I might try running on Tuesday. A 5K at the river will be a gentler experience and my pace might be better as a result. This could be a pleasant psychological boost. Now I just have to actually do it, instead of simply writing about it yet again.
Actually, I did it to put sound-dampening o-rings under each key cap. I think it was 88 keys total and yeah, it took a good long while. I don’t recommend it as a hobby, unless you’re trying to learn patience and plenty of it.
I did this on the Cooler Master Masterkeys S keyboard I recently bought. It has red switches, which are allegedly quiet, but they are more “quiet” in practise, because while they don’t have the loud (and strangely satisfying CLACK) of blue switches, they definitely do make a distinct click when bottomed out. And my typing involves a lot of bottoming out. And the clicking has a vaguely unpleasant hollowness to it. I experienced some regret over the purchase, but decided to order a full set of o-rings after some testing with a set of six and now that I’ve cushioned all the keys, I can state a few things:
the o-rings definitely have a significant effect on sound. The keys still click, but it’s much more quiet
the o-rings also eliminate most of the hollow feel of the keys
it’s still a mechanical keyboard and the keys feel very solid, though the 8 key is curiously shifted slightly up from the others:
As you can see, the F5 through F8 keys adjust the speed of the keyboard, allowing the user to type at dangerously high velocities.
I like it, but I’m still adjusting to it and honestly, I think I may prefer the CLACK of blue switches. The feel is just so weirdly nice.
So my keyboard kaos has settled down for the moment, but there may be one more keyboard in my future…
On Thursday, May 3rd I went to the ER again after developing an allergic reaction to the antibiotics I was on. The reaction started on Monday and Wednesday I found myself both very spotty and fatigued. The fatigue may have been unrelated or psychosomatic. Either way, I wanted to get a professional opinion on what I could or couldn’t do for this particular reaction.
I originally planned on visiting the ER before noon, but ended up not getting out of bed until after 11, so I was actually eating breakfast at lunch. I went after 1 p.m. and foolishly assumed it would be quieter during the week than on the weekend. I’m not sure what my logic was in thinking this, but I was horribly wrong.
There weren’t many people in the ER, which lulled me into a false sense of “This isn’t going to take long.” Here is my tale, written live blog-style thanks to the wonders of technology.
1:07 p.m. Here I am again in emergency, hooray. Today’s special is spots all over the body. I ordered the full meal.
1:20 p.m .Still waiting, lots more people coming in now. No one here has any obvious symptoms or injuries, which strikes me as a wee bit odd. Maybe someone will suddenly have blood start gushing from their eyeballs or something.
Actually, a kid about 8 looks like he hurt his arm. he’s holding it in that “I dun broke it” way, but looks super casual otherwise. If I broke my arm I’d at least look a bit distracted.
1:25 p.m. I’m in at Check-in 2, getting prepped for triage. Temperature and blood pressure taken again (the latter may be increasing with each trip to the ER), get another set of those impossible-to-remove bands on my wrist. They have not added the new antibiotic to the second band. Yet.
1:33 p.m. Moved to triage. Unlike the main ER area, this room is very crowded here and everyone looks sad or quietly angry.
Every time my name is called out, they say Stanley, like they’re my mom. To be fair, it’s what my ID says. It still feels a little odd.
1:43 p.m. A woman almost misses her call as she’s wearing earbuds and rocking out in a chair directly in front of the nurse calling her name. She’s about the only one here who doesn’t look unhappy. I don’t want to listen to music and lose my place. I’d probably be here another two hours.
I’m wearing shorts today. At least the weather is nice.
2:00 p.m. Time keeps on ticking…
Some weird period abduction movie is playing on the TV, with stabbing and blood. The twist is the abductor is a woman and the abductee is a man. Some vigilante woman with a bow comes to rescue the man, but her target, in true Mike Myers fashion, pulls the arrow out of her chest and tries stabbing vigilante woman with it. As one does in these situations. This movie doesn’t seem like maybe the best choice to be showing in a hospital. Okay, I remember seeing that it was on CBC, so I looked it up and it turned out to be an episode of Murdoch’s Mysteries, “a one-hour drama set in Toronto in the late 1890s and early 1900s during the age of invention.” Apparently the mystery in this episode is how you can’t disable someone with an arrow fired at near point-blank range.
Shortly after this ends, a show called The Goods starts. People laugh a lot. It’s some home improvement thing set in a studio with an audience of about 12 people. They all seem to much happier than those of us here in triage. Before the first makeover begins, a Code Blue is called for the lower entrance. Several staff go running by. I hear a vehicle backup sound. Code Blue means someone in need of immediate resuscitation. I’m probably a Code Mauve.
2:03 p.m. I’m wondering what if anything they can do or give me. If I had a super power right now I would totally go with body spot remover.
A kid is crying over in emergency. It’s faint, though, almost subliminal. I don’t know if that makes it better or worse.
The young guy sitting across from me appears to have fallen asleep. Just as I finished writing this he sprang to life and took out his phone. His sleepy eyes now have the zombified glaze of the modern smartphone owner.
2:08 p.m. It dawns on me that this is triage and as such I may be the last one looked at. I gird myself for a long wait.
2:14 p.m. I notice my chart is gone from the chart repository. This seems like a promising sign.
2:20 pm The guy sitting next to me gets restless, gets up, raids a vending machine and is now pacing back and forth in front of me eating heavily salted snacks. It’s mildly annoying. He’s apparently not going to sit back down.
2:23 p.m. Running out of seats now. Munchies Man may be accidentally nice by refusing to sit.
Salty Snacks Guy gets his chart or whatever and is free to go–just in time, as he finished all his nuts.
2:27 p.m. I have been waiting in triage for about an hour now. I know my phone battery can hold out, but still….
2:29 p.m. A woman sits next to me and a nurse starts administering an IV to her, explaining the procedure. I don’t really want to be part of this. Fortunately at nearly the same time I finally get called in.
2:31 p.m. I’m in a small exam room by myself this time. The doctor leaves so I can put on a gown after I remove my shirt. This turns out to be unnecessary, except for some untold amusement value.
2:36 p.m. I sit on the exam bed and wait. I haven’t secured my gown very well and it keeps wanting to slip off my shoulder, like I’m trying to make myself alluring.
2:45 p.m. The doctor finally returns and has changed into a man. He introduces himself but I don’t quite catch the name. Dr. Mark Flibberman or something. He seems non-nonsense. He asks a few questions about the reaction, gets me to pull up the gown to show my spotty abdomen, makes me stick out my tongue, then says very firmly, “Never take that antibiotic again.” That seems like a good idea. He deems this a mild allergic reaction and recommends Benadryl and says Reactine is also good. It will take around 10 days to clear up (I’m on Day 7 as I write this and this seems plausible. It’s just now showing signs of fading). He doesn’t suggest I do anything else in particular, except to return if I see symptoms of a stronger reaction. These include fun things like:
difficulty in swallowing or breathing
skin peeling off
ulcers in the mouth
None of these have occurred yet, but given how things have gone this year, I’m not placing bets until the spots have completely faded.
2:48 p.m. Unlike my previous visit, I leave empty-handed, save for the bracelets. I have to pick up something from an Amazon locker at a nearby TD branch and try to look inconspicuous, even though it’s totally obvious I’m wearing bracelets from the hospital. Not to mention the spots.
I have spent nearly two hours at the hospital. I probably could have looked up the same info in five minutes on WebMD.com. Oh well. At least the news was…not bad?
This concludes my second and hopefully last trip to the ER this year.
Bonus image. This is what my right leg looked like after a walk the same day. Vigorous activity was making the spots extremely vivid for a couple of days. It’s honestly kind of gross, so I’ve put it inside a spoiler:
Run 576 Average pace: 6:00/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 1:21 pm
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 30:19
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 20ºC
Humidity: 49%
Wind: moderate
BPM: 161
Weight: 167.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 4465 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8
Exactly three weeks after my last run I headed out again to Burnaby Lake, where the temperature was almost twice what it was 21 days ago. It was pleasant and warm, but not hot. I only felt a slight trickle of sweat on my forehead on the walk back out.
The run itself was a labor, not of love, but of labor. The first km started slower than the average pace of my last run at 5:50/km and got slower from there, with a downright slothful pace of 6:00/km. On the plus side, I really was not trying to push things with the long time off, I was running while still suffering the effects of an allergic reaction to antibiotics, and my BPM was actually only 161, which it would not have been with three weeks off if I had been pushing.
The knees seemed fine. The right kneecap made its presence known, but it didn’t actually get sore or anything. Both knees felt a little sore on the walk back, which has been the case before. The walk back was a mix of running and walking, also similar to my last few 5Ks at the lake. I’ll walk until I feel rested, then jog until I no longer feel rested. I think it’s mostly because ending a 5K at the lake always leaves me feeling it will take days to walk the rest of the way, so I run partway instead.
The trail was in fine shape and packed with plenty of people due to the nice weather. No incidents to report, though traffic got a bit crowded a couple of times. Running Room had an event, but the actual run part was over, so I only saw the usual eight or so joggers. No one jogged past me, so I was saved the mild embarrassment of that.
The old bridge at Still Creek has been completely removed now. If you’re feeling tired, the new bridge presents a minor obstacle as it arches over the water instead of being completely flat. It’s a nice bridge, though. It’s shiny. I mean it’s literally shiny.
Geese were out with their goslings. The goslings are adorable. The preponderance of goose poop less so.
Overall, while a tad slower than I would have liked (I hate hitting the six minute mark), the run went about as well as expected given the time since the last one. Maybe this week I really will start running regularly again. We shall see.
Looking at the Tech Specs for the Mac mini on apple.com yields this under storage:
On the one hand you have a guide to building a PC published in May 2018 that acknowledges the ascendancy of the Solid State Drive (SSD) over the traditional spinning platters of a hard disk. It refers to slower 5400-rpm drives as hideous. Then, hopping over to Apple’s web store, you find the base model of the Mac mini and lo, just like those scurrilous OEM vendors, the Mac mini comes with a 5400-rpm hard disk. This is perhaps not surprising when you consider the Mac mini listed has not seen a change in price or specification since October 2014 (as macrumors.com notes, that was 1297 days ago).
This isn’t even Apple’s most outdated computer. The Mac Pro (which the company has promised will see an update in 2019) was launched in December 2013. Even if the new model ships in January 2019 it amounts to a minimum of just over five years between hardware updates. They did it at least cut prices in April 2017. The base model for this vintage machine is now a mere $3499 Canadian.
The MacBook Air, the “affordable” Mac laptop, received a minor processor speed bump in 2017 that was likely due to the slower processor no longer being available in bulk anymore. Other than this–and that CPU bump did not change the actual model of CPU–the Air has not been updated since March 2015, when it was updated to a 5th generation Intel processor (they are on the 8th generation now).
These three models represent distinct segments in the market:
Mac mini: affordable, entry-level Mac
MacBook Air: affordable, entry-level Mac laptop
Mac Pro: high-end professional workstation
By refusing to update any of these machines, Apple has demonstrated it doesn’t care about these segments. By continuing to sell them for years without updates is both an embarrassment for the world’s richest company and a sign that leadership is not managing the product line in a healthy manner. It also shows a certain level of contempt for the customer. I mean, they could at least drop the prices. They did for the Mac Pro, but even at the reduced prices, it’s a poor value for a pro workstation, given design issues and now obsolete expansion (Thunderbolt 2, etc.). But a semi-obsolete Mac mini at half its current price would at least seem palatable.
But even when you look at the product that makes over half the revenue for Apple–the iPhone–you see the same creeping inability to cull older products. Apple might argue that they are covering different price segments, but other companies actually build products for each segment instead of just continuing to sell old hardware. Even Apple has done this–the new iPad is only $329 U.S. because Apple reverted back to the cheaper iPad Air for much of its design and hardware. But the iPhone line is an array of eight models going back to 2015.
What I’m saying is Apple is doing very well for being so indifferent, sloppy and lazy with so many of its products. I’m kind of jealous.
I don’t often read books I’d describe as adorable, but this coming out story is adorable.
It’s also utterly different than what would have been written 20 or especially 30 years ago–and the differences are all for the better. It may not seem like it circa 2018, but we’ve made some genuine social progress here.
Simon Spier is a high school junior who knows he’s gay but can’t muster the nerve to tell anyone, though he is desperate to do so. He comes across a post on his school’s tumblr and impulsively writes to the anonymous author. They begin a lengthy, silly and touching exchange of emails, carefully keeping their identities hidden, though they know they attend the same school. The emails act as interstitials between chapters.
After forgetting to logout of his email account on a school computer (how many people sweat over this sort of thing, yet continue to login to public computers to check personal information? All the better for authors looking to convincingly complicate their characters lives), a fellow drama student blackmails Simon into setting him up with a girl he likes or else he’ll spill the beans on the email love affair.
Hijinks ensue as Simon and his blackmailer work together in the school’s production of Oliver! and friendships go through their usual ups and downs, with hormones raging and tempers flaring at the slightest provocation. Simon and his anonymous admirer edge closer and closer to meeting in person and of course there are complications.
Still, it all manages to stay…adorable. There are no real villains here, there’s little in the way of violence, other than an overly friendly dog, and the sex is limited to kissing with both feet (mostly) on the floor. It is a YA novel, after all.
And it’s not a spoiler to say there is a happy ending.
If you love Oreos, watching teenagers grapple with being teenagers in that silly teenage way, and reading about people who are far wittier on the spot than I’ve ever managed to be, you’ll enjoy Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.
This morning I finished the last of my 10 day prescription of Apo-Clindamycin and mused how nice it was to not have experienced any of the side effects. I remembered, of course, that both the doctor and pharmacist warned me side effects could occur after I’d finished taking all of the antibiotics.
You know what happened next.
Around noon I went to the washroom before going for my lunch hour walk and I noticed in the mirror that I looked a little flushed. A little glowing, in fact. Upon closer inspection I saw that my neck was livid with red dots.
This is not normal.
I looked at my arms and yes, I had a rash and it was spreading. Arms, legs, neck, front, back. Everywhere below the neck, except my hands and feet. And a few hours later it moved above my face, giving my face the appearance of a sunburn. Also, several parts of my body became super itchy.
It was not fun.
I went to the school clinic. The doctor gave me a three-day supply of Reactine and couldn’t say when, exactly, I’d see the effects of it. As of tonight I am seeing little reactin’ (get it?!), but there is perhaps some mild improvement. I don’t feel as itchy.
She also told me to see my doctor soon for allergy tests and such, as this would be the third major class of antibiotics I’d be allergic to. It’s possible that this may be a one-time reaction upon first use, since I did get through the entire supply before any effects occurred. But still, not the snazziest way to start a new month.
I bombed out on a relatively easy goal for Camp NaNoWriMo 2018
I had to visit the emergency room after two days of throbbing pain in my mouth
I had to visit the dentist due to the above and get a semi-tooth yoinked due to infection
I had to take antibiotics due to the above which have fun side effects like diahhrea
I barely ran at all due to weather, my suddenly sore knees and general ennui
I gained 1.1 pounds (I’m actually surprised it wasn’t more)
I felt like no progress was made in work-related matters (this may change)
I wrote almost no fiction at all
My one-post-per-day blog rule fell to dust (this is post #21 and I’m pretty sure I’m not cranking out nine more tonight)
Other stuff
There were also some good things and I am more hopeful for May. If nothing else the weather should be better.
Also I’m going to start the 21-day complaint-free challenge again. I feel like I went from being super-observant in watching what I was saying (ie. complaining) to just opening my mouth and spewing rants almost randomly. I need to get back on track and find my inner teddy bear.
I am typing this on a Logitech K750 wireless solar-powered keyboard. It’s got low travel, laptop-style keys, but they still have more travel than, for example, the keyboard on the current-gen MacBook Pro. It’s pretty quiet to type on. My main complaint is that there’s no tenkeyless version. I’d prefer that so I can move the mouse closer to the keyboard, as I don’t use the numeric keypad all that often. Also, it’s got a glossy surface around the keys, which is reflective and mildly annoying. Still, it’s pretty good.
But I miss the mechanical keyboard I was using previously, a Das with blue switches–the noisiest ones you can get, pretty much. But it felt very nice to type on. I’d thought about getting a tenkeyless version (not from Das, they don’t make one), but after trying out the WASD six-key tester that includes all six popular switch types, I finally decided a tenkeyless with red switches would be a better choice. The red switches would offer the benefits of mechanical keys, but without the loud clicking and with less force required for actuation. Win-win.
I ordered the Cooler Master Masterkeys S with red switches and it arrived today from Amazon.
The keyboard works fine, but I was immediately surprised at how much noise it still makes despite having “quiet” keys. There’s no distinctive blue switch CLACK but it still definitely makes a distinctly unquiet click when keys are pressed. Also, the sound makes the keys seem weirdly hollow. I’m not sure I like it.
I’m thinking a tenkeyless with blue switches may be the best choice after all.
BUT…I just tried testing the six red o-rings that came with the WASD tester on the Cooler Master keyboard and I like the results enough in terms of noise reduction that I’ve ordered a full set of o-rings. I should have them in a few days and I’ll see if they do the job. If not I’ll consider exchanging it for the blue switch version or maybe go for a custom-designed WASD keyboard, which, while pricey, would definitely say ME. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.
Anyway, I now have a whole pile of keyboards:
Das mechanical with blue switches
Filco mechanical with brown switches (tenkeyless)
Cooler Master mechanical with red switches (tenkeyless)
Logitech K750 scissor switch keyboard
Another solar-powered Logitech designed for Macs/iOS devices (no keypad but not tenkeyless, either)
Yet another Logitech low travel keyboard, the K380–but not solar-powered!
A Corsair gaming keyboard with mechanical switches that I hated so much I don’t remember the details, but it disabled the Windows key by default and you had to run a macro to enable it. It also weighed 100 pounds.
Probably a few others I’m forgetting
I may need professional help. Or maybe another keyboard.
