Smackdown topic, Wednesday, June 12:

repetitive motion injury.

I haven't been diagnosed with anything- YET. I figure it's inevitable at some point, though I am hoping to avoid it. Doesn't everyone with a computer get that these days? Does anyone not have these issues? Kis doesn't, but everyone else sure seems to. Then again, the people I know tend to be computer geeks.

The most I've ever gotten so far was twinging in the arms on occasion. The first time that happened was sophomore year of college after I had an enormous load of typed homework due in a week, and it freaked me out that the twinging hadn't gone away a few weeks later. I saw a doctor for 30 seconds (literally) and he told me to take a shitload of Advil 3 times a day for six weeks. I about freaked out. I don't like Advil, I don't take medication well or regularly, and SIX WEEKS?!?! Scared out of my mind on that one. "And if that doesn't get rid of it, we get you arm braces." Joy. What scared me even more was that six weeks of Advil didn't seem to do much. It eventually went away on its own, but twinges still happen every few weeks or so.

It hasn't been a major issue for me YET, but I am paranoid. I've seen enough friends have their careers screwed/ended by carpal tunnel to be cautious. One friend used to be a programmer, but no longer. All the other programmer types I know have it, but haven't been completely incapacitated yet. And Jackie's now in therapy for hers, and last I heard her boss was trying to screw her out of her job because of it.

I take breaks and whatnot well and always have, but I know someday I will get in trouble because I'm not the most ergonomically positioned girl. I cannot STAND sitting with legs together, both feet flat on the floor. I feel like I'm about to break out of my skin if I sit like that, and I can't stand it even if it's the only way to hold food in my lap because there are no tables in the vicinity. Sitting high up with regards to the keyboard (my knees hitting it the entire time) seems to help a lot, but I'm still squirmy as all hell and dying to do some other position, anything, with my legs.

I never had much in the way of problems working at the paper, but given that this is a major typing job, I am more nervous about it. Part of my job involves loading long web pages of data and writing down the info, and I stopped being so efficient and doing typing in between waiting for pages to load because that was just gonna lead to trouble. I generally do page loads and surf the net in between page loads when I need a break- five minutes is NOT enough for a typing break when things start to twinge, it just doesn't work- and do typing in stints for half the day or something.

Truth be told, I do need new mice at home and work, but I doubt I'll ever do anything about that. A large trackball mouse wouldn't even fit onto my mouse area on the keyboard tray at home. It's bloody expensive to get all of your furniture replaced to be ergonomic on your own dime (my desk was abandoned on the street and I took it in), and I'm lucky my parents did what they did with regards to my setup there. As for work, I know they're supposed to, but I feel slightly sorry for the people who already have carpal tunnel and are always having to ask for new special aids all the time.

Of course, given the change in activities coming up, my current state may change. Lots more typing with the new things to do, not a lot of excuses to not be typing the entire time... which is rather... worrisome. The coworker who I'll kind of be taking over from used to have carpal tunnel, but after getting a new mouse, etc. is now fine. I never knew you could get over carpal tunnel, I always thought it was permanently there after it happened.

Long night last night. Hill and I went shopping. And shopping, and shopping, and shopping. We first hit the Woodland mall, where she found shoes, a purse, and a new swimsuit, and I got two shirts and a swimsuit. Hill picked out one of the shirts (a gray one with images of Venice all over it) and told me to wear that to her graduation party.

I just couldn't say anything after that.

After that we did dinner, where we discussed going to a wire beading class going on sometime in the next couple of weeks, and taking a sign language class at the nearby JC sometime next spring. Which would be cool.

Then we did the inevitable trip to Wal-Mart, where we mostly picked up party supplies and household supplies. Also fabric, because Hill wants me to teach her how to make a coverup for the new suit. I ended up getting fabric for one too.

Then things ended up taking longer than expected... mainly because I spotted an old friend, Nick, on the other aisle. He and Hill seemed to hit it off (no, not THAT kind of hit it off) right away, and soon they were ramming shopping carts in the store. Then they both decided they wanted to go try out furniture- i.e. sit in it and see how long it took for them to get kicked out. We ended up in the folding chairs in the camping section, making sure to block the aisles with the shopping carts. How long did it take? 15 minutes, and at least 2 salespeople spotting us before finally taking action. Score. We then ended up in the patio furniture section, where nobody worked and nobody kicked us out. This is why I didn't get home till around 10:30.

Our conversation in the car on the way home:

Hill: "So, how many times will Dave have called by now?"

Me: "None, I told him I was going to call him because I didn't know when I was going to get back."

Hill: "Yeah, he'll still have called anyway, at least once."

Me: "Nah."

So of course when I get home, the machine has THREE messages. I go out on an weeknight for the first time in ages, and everyone calls me. Demma called, Mom called (of course), then Dave called.

I found out why we have to leave so bloody early for the graduation: "the doors open at 6." Note that the thing starts at 8:15 (though knowing graduations, this is more like 9). We have to save seats for over two hours. Outside. In 90 degree heat. On RODEO GROUNDS! GAH!

Oh yeah, and my Uncle Brad's relatives are even showing up. Including his 300-pound mother, who doesn't like Alicia (or anyone) and once called her fat. Uh, yeah, Ms. Pot, whatever you say. Unfortunately her getting injured is not preventing her from showing up.

My survival kit for the evening includes a portable fan loaned from Hill, reading light, batteries for both, three books, notepad, crossword puzzle book, jacket. It's gonna be a looooooong night.

Demma wasn't home when I called, presumably because they were returning from dropping Dave off at home. They'd all gone off to see Teri's new boyfriend Gabe, who I hear is a VAST improvement from Austin. Apparently the final straw there was when Austin lit a Coke machine on fire. Gabe apparently was a fellow Scott wanted to set Teri up with, except she did it herself.

Anyway... amusing story: Dave got a phone call the other day from some guy asking for "David Mylastname." "Uh, no, there's no David Mylastname here, I'm David Hislastname." He gets a phone call from Scott soon after that, saying "I put you down as a reference, but I couldn't remember your last name, so I put down Jen's." Uh-huh. (He's known Dave longer than me, yet can't remember his name? I did love the "David Mylastname" bit, though. Don't I wish!) So Dave got the guy back on the line, apparently gave him a rave review, and Scott is now hired to work as some kind of camp manager around Fresno until September. He's leaving Thursday- well, so much for that phone call, I guess. Though according to Dave, Demma now does want to do that road trip to see Anna. Of course, my having a job might er, interfere with this.

So I finally got some explanation for the rescinded time off thing. Apparently some guy who works there is getting massively screwed by his future ex-wife, who is trying to take him for every single penny, so he had to go on leave until this gets straightened out. Had to go on leave suddenly and immediately, so Dave and his friend Chris, who had both gotten the weekend off, are both being called in to work half of that guy's shift: one gets Saturday, the other gets Sunday. And yet... nobody will tell Dave which one he has to work. Likewise, he knows that softball game is either on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night, but nobody will tell him when! Oh, for crying out loud...

Dave took my saying no to coming for the whole weekend well, though we are discussing maybe my going up there Saturday night. (Apparently Teri, being out of school and officially on vacation for the next month, could go fetch me whenever.) Though if he's got work and/or softball Saturday night/Sunday day/Sunday night, it may just be more reasonable to skip it. We'll see. I'll be calling him LATE tonight to find out if he found out.

I can't recall if I've mentioned this here yet, but the 4th of July (why do I never call it "Independence Day," but always by the numbers?) is apparently a big ol' deal in Dave's family. BBQ, buying fireworks and setting them off all over, watching non-bought fireworks, etc. Plus his work is wanting to have some kind of party. According to him, it would be expected that if I wasn't doing something with my relatives, I'd better be going there. So given that (a) this stuff may last all night long, and (b) rather a pain in the ass to go home for one day to go back to work, I asked my boss for the 5th off. She said yes right away. (Guess who else is taking that day off?) Yay! Four day weekend!

previous entry - next entry
archives - current entry