Monday 11 December 2006

christmas... again...

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm whining again... But I'm angry with myself more than anything. I wish I didn't feel so negatively about Christmas prep. I want to feel a warm seasonal glow of love for my fellow men and women... I want to give gifts and send cards and make people happy with my efforts. I want to think about the deeper significance... feel goodwill to all and remember what the Christmas season is all about...

But it's just making me crazy, and I hate myself for that. I wrote a handful of cards today, and ordered two or three presents online, and it seemed to take up the whole day. How can that happen? I ended up with my head just spinning and my brain fuzzed. And no work done!

I'm going to have to generate a more positive attitude to Christmas though... I'm going to have to relax and enjoy it all! At the rate I'm going, people may not get their cards and pressies in time for the actual day, but that doesn't mean I don't care for them... and then at least they'll have a gift or a good wish turning up in the days after Christmas, when they might be feeling a bit of an anti climax after the festivities of the main event. Hopefully...

Anyway, seeing as it's all crap here, you'd best nip over to the LustBites blog. We need a few readers to post on the current topic, 'cos at the moment it's still a bit incestuous with only us authors commenting on each others' comments!!! The topic today is Work... yeah, I know, yawn, but it's not like that at all. It's all about what job you'd like the heroes and heroines of the books you read to have... So make some suggestions mebbe, eh? And in terms of jobs us authors have had, some of the girls have had some fun jobs in the past, and *lots* of them. Not like yours truly who has had two non writing, non web design jobs and they were both crap. Being a librarian drove me mad. Literally. And being a clerk in Local Government drove me mad with rage most of the time... even though I did meet some nice folk in both those jobs.

Any road up, nip over if you feel so inclined... And say hello to your humble servant, PDC! :)

--

Telly: Tango, Carlos Saura : Brainstorm [best film evah]
Chocolate: Lindt Swiss Milk and cake
Mood: bonkers
Writing: edited two paragraphs of IllMet
Reading: nothing, me brain won't work
RSI: not too bad

5 comments:

bryfee said...

I have some tips for dealing with RSI if you need them or are interested.

-brian

Saskia Walker said...

I did the vast number of 3 cards this morning, so you're ahead of me :-)

Portia Da Costa said...

Yes, Brian, I'm always interested in strategies for coping with RSI... It's not too bad at the moment, and I think using a laptop has actually helped, contrary to popular wisdom... but you never know when you're going to get a flare up...

How many cards today, Saskia? I wrote five, I think... :)

bryfee said...

Hi portia da costa

Here goes with the tips:

1. First tip is take action early. The sorry situation with RSI is that, human nature being what it is, and doctor's visits being the way that are, we are not likely to do that much to fix a problem till it begins to stop us from working. Advanced RSI is much harder to fix than early to fix.

2. Second tip is get an exercise treatment plan and do it.
Ergonomics (passive) measures, like changing to a different mouse, will work, but only to a degree. Have a look here http://www.einspine.com/rsi_resources/rsi_solutions_compared.html

3. Third tip is get professional help. Exercises need accurately to target the problem, so you need professional help to advise a treatment plan. This means go to a good doc who understands about RSI. There is an alternative from the company I work for (above link). We built a software program that gives people the tools they need to rehabilitate early RSI at their desk. You take tests and get a personal video-guided exercise plan. It’s new, the only one of its kind and should help a lot of people keep free of trouble.

good luck

-brian

Portia Da Costa said...

Thanks for those tips, Brian... It all makes excellent sense to me. I've lived with RSI for over six years now, and it's generally stayed at more or less the same sort of level, if I don't overdo things too much. And I think my own laziness has probably saved me from the worst of it! I take a lot of breaks!

I have had physiotherapy in the past, and I've found that helpful, but somehow, as much for the discussing RSI with the physiotherapist as for the actual treatment.

I'll certainly check out your link, and I hope it might be useful to other visitors to this blog too!

Thanks again for your kindness.