Chase Bird, basketball and a haircut: Random 5 Friday

Happy Friday! I hope you’re doing well, dear readers, on this last Friday in March. Is it just me, or does this year seem to be flying by already?

One of the best things about Friday is being able to join Nancy at A Rural Journal for Random 5 Friday. I hope you will visit Nancy HERE and find other bloggers who are sharing their randoms.

Chase Bird relaxing on Larry's lap.

One

Chase Bird seems to be feeling better. It’s not that he had been sick. But he seemed subdued and was licking his fur a lot, enough to leave some bare spots.

He wouldn’t eat the hypoallergenic food, so taking that route to see if he had a food allergy didn’t pan out.

We are sticking to a few tried and true foods that don’t upset his stomach.

Larry and I have both noticed that he seems to be licking less. Fur is growing back in.

And he is playing more. I love to see (and hear) him galloping around chasing a stuffed mouse or other toy. He likes us to throw the toy out ahead of him so he can chase it and catch it.

I hope he has settled into his new life enough to feel less stressed. He is such a sweet boy.

Chase Bird snoozing.

Two

Can you stand me writing about basketball a little more? Virginia plays Michigan State tonight in the NCAA college basketball Sweet 16. Michigan State will be a formidable foe, but I am hoping Virginia will win. Go ‘Hoos!

Three

I got a haircut on Thursday. Larry had an appointment, and we see the same stylist. We were going to Lynchburg together—I had a doctor’s appointment—and I suddenly got an urge to do something with the shaggy mop I had been sporting. So I called up Jenny, who said she could fit me in.

She just trimmed it and cut some layers around my face. I want to keep it long enough to put up and braid.

She made it look so much better. I wish she could show up at my house every morning and style my hair for me.

I took a couple of selfies to try to show you the newer look, but they didn’t turn out well enough to share. I’ll blame it on the cell phone.

A random photo of Larry walking along the Staunton River in early February.

Four

My doctor’s appointment was at 12:15. The doctor called me back at 1:15.

When I arrived, I was told he was running behind about 40 minutes. Could I wait? Yes, I told them. I came too far not to wait.

It takes me 45 minutes to drive to his office. That’s not terrible, but it’s in an out-of-the-way part of Lynchburg and the traffic to get there can be heavy.

He was running more than 40 minutes behind, obviously, but my irritation was outweighed by the fact that he’s a terrific doctor.

But I set my next appointment in the morning. I’ll be his second appointment of the day. He can’t be too far behind by then.

Five

My doctor and I discussed several options to try to combat my tiredness. One of them is to take my depression medicine in the evenings instead of the mornings.

Seems simple enough, and I’m anxious to see if I notice a difference.

I usually take my medicine right after I get up in the morning. But an hour or two after I get up, I have been experiencing such fatigue that I feel like I could go right back to bed. I’ve wondered if it was the medicine, since I take a higher than usual dose.

I also don’t sleep well at night. I wake up every one or two hours.

So I hope to see good results from this small change. I’ll be working on some other changes, too, that I hope to share about soon.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Spring is here, and it’s time for Random 5 Friday

Happy spring! Though we’re still looking for some wintry weather next week, it’s officially spring, and I’m looking forward to seeing new life and colors.

And Happy Friday! I’m joining Nancy of A Rural Journal for Random 5 Friday. To read other bloggers’ randoms, be sure to check out Nancy’s blog.

My media pass into the Siegel Center for the big event.

One

The Altavista High School boys basketball team won the Group 1A state championship!

I made the trip to Richmond last Saturday to cover the state final game between Altavista and Radford. My co-staff writer took photographs.

As I said in last week’s Random post, I’ve never covered a basketball game or written about basketball.

I had a great time at the game, and it was exciting for Altavista to win. If you’d like to read the game story I wrote, you can find it HERE.

The media room in the Siegel Center where interviews were held after the game.

Downtown Richmond outside the Siegel Center at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Downtown Richmond

Two

Do you keep up with the NCAA college basketball tournament? I usually have a few teams that I pull for. This year, Virginia has done very well. They won the ACC regular season and the ACC tournament and are ranked number one in the East Division. So my first loyalty goes to Virginia. I also like Duke.

I didn’t fill out a bracket, though. I just don’t know enough about all the teams to make intelligent guesses about who is going to win.

Three

Spring is here, and worst of winter is over. I should be full of energy, right? Only I’m not. I am sleeping way too much and have little energy or motivation to do things beyond what I am responsible for doing.

What gives? I don’t know. I’m going to talk with my doc next week during an appointment because I’m tired of this. Pun intended—I can still laugh.

Four

The other day for lunch, I ate some turkey and rice soup at a local café. It was delicious. However, I fished out every carrot that was in it and placed it on my plate. I didn’t eat them.

I don’t like cooked carrots, and I decided I was old enough to admit that and to stop making myself eat them.

What good-for-you-food do you just not like?

Five

And a strange random fact: Both Chase Bird and me need new brushes. Chase Bird needs a new soft brush, and I need a new vent brush to use when I dry my hair. It broke off in my hand recently. I can still use the brush part, but it’s a little hard to hold in my hand.

Chase Bird and I just can’t look our best without good grooming tools. J

An upcoming adventure and other randoms

I’m once again joining Random 5 Friday with Nancy of A Rural Journal. Check out her website for more bloggers joining in with their own randoms.

I didn't have any basketball photos to share. So I'm sharing a photo of my messy work desk on a layout day. The proof sheets are on my desk. The InDesign program with a newspaper page is pulled up on my computer.

One

Last week, my editor called me into his office.

“What’s your word for this year?” he asked.

“Adventure,” I said.

“Well, I have an adventure for you,” he said, and laughed.

“Oh, you’re going to give me a horrible assignment, aren’t you?”

“Oh, no, no. It’s going to be fun,” he said.

He asked me to cover the state basketball finals.

Two

Why is this assignment significant? I’m not a sportswriter. I’ve never covered a basketball game. I’ve never written about a basketball game.

But my editor has to be out of town this weekend, and both the Altavista boys and girls teams were playing in the state semifinals last Friday in Salem.

If either or both teams won, I would have to go to Richmond on March 15 to cover the game or games, along with the other staff writer, who would take photographs.

The girls lost, but the boys won last Friday.

Three

So I’ll be on the road to Richmond tomorrow to the Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.

I’ll sit in the press row with the other reporters and follow the game, then interview coaches and players afterwards.

I’ll write a short overview for the website, and then on Monday, I’ll write the full story for next week’s paper.

My co-worker, who will be doing the photography, is an old hand at covering such events, so he’ll be a big help.

I understand the game—I love the game! And I’m going to do my best to write a great story.

Four

The Altavista Colonels will play the Radford Bobcats.

Altavista won the state title last year in the Group 1A division. Radford won the state title last year in the Group 2A division.

After last year’s games, schools were reclassified, and Radford got moved to the Group 1A based on size of school.

So in a twist, the game will feature two defending state champs.

Five

I’m nervous, but I’m also looking forward to the experience. It will be an adventure—doing something I’ve never done, watching the game and trying to capture it in words, being a part of all the excitement.

I’ll have to maintain my professional distance while I’m covering the game. So let me give a shout out now: Go, Colonels!

What adventure do you have planned for this weekend!

A Truly Random “Random 5 Friday”

It’s Friday, so I’m joining Nancy of A Rural Journal for Random 5 Friday.

One

When I told my editor at the newspaper about my sledding adventure, he asked me to write a first-person account of it for this week’s paper. We rarely do anything like that, but he thought it would be fun for readers.

If you’d like to read the article, you can click HERE.

Two

Last week when it was snowing, I went to English Park, which is along the Staunton River in Altavista and found these ducks.

Three

Back at the house, I found these tracks in the snow outside Larry’s shop. Can you tell what animal they belong to?

Four

I was at the newspaper office on Wednesday, working at my desk. My cell phone was in my pocket. Suddenly, the phone sounded a shrill and very loud alarm. Simultaneously, my co-workers’ cell phones did the same thing.

It was an AMBER alert. A little girl in another part of Virginia had gone missing.

Thankfully, the little girl was found in less than an hour after the alert went out.

The alarm may frighten you the first time you hear it, but I’m so glad such alerts are in place to help.

Five

I’m reading another mystery/thriller by John Sandford. It’s called Rough Country and features a character named Virgil Flowers. It’s very well-written and a great read, too.

But as I’m reading it, I’m also studying the structure and how the mystery flows. I hope such study will help my own writing as I tackle the mystery writing process.

I am taking next week off from blogging. I need some time for rejuvenation. I will be back on March 3. Blessings to all of you, dear readers!

Random 5 Friday: Adventures in the snow

Happy Friday, and Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you are all doing well.

I’m joining Nancy of A Rural Journal in Random 5 Friday, a very fun meme. To join in the fun, go HERE.

 

Our upper driveway as the snow fell on Thursday.

One

Virginia got snow! Altavista got snow!

I’ve written before how I love snow, so Wednesday and Thursday were exciting for me. We haven’t had this much snow in about four years. We got around 10 inches, maybe a bit more since it snowed again all afternoon Thursday. Lots of other parts of Virginia got more.

It started snowing Wednesday afternoon and snowed all night into Thursday morning, plus Thursday afternoon.

Looking down our street.

 

Looking up our street.

Two

I have marveled at the beauty of the snow, especially how it looked on the trees and branches of bare shrubs.

Looking out the window on the side yard.

Each branch made beautiful by the snow. 

Three

I have not been sledding in years. In fact, I don’t remember going sledding since I was a teenager. But Thursday, we got out a sled and a snowboard, and Larry and I packed a good path in the side yard. Then I went flying!

Adventure is my word this year, but foolhardy is not. I knew I couldn’t stand on the snowboard, so I sat on it.

Larry wouldn't try it. He said he didn't want to break something. But he pushed me and took photos. And laughed with me.

Me taking a break. I am soaking wet. 

This photo is a little blurry, but you can still see I'm having a great adventure!

Four

I didn’t know I had so much laughter and yelling—the joyful kind—in me. I laughed, yelled, squealed, and had a fabulous time sliding down the hill and falling into the snow.

After one fall, I just rolled over on my back and lay in the snow, looking up at the sky. It was turning gray, getting ready for more weather. The branches of the trees were stark against the sky. And I was content.

Five

For Valentine’s Day, Larry and I are going to eat tonight at Main Street Café and Coffee, a restaurant in Altavista where we often enjoy lunch. They don’t normally serve dinner, but they are having a special Valentine’s dinner featuring tastes of Italy. We’re looking forward to a nice evening.

Random 5 Friday: Down by the River

Happy Friday, dear readers! I hope you’ve had a good week. My thoughts go out to those who are in the middle of snow and ice and power outages.

It’s time for Random 5 Friday, a great meme started by Nancy of A Rural Journal. Click HERE to find more bloggers who have posted their Random 5!

The Staunton River at Altavista, Virginia. Seeing all these spots in the photo makes me think I need to clean my lens cover.

One

I was off from my newspaper job on Thursday, so Larry and I had lunch at a local café. I had the vegan four-bean chili—delicious! I failed to get a photo, though.

Then we went to English Park and enjoyed walking around and taking photos of the Staunton River. It has been a while since we’ve been down there. It’s always good to see what changes have occurred and to hear the sound of the water once again.

I like the look of the light in the trees surrounding Larry. The river is right beyond his feet.

Two

We watched a bit of the Winter Olympics, including figure skating. I get a little nervous when I watch the skaters go into one of those high jumps where they spin in mid-air. I’m always wondering if they’ll land OK.

Even when the announcers sound disappointed in the performance, I think, Well, most people can’t do any of that on ice. Looks pretty good to me.

Three

We enjoy watching the snowboarding, too. I’ve never been snowboarding. I’ve never even gone skiing. But it seems like flying through the air must be such an exhilarating feeling.

Wintergreen Resort is not that far from where we live. I’d like to try skiing sometime. It would such an adventure, and this year is about adventure. But I am rather clumsy, and I don’t want to deal with a broken bone. If I don’t go skiing, am I being practical or afraid—or both?

Do you ski or snowboard?

Four

When you do creative endeavors such as writing, painting, drawing, crafting or photo editing, do you listen to music? If so, what kind?

I am experimenting with what works for me. I don’t listen to music when I’m doing editing work or journalism. But when I’m writing fiction or poetry, I often like to listen to music. Words get in the way, though. Any suggestions for some good instrumental music to listen to?

Five

I love doing research. I love learning new things and making connections between what I learned yesterday and what I’m learning today.

The research I’m doing for my novel is fun. I have a lot to do, but it’s so interesting, it doesn’t seem like work.

What do you love to research?

Random 5 Friday: The last day of January

Happy Friday to you on this last day of January! Can you believe the first month of 2014 is almost over? It seems to have flown by.

I’m joining Nancy of A Rural Journal for Random 5 Friday. Check out Nancy’s blog to find more posts where bloggers share their random facts.

 

Snow on the camellia bush.

One

We had another snowfall this week. We were supposed to get mostly flurries in our area, but we got more than that.

The roads were treacherous Tuesday night. I had to work at the newspaper office into the evening, but Larry came to the office and followed me home in case I had trouble getting up any of the hills. I made it fine, but it was nice knowing he was behind me.

Two

My work week at the newspaper wasn’t as hectic as I thought it would be. A trial set for Wednesday went to a plea last Friday.

Three

My schedule seems to be different every week and can change at the last minute. That makes it hard to have a lot of week-to-week routine.

I am working on finding a more peaceful morning routine. It’s hard for me to get up early before it’s light outside, but I feel so much better when I get an early start.

I have got to stop hitting that snooze button.

What time do you get up in the morning?

Four

My skin is suffering from the cold, dry air of winter. My hands look like claws. They’re not like they were when washing OCD ruled my habits, but they are dry and rough. I have dry patches on my face, too.

I probably don’t put enough lotion on. I don’t like the thick feeling of too much lotion, and it seems to make my face oily if I’m not careful.

What lotion do you use for dry skin? Do you know of anything that moisturizes without leading to breakouts?

Five

Chase Bird loves to curl up in small, dark, warm spaces, especially during the day. To accommodate him, we arrange a kitty blanket over different chairs, wherever he’s hanging out, so he can hide away and sleep.

Here’s one we fixed in the den. It’s where Larry usually sits when he’s watching TV. But he gives up the chair for his Chase Bird.

A cold Random 5 Friday

Happy Friday! I hope if you’re in a cold part of the world, you are staying warm.

It’s time for another Random 5 Friday, a great meme started by Nancy at A Rural Journal. To read more random posts and to join in, click HERE.

One

It’s so cold here, some of the meager snow we got on Tuesday is still hanging around. As I write this on Thursday night, the weather people are calling for temps in the single digits by morning, with wind chill 0 and below. That’s cold for Central Virginia.

I don’t usually wear hats, but I’m wearing them these days. Gloves are a must, too. And layers.

What are you doing to stay warm?

Snow in the yard on Wednesday.

It was cold, but the sky was blue.

Two

In the continuing story of the heat pump, the contractor called early Wednesday and said they couldn’t come that day because they hadn’t finished up the job that took them away on Monday.

So they returned Thursday and got the new heat pump installed and hooked up to the electric heat. They’re supposed to come today and finish.

We will believe it when we see it.

Three

As most of you know, I work 32 hours a week as a newspaper reporter for a weekly newspaper.

I recently read something interesting. CareerCast came out with its list of the most stressful jobs in 2014. “Newspaper reporter” was number 8.

I had to laugh when I read it. My first thought was, why is a person with anxiety disorders working in one of the most stressful jobs?

From comments I read on the site, not everyone agrees with the list, of course. And I don’t think my job stress can compare to those who work in personally dangerous situations or who work to save others’ lives.

But it was all food for thought.

What has been your most stressful job?

Four

My job with the newspaper can be very interesting. We have such a small editorial staff—one other staff writer and the editor—that we all end up covering a variety of stories.

Just on Wednesday of this week, I conducted a phone interview with an expert on senior issues. Then I did an in-person interview with the fitness director at the local Y on mind-body fitness. Finally, I covered a visit to Altavista by Sen. Mark Warner, one of Virginia’s senators.

On Saturday, I will cover the local chamber’s annual awards dinner. Next week, I’ll cover a murder trial in the county.

Five

Chase Bird will be glad when the heat pump work is done. Every time the HVAC workers appear, he has to be put behind the gate in the back bedroom.

He still goes in there on his own to eat sometimes. We kept his water bowl and a dry food bowl in there even after he got full access to the house last fall. Sometimes he sits on a stool by the window or in a cat bed in there.

But it’s better when it’s on his terms.

Chase Bird.

Random 5 Friday

Happy Friday! I’m joining Random 5 Friday, a wonderful meme started by and coordinated by Nancy of A Rural Journal.

One

Thank you for all the kind comments regarding Larry’s trip to the ER. He’s doing fine now. He (finally) called his regular doctor today to make an appointment for follow-up as advised by the ER docs. His regular doctor is out of town until week after next, so he’ll have to wait a couple of weeks to see him.

Two

The HVAC contractor is coming over at 7:30 this morning to start replacing the heat pump, so I’ll be up and out early to get to the office.

He told Larry it would take about three days to install it. We’re scratching our heads over that one. Apparently they are not going to put in three full days on it. Today they are just going to measure and plan, I think, because he said he didn’t want to leave a mess over the weekend.

Three

During this heat-pump-installation opportunity, Larry wants to install attic steps into the crawl space over the den where the heat pump apparatus is. He’s going to work on that this weekend. My job—I’ve been told—will be to help lift the steps to the hole in the ceiling so Larry can attach them.

I am not particularly adept at jobs like this. Do you like home repair or renovation projects?

Four

I hope to have my website for my editing business ready to go live by Monday. It has certainly been a learning experience, buying a domain name and creating a website.

Five

I have not been taking many photographs lately. It seems like either the weather doesn’t cooperate or it’s dark outside.

If I take photos inside, they are usually of Chase Bird. I think he’s growing a bit weary of seeing the camera lens pointed in his direction.

What have you been photographing lately?