Daily Update, January 3, 2024

    Well, on Wednesday I tried calling my financial advisers. They seem to be closed, but I left messages on two numbers I have for them. I later found a note from my financial adviser, apologizing for having been busy all day, and promising me a call tomorrow. {smile}

   I tried sleeping on the other side again. I think I'm beginning to learn how to fall asleep better on that side. Yes, there's a trick to it. I thought it was helping, but my shoulder acted up enough in my exercises, I'm not so sure about that. {pause} I think it's time to consult my doctor about that shoulder again. {rueful smile}

   I ate dinner with Mom and read to her before that. She was awake and looked at the pictures and responded a couple of times. I started with scripture and thoughts about it first. After that, I read cards from church, her nephew, her sister, and me. Next, I continued _Mele Kalikimaka: Christmas in Hawai'i_, finishing one chapter and beginning the next, including the introduction, the captions, and the pictures. Then I read a story from _Disney 3-Minute Bedtime Stories_. I remembered near the end to make sure the pages had stuck together. They hadn't. I ended with the 3rd of January's story from _366 Stories for Bedtime_, "Frederick's Toys." Frederick's mother exclaimed about the toys on the floor, saying surely, he wouldn't leave them on the floor all night, and calling him lazy for not picking them up. Frederick just went straight to bed. He did lie awake and think about his toys. Suddenly the room was in a turmoil, with the toy fire engine racing around the room with siren blaring, and the teddy bear crying out in pain because the tipper truck had run over his paw. Then the house of bricks tumbled down with a crash. Frederick called for them to stop, asking them to be good, and promising to put them away every night. The next morning, when he woke, his room was quiet. Was it a dream, he wondered, but he kept his promise. {Smile}

   Late Wednesday morning, I tried walking around the driveway for exercises. I managed 9 times around in 12 minutes before I got winded enough, I had to stop, and really couldn't start up again at that speed any time soon. Still, the way they said 20 minutes of salsa dancing or 30 minutes of walking, this ought to be equivalent to 8 minutes of salsa dancing, which is more than the 6 1/2 minutes of salsa dancing I've been able to do, and I can do more later, too. I slipped my head exercises and three sitting arm weight training exercises into minor and less minor lulls during the role-playing session, before the missions after that, and while talking with Pierogies and Radio. After Pierogies and I teamed for a bit, I did 6 1/2 minutes of salsa dancing. Yes, in the same day as the walking, though a very different part of the day. Then I did 9 reps of one of my two arm exercises before my shoulder twinged enough to convince me to quit. I really need to talk to my doctor about that shoulder. {Smile}

   I read articles and comics and snuck a peek at a web-novel in the morning around and after the phone calls, through lunch, and afterwards a bit. Then I did the walking before I cleaned myself up. After that, I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming. I looked around, and didn't see anyone I like to team with, but I did see that pair of high-level TFs I wanted, so I joined it. Right after I did, Pierogies showed up. We agreed to meet up after it was done. However, before we got that far, he felt he needed to leave. So when the person running the high-level task forces said they were going to run a second pair, I ran it with another character who needed it. They didn't do a third, so I joined the later short, large-group event next. Then I started on the paperwork that had built up in the task forces until time to read to Mom. {Smile}

   After supper, it was too late for the late-night short, large-group event, so I began writing this up, and got most of the earlier paperwork done, plus some more paperwork I found while doing it. Then I started collecting badges on another character who could use those task forces while keeping an eye out for them. Instead, I started talking with a role-playing friend. We ended up getting together for a role-playing session. Eventually, he went quiet. I tried to get his attention with things that often make little beeps, with no luck. Then another of those pairs of high-level task forces got advertised. I tried again with my friend, then said goodbye and joined the task forces; it was almost long enough a wait to feel easy about it, but not quite. The group got together pretty quickly and ran it. My friend woke up and said goodnight partway through. We plan to RP again. I also talked with Radio and Nox on the chat server. Pierogies came on and said hi in City of Heroes: Homecoming while I was finishing up the task force. We talked while I finished up, and a bit afterwards. I also talked with the folks after the task forces a little. Then I joined Pierogies. We talked more, then watched an episode of RWBY together. Next, I did my salsa dancing. When I couldn't do my other exercises, Pierogies and I teamed up for an individual mission. After that, I talked with Pierogies and Radio about some story ideas that are slow to come together. I'm afraid this is why this year's holiday story is late. {Smile}