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More spoon debt
Feb. 18th, 2015 12:04 pmYesterday was a very good day. I'd figured out that what I wanted to do at MIND wasn't bingo, it was sorting out the Big Box of card-making bits so that we knew what we had for the Friday session where we get to use it, and we could end the problem of nice papers getting too crumpled to use. I was going to move everything from there into two flat drawers that are currently (over-)full of yarn, and put the yarn into the Big Box.
Plan. What's more, two-stage plan.
Three stage plan - I had spare GRAZE boxes suitable for storing little bits. Take them.
Then it went four-stage. I know from storing my own papers and so on that it helps no end to have the right size boxes to store things. A4 for paper or card, long thin ones for peel-offs. I did research on Monday to find out where sold such things. The answer turned out to be Hobbycraft.
So, after looking up opening times, I got up early, ate a pre-prepared breakfast, packed lunch and so on, and drove down to Stevenage for a bit after their 9:00 opening. This means the same route (mostly) as going to work, at the same time. No, it wasn't triggering - good! Got the bits I wanted, plus some more for myself, had a celebratory breakfast out (note to self, don't bother going to Burger King again), and went back to MIND to get going.
Plan worked. It took me a good three hours to do it, with longer and longer pauses towards the end, but that's three hours of concentration on one task, and for me, that's a very long time indeed.
I had an hour or so left at the end, and spent it making and applying brooch pins to some little crochet flowers, and replanning the proposed contents for the MIND stall at Asda - we've been moved to be after Easter rather than before, so what we offer needs to change theme.
So, after an unusually busy day, straight home to chill and eat readi-meals, right? Oh, no!
Aldi are doing an Italian specials week. Round there to stock up on a few things.
Home, and, yes a couple of hours catching up on email and so on, but then making pancake batter so we could have Galettes for tea, it being Shrove Tuesday. Oven on, trays ready, as a "complet" needs to be baked once filled. Dave got home, we cooked and ate and enjoyed, complete with French cider in the right Breton cups (which I'd looked out earlier).
Later that evening, sorted my die cutters into their new magnetic holder. Signed up for an on-line course in C15 history (this may prove to have been a mistake, but it was free).
All that? In one day??? That was most of my spoons for the week!
Today is Wednesday, and I'm quite pleased with myself for getting up, getting dressed, and eating a crumpet for breakfast. I've answered an email, had a couple of on-line discussions about local affairs, and scanned and emailed a document without quite forgetting what I was doing part-way through. (Concentration on anything computer-related or "techy" remains abysmal.) Can't stay awake....
Plan now is devilled kidneys for lunch (should have been for breakfast), either more pancakes or kedgeree for dinner (I made too much batter), and making use of the rest of the new storage boxes. And a sort-out of what needs freezing, and what needs de-frosting (frozen the bread, need to look at meat and veg).
Incidentally, the nice ladies at MIND suggest that while I'm making great progress, I should stop trying to push myself too hard, and remember that this will take time, They've said that before, but now I have an estimate. About six months off is normal. Six months! Eek! What's more, the ability to concentrate is the first thing to go, and the last to come back. My concentration is recovering for things like cooking, craft, and music, but for anything "techy" - oh, dear. A half-way serious coding problem, and I stare at it blankly for maybe 30 seconds, then find I'm asleep. When I wake up, I've probably forgotten the problem even existed.
I suppose last time I was off sick, the problem was my leg, and I don't use that to program. This time, a fairer comparison would be if I'd broken a leg, but my job required not just running, but running marathons, or playing football at international level. "I can do it at the same level as the average person" wouldn't help even if it were true - and it isn't.
I've got a meeting with the local Green Party in the diary for tonight. We'll see. Sleep might be a better idea.
Plan. What's more, two-stage plan.
Three stage plan - I had spare GRAZE boxes suitable for storing little bits. Take them.
Then it went four-stage. I know from storing my own papers and so on that it helps no end to have the right size boxes to store things. A4 for paper or card, long thin ones for peel-offs. I did research on Monday to find out where sold such things. The answer turned out to be Hobbycraft.
So, after looking up opening times, I got up early, ate a pre-prepared breakfast, packed lunch and so on, and drove down to Stevenage for a bit after their 9:00 opening. This means the same route (mostly) as going to work, at the same time. No, it wasn't triggering - good! Got the bits I wanted, plus some more for myself, had a celebratory breakfast out (note to self, don't bother going to Burger King again), and went back to MIND to get going.
Plan worked. It took me a good three hours to do it, with longer and longer pauses towards the end, but that's three hours of concentration on one task, and for me, that's a very long time indeed.
I had an hour or so left at the end, and spent it making and applying brooch pins to some little crochet flowers, and replanning the proposed contents for the MIND stall at Asda - we've been moved to be after Easter rather than before, so what we offer needs to change theme.
So, after an unusually busy day, straight home to chill and eat readi-meals, right? Oh, no!
Aldi are doing an Italian specials week. Round there to stock up on a few things.
Home, and, yes a couple of hours catching up on email and so on, but then making pancake batter so we could have Galettes for tea, it being Shrove Tuesday. Oven on, trays ready, as a "complet" needs to be baked once filled. Dave got home, we cooked and ate and enjoyed, complete with French cider in the right Breton cups (which I'd looked out earlier).
Later that evening, sorted my die cutters into their new magnetic holder. Signed up for an on-line course in C15 history (this may prove to have been a mistake, but it was free).
All that? In one day??? That was most of my spoons for the week!
Today is Wednesday, and I'm quite pleased with myself for getting up, getting dressed, and eating a crumpet for breakfast. I've answered an email, had a couple of on-line discussions about local affairs, and scanned and emailed a document without quite forgetting what I was doing part-way through. (Concentration on anything computer-related or "techy" remains abysmal.) Can't stay awake....
Plan now is devilled kidneys for lunch (should have been for breakfast), either more pancakes or kedgeree for dinner (I made too much batter), and making use of the rest of the new storage boxes. And a sort-out of what needs freezing, and what needs de-frosting (frozen the bread, need to look at meat and veg).
Incidentally, the nice ladies at MIND suggest that while I'm making great progress, I should stop trying to push myself too hard, and remember that this will take time, They've said that before, but now I have an estimate. About six months off is normal. Six months! Eek! What's more, the ability to concentrate is the first thing to go, and the last to come back. My concentration is recovering for things like cooking, craft, and music, but for anything "techy" - oh, dear. A half-way serious coding problem, and I stare at it blankly for maybe 30 seconds, then find I'm asleep. When I wake up, I've probably forgotten the problem even existed.
I suppose last time I was off sick, the problem was my leg, and I don't use that to program. This time, a fairer comparison would be if I'd broken a leg, but my job required not just running, but running marathons, or playing football at international level. "I can do it at the same level as the average person" wouldn't help even if it were true - and it isn't.
I've got a meeting with the local Green Party in the diary for tonight. We'll see. Sleep might be a better idea.