rain came early!

I wasn't expecting the rain until 11am or so, but it started raining before dawn.  So today will be an indoor exercise day.  I'll do a dance video, then the abs video, then my basement weight lifting workout.  Then I'll relax for a while before digging into another Home Alone Toy Day.  Poor Dax will be stuck inside also -- maybe we'll have a short walk during a break in the rain.

The iPad version of Terraforming Mars is implemented pretty well, with good solitaire options.  As with other card-based building games, I try to find a simple strategy early on and then focus on it tightly.  It's important to keep the Milestones and Awards in mind, these are easy point grabs if you can fold them into your strategy.  There's also the luck of the card draw -- and try not to buy too many cards.

I'm enjoying having the house to myself.  Dax probably suffers the most when Tod is away, because he has only one human to pay attention to him.  And on a rainy day like today, when I'll spend the afternoon playing with toys, poor Dax will feel underappreciated and bored.

The goal will be to start playing by 2pm, should give me plenty of time between now and then for exercise and chores.  I should check my work calendar for Monday first, and maybe block Monday morning from appointments.

nine days

Nine days left until Election Day.

Four days left until I issue my final popular vote prediction, using my regression equation and the latest economic data/forecasts.

An unknown number of days left until we find out who won the Electoral College.

found lots of chores to keep me busy ...

But I still did my full weight lifting workout, although I skipped the aerobic stuff because the hours of chores felt like enough of a workout.

Was closer to 3pm than 2pm when I started warming up and cleaning out, but I'm happily warming up my butt for toy play.  I closed off my entire calendar for tomorrow, although I don't expect to take the entire day off.  I just don't want to worry about tomorrow until I wake up.

I did clean up the rats nest under the living room stereo -- much better now.  Right now, I actually have the stereo hooked up directly to my ancient iPad via its ancient headphone jack.  Sounds great!  I learned today about different audio formats and different wireless standards, and decided this high-end stereo would sound best if it were hooked up directly.  I'll pop it back over to the ancient AirPort before T returns, that's the main way we play to the stereo these days.  But Apple stopped making AirPorts!  The alternatives are not great.  Audiophiles are keeping up a brisk market in used and refurbished AirPorts because there's really nothing as good if you want to stream music to your stereo wirelessly.

But Friday I was getting these gaps in the music over the AirPort.  I tried rebooting everything, kept happening.  So I thought I'd try a direct connection for tonight's enjoyment.  I'm not disappointed!  Sounds wonderful even coming from the ancient iPad.

Could be something overwhelming our wireless router, we've got so many Internet devices in this house.

Listening to FKA Twigs, starting with EP1 and moving forward chronologically, over Apple Music / ancient iPad / headphone jack / jack-to-RCA converter / stereo.  The ancient iPad still does a great job at a few things, but mainly the world has left it behind, no longer supporting iOS or app upgrades.  Can't even use the Kindle App on it anymore.  It's got the beautiful clock app that no longer exists on the App Store, and it can play porn videos (and other videos, LOL), and it can stream music.

The music streaming doesn't even tax its battery.  At all.

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Warming up with my Gape Keepers from Topped Toys -- first the 75, now the 85 -- and the 85 is feeling mighty powerful today.  Turns out I've got plenty of toys at the house, didn't need to bring any from the condo to have a fun time :-)

But Dax is sad.  But it is a wet and cold day!  He normally wouldn't get a walk on a day like today.  Sorry, Dax!  He's whining about being ignored, and I'm being mean to him, sigh.  Back when we were crate training him I'd put him in the crate while playing with toys, because he just won't leave me alone.  Sigh.  I'll pay more attention to him tomorrow!  He'll probably get a 4-mile hike in the morning.

switching to Depeche Mode

I learned of this band from my first, closeted, boyfriend back in high school.  I loved them.  But I didn't stick with them over the decades -- it's weird that they're still active.  Like Madonna is still active.  So many bands still active, LOL.  Well, if you're a musician that's what you do.  I'm a tax attorney, and I'm still active, LOL.

rusty nails

I don't think I can do what I did before.  Why is this?  Pandemic stress.  24*7 T&pets&house stress.  Aging.

Hmm.

more OCD than ever ...

liberate yourself, Bug,

the things I'm good at change over time? but I'm still good