Daily Update, September 8, 2023

 Well, I called my doctor, and got his answering machine, so I left another message. I called him a few more times over the course of the day and got the answering machine every time. I didn't leave more messages, but it is getting tempting. I'll probably have to think of some other way to get their attention. I really don't want to have to go down by Uber. Not only is that an expensive way, but when I talked to my relief nurse, she talked about a new surge in Covid, so I don't feel quite 100% certain I'll find it open to walk-ins, and I'd hate to take a trip and not get an appointment. {small smile}

I looked at the short story that's far along, and began revising it again, pulling some things out to make it less sad. I realized that I couldn't do too much of that because most of the sad stuff I'd added wasn't just deepening the sadness one character showed. It explains a sad event in that character's recent past. I think that really adds to the story, so I shouldn't take that back out, no matter how hard it was to write. {Smile}

I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner with Mom and read to her before dinner. First, I read scripture and thoughts about it. Next, I read more from her niece's long family Christmas letter from 2020. Then, I showed her the next few pages of _Mele Kalikimaka: Christmas in Hawai'i_, with its mostly Christmas themed pictures. I pointed out one picture that had a friend of ours in it, but I doubt she recognized. He died many years ago. After that, I read a few poems and a short story from _365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes_. I finished with _Greg's Horse_, the September 8th story from _366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year_. Greg and his mother got off the bus right next to a funfair. Greg spotted his friend Pete and wanted to go to the fair. His mother agreed, giving him five coins and telling him to stay with Pete while she went shopping for half an hour. When she came back, she found him riding a dapple-gray horse on the roundabout. He said he'd bought a stick of barley sugar and ridden his horse the whole time. {Smile}

I did my arm swinging exercises while waiting for Phonso's first taskforce, and my head exercises between his first taskforce and his second. I was just in time to start my salsa dancing after Phonso's second task force: first the warmup set, then, after a break, the less structured set. After my salsa dancing, I did my arm resistance exercises, my standing arm weight training exercises, my leg exercises, my walking exercises, and my sitting arm weight training exercises. So I got them all done after one night of not managing that. {Smile}

I read articles and comics in the morning and did some paperwork in City of Heroes: Homecoming, around the phone calls and finishing writing up and sharing yesterday's daily update. I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming again after lunch and cleaning myself up, and doing the writing. This time, after a little more paperwork, and some comic reading, I looked for something to get into. I spotted the later short, large-group event, and joined that. Perogies came on and said hi towards the end, but it was too late for him to join us when I spotted his message. Instead, I switched to the character I started yesterday, and we ran a few missions before it was time to read to Mom. {Smile}

After dinner I read comics. Then I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming. Not seeing anyone I particularly like to team with, I started doing some paperwork, and began some solo badging. Then Phonso came on, and invited me to do a taskforce. I joined him and slipped in an exercise as we waited to get enough folks. Two or three missions in, Perogies came in and said hi. I told him I was in a TF with Phonso, and that we could get together after. He waited a fair while but got sleepy and went back to bed before it was done. I also started talking with Nox on the chat server. After that task force, Phonso chose a shorter task force. I stayed for that, slipping in a little more exercise while Phonso filled the team again. We ran that task force too, ending too close to salsa time to slip in more exercise before the salsa dancing. I worked in some paperwork and a little solo badge hunting around the salsa dancing, other exercises, and writing this up. Once again, I switched to writing notes when it got too late to finish tonight. I still managed to browse an article that made me particularly late to bed. I know better... I just have to do better more consistently. Anyway, I'm finishing up writing this the next day. {Smile}