1. I have a drafting table! A local artist put up a notice that she was giving away her old one, and I was first in line! It's enormous, and when we went to pick it up today, I feared that we wouldn't be able to get it into my car. The friend who offered to help me move it, though, took out her toolkit and worked miracles. It's now in my house, and will be reassembled in my office/studio next week, so that I can celebrate my 50th birthday on the 11th by making art!


2. The original plan was to set it up in the office/studio today, so yesterday I set out to prepare the room by cleaning and moving my desk away from the window in order to make space for the table. Somehow that morphed into moving furniture in my bedroom (which I've been meaning to do since last April), interspersed with cleaning the bathroom fan and scrubbing/soaking the grease out of the fan filter in the range hood. Note to self: buy gloves for next cleaning binge. Hands are not happy.


3. When power was once again applied to the satellite receiver and television post-furniture-move, the satellite receiver was not able to acquire a signal. All cables were verified, but still no joy. Rather than troubleshoot further at this time, I decided to take a break from the eye of doom, so have suspended my satellite service for the next seven months. At the end of that period, I'll re-evaluate and decide whether I really need it. In the meantime, more time for everything else, such as reading! And writing! And whatever else would otherwise go by the wayside when I normally turn off my brain for network programming.


4. Tomorrow's activities may include baking.


5. I'm feeling a bit lost and lonely, even more so than last xmas, but I have invitations and plans to join friends over the holidays, and my big dog to cuddle, so I think I'll be okay.

Tags: diary, plans, whatever...