Tag Archives: camping

It’s Pumpkin Time, Charlie Brown!

Headaches, , , , ,

Seems like I’m on a three week schedule for updating my blog.  The blog has taken somewhat of a back seat since other things have been taking my attention.

Camping this past weekend at KOA in Wisconsin Dells was great.  The cabin was cozy, the people very friendly, and the weather beyond awesome.  It put a nice end to the summer season!  This is actually my favorite time of the year, with the trees turning colors and the air a bit chilly at night.  The trees just started to turn in our area and soon we’ll be left with the grey skeletons of branches.  Of course, not soon after those grey skeletons turn white in winter with all of the snow.  That’s fun too!

School has turned out to be manageable this semester.  My Monday night class is a lot of work and the four person team only has myself and one other person doing any work.  It sucks how inexperienced the other two guys are and I wouldn’t complain if this were an undergrad degree.  Master’s degree implies a level of knowledge on the applied level.  I shouldn’t have to teach people concepts that I learned during my Associate’s Degree schooling.

The new client at work has been good so far.  I am busy all day long and have very little time to goof off.  I’m learning a lot as well and finally applying my schooling to my job.  My previous jobs and clients were technical in nature but in reality all revolving around non-software engineering positions.  I’m finally designing applications and also implementing those designs.  Fun, yes, but exhausting.

My Grandather is coming up from Texas this coming weekend to visit mainly my parents, but also my brother and I.  He’s in the dark about me being gas, but he’s a smart guy and probably knows.  He knows Tazz is a friend at least and he’ll be with me when we go up this weekend.  I think it’s good that Tazz get to know my Grandfather a little bit since it explains a lot about my father.  😉

I’m hosting a carnival next month – topic is art inspired by migraines.  I’ll post more on it later.

Life at Warp Speed

Headaches, , ,

The past month, well really three weeks, has been a shit storm of activity.  School, of course, has created more havoc than I expected this semester.  Work has thrown me for a loop as well.  Tazz and I have also been doing a bit of local traveling & exploration too.  Funny how you have to “fit in” vacation time.  Meh.

I have two classes this semester.  My Monday night class is called “Software Engineering” and it seemed like a fun class when I got the book.  Remember here, I am a geek at heart and stuff like physics and engineering are right up my alley.  Within 20 minutes of night #1, I was already crapping my pants.  Every computer class that I’ve had up to this point with a group project includes a fake company and project to work on.  This class has a real project that we MUST complete by the end of the semester.  Why am I in software engineering if I hate working with other people?  Not quite sure, really.  The application we’re building is going to help the disability services group on campus to manage requests for accommodations due to a disability.  It’s going to a good cause but already, I can see they don’t even know what they need for an application.  Thankfully my Thursday night class is somewhat of a repeat of an undergraduate class I took.

Work took kind of a weird turn at the end of last month.  The current client I’m at (remember I’m a computer consultant/bitch for hire) had me contracted through December 31st.  They are a relatively small hedge fund and recently had to “reorganize” their staff which ultimately led to me being dropped at the end of September.  My employer found me a new client to interview with and they accepted me to start 10/1.  I do feel lucky that I don’t have to sit on the bench waiting for a new client – some of my coworkers don’t have an engagement to follow up with.  The only thing that scares me is that this will be my first real development job.  Up until now, I usually work on reporting with some programming mixed in.  This is going to be a real project with deliverables.  Frightening.  It’s good that I’m finally getting what I want to get into but I can be a baby about it, right?  (Remember, I said back in October 2005, I like to bitch about everything!)

As for vacation, Tazz and I have had our share of adventures this year.  A cruise to the Bahamas in January, camping twice, road trip to Niagara Falls & Toronto and a casino trip last weekend.  All in all, we had fun.  I’m going to San Antonio again this coming Thursday and will be back in town Monday night, late.  I like visiting my family and have been fortunate enough to be able to do it every six months for the past two years.  Our last trip of the year was supposed to be tent camping October 10th.  We decided, because of being rained out last week, to switch it up and rent a cabin so we can’t be rained out.  It’s going to be at a KOA campground, which is to say the least the most commercial campground ever.  We’re going to have WiFi – that’s NOT camping.  But, alas, we’ll be able to have a fire and still do things in the area.

So that’s kind of the catch-up.  I need to get back to the homework so I can relieve the anxiety I have about not having a good grasp around my classes.  Toodles!

Blogging on the Go

Headaches,

I am trying something new – mobile blogging. I may actually stay a little more on top of keeping this site fresh now that the iPhone has a WordPress application.

We are camping this coming weekend -yay! I finished my summer class this past weekend and I got an A. I’m so happy I get almost six weeks until fall classes.

Not much else exciting on the homefront and that’s probably a good thing!

Vacation From Pain

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I’m trying to figure out what exactly I need to do to keep myself from having pain when I vacation.  This weekend we’re going camping and while I’ve been spending time getting the camping gear together, I need to make sure I bring a kit in case the ice pick shows up in my head.  I’ve had relatively good luck with the migraines lately but I know I have to prepare for the worst.

Part of the problem with being on vacation and having migraines is you never know what could happen.  If you’re traveling with one person or ten people, you kind of feel like you have an obligation to not “ruin it” for the other people.  I plan on keeping a good stock of my abortive drugs on hand and not getting myself wrapped up in the triggers like alcohol.  I don’t want to be a stick in the mud either but I will stay aware of how I’m reacting.

I know that most people that know I have migraines are understanding if there is a problem when we’re out having fun.  I still feel it’s my responsibility to keep the party going, however.  I probably got that from my mom who wouldn’t tell you if her arthritic joints were locking up if it meant going home.

So simply be aware of what’s going on around you and don’t be afraid to tell people you have boundaries.  Most of the time they’ll understand, and you know what if they don’t, screw ’em.  I’ve been out at a club/bar too often having to suck it up to keep the night going.  I also didn’t know where I should have stopped.  Don’t feel afraid ordering the bottled water or going with the bland salad if it’s going to keep you migraine free for the night.

Camping shouldn’t be a problem but in August we’re driving out to Niagara Falls and that could be interesting.  Hopefully the temps stay down so I don’t get overexerted.  Nothing like being hot, crabby, and migrainy to ruin a time that’s supposed to be fun.