Spare the air day & orange air quality again today.  Fighting off a migraine.  To make matters worse, tomorrow is going to be another bad air day (they've just announced it will be a Spare the air day).  Sigh.

For those of you that aren't local.  Here is info on Spare the air:  http://www.sparetheair.org/

Steps planned; will update later.

Spare the air day and orange air quality (unhealthy for sensitive individuals).  Wanted to go to the bank and the library today...but those trips can wait.  Hmmm.  Well, they are saying tomorrow will be the same.  Guess I'll try to trip link the library in on the way home and the bank in on the way back from dropping S off in the morning.

Made my August step goal of 5k steps per day (averaged 5,539).  September goal 6k steps per day.

S is spending his day off going to see Jack Vance.  Thought I'd have to go with but turns out that HC and RW rearranged their schedules so they could go too.  I took the morning off but had to come in to get packages out, so may as well work a short day.

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S is off from his day job today and tomorrow.  Managed to get him to sleep in but he wouldn't take today off...  At least it will be a short day at the office since we have early dinner plans with CFS & W.  Tried to counter with working all day today (i.e. not sleeping in) and taking tomorrow off...but he said "no".  *sigh*  He has promised, though, to re-train me on packing simple orders tomorrow.

S was not pleased with outcome of my trip to BB yesterday.  I figured, if the stuff was desirable, we wouldn't have had it as long as we did...and, so, I wasn't surprised or disappointed by the outcome...

Image:  Yay!  Steps I walk today, tomorrow, & Tuesday are GRAVY (am already over my August goal of an average of 5k steps per day as of last night).

Today is Read Comics In Public Day.

Things I did today that Bibliophile would normally do?  Ran boxes of (cheapass project) books up to BB.  Also?  Moved money from one bank to another (something he used to do by actually driving cash across town but that I arranged to do electronically).

Sinus headache, but it's my fault.  Out of force of habit, I took the fake mucinex last night (realized it as I swallowed) rather than the good stuff...  Sigh.

Image:  The traditional drawing given to S yesterday (it is mounted on a sheet of thick, white paper and the sketch from yesterday is on the back of the white paper, along with a little note about how they liked him because he gave them popcorn the first day they met him).

Things I did today that Bibliophile would normally do?  Ran books over to HC's (he's going to a signing that S can't make).  Got to talk with LC (his spouse) for a while.  They probably shouldn't let us compare notes ;-).  Learned that I'm not the only long suffering bibliophile spouse that sometimes wonders if she's got a cat rather than a husband (cats bring you little, um, gifts back from their hunts and so do bibliophiles...less gross to be sure...but still...often things that you'd not have chosen to be taking up what little space you have left when you live with a bibliophile...).

Image:  The dancers at the museum ended their run today.  The children and their father presented traditional drawings to several of the museum employees.  I'll scan the front tomorrow, but for today I wanted to share part of the back...where they wrote a note to S and then drew a picture of him (he didn't know if the 9 yo girl or the 13 yo boy drew the picture of him...but doesn't it look quite a bit like him?!).

Air quality yellow today (yesterday turned out to be another orange, or unhealthy for sensitive individuals, day).  Predicted high of 81.

It's Youth Literacy Day.  Want to show your support?  Consider making a $8.26 donation to 826 National on 8/26 (today).

Did you know August is the 90th anniversary of the 19th amendment (G G Hulda was a few months shy of 22).

Problem with keywords seems to have righted itself, overnight.  Which is good, but a bit worrisome in that seller support claims no knowledge of any such problems (or any actions taken to correct).

In other website news, I've updated our analytics code and added it to the current newsletter.  They say it may take 24 hours to see if this new code is working.  Once I know it works, I'll add it to the other pages K (of KC&c) suggested.

Temps predicted to hit 97 with "moderate" (yellow) air quality.  Better than yesterday...  Still, whatever steps I rack up today are likely to occur indoors and at the Batcave (where we have AC to protect the collectible books from high heat and humidity).  Due to the heat, it was after 3am when I fell asleep...so it is going to be a tired sort of a day today. UPDATE:  It hit 98 here (which broke the 1988 record of 97)...not much better than the 100.7 of yesterday...but...

Newsletter is online but email won't go out until sometime tomorrow.  Meanwhile...could use your help.  We've had intermittent problems with some of the links in the newsletter.  Hopefully it has been fixed.  Anyone want to check?  Click on one of the pre-order books (right hand column).  Does it tell you there are no results the first time you click but if you close the search window and click again this time you get eight results?  Or does it (fingers crossed) show you the 8 items the first time?  UPDATE:  We think the problem is intermittent and has to do with keyword searches (on the venue's end).  We've contacted seller support.  Sigh.  It's always something.

Full moon and another spare the air day (air quality orange, unhealthy for sensitive individuals).  Temp predicted to hit 103 here.  Ugh.  Migraine from last night is hovering.  UPDATE:  Temp hit 100.7 here.

Thinking about M&R today and hoping things turn out the way they want.  Also thinking about the Hopgoods (today is their 26th wedding anniversary).

Working on the newsletter.  Got to thinking about links.  A while back venue a changed searches so that if a link to a search of our inventory by author or title turned up zero results (because the item/s sold out), they would redirect the search to show results from all sellers on their venue.  This caused confusion with our customers (who are sometimes already confused by having a venue involved at all).  We got around this on pre-orders by creating a pre-order keyword and linking to a search for that keyword rather than to each book.  Not elegant, but keeps other seller's stock from coming up in searches for our books.  This next newsletter I'm going to try a similar tact for each link to authors or titles from his column.

Left S at BC2 so I could go home and open up the house (we refuse to get AC at home).  8pm and it's 81 degrees in the house but 88.7 outside.  Not time to open the house...yet.  UPDATE:  9pm and it's 81 inside and 82 outside.  Close enough.  Time to open up the house.  UPDATED update:  11:45pm and it's 80 inside and 74.9 outside.  Ugh.  Gonna be a long night.

Spare the air day; air quality orange (unhealthy for sensitive individuals).

Got me some real mucinex last night and I woke with just a low roar headache this morning rather than a crawl back into bed headache.  May have to double up to get the headache to go away entirely...but am at least more closely resembling a functioning human being today.

Sigh.  It came back.  Maybe because of the heat?  Dunno but I was nursing a migraine by 8pm last night.

Woke up with sinus headache which is threatening to turn migraine.  Really, really, really getting tired of this crap.  To make matters worse, tomorrow is predicted to be a spare the air day (orange, or unhealthy for sensitive individuals, air quality)...which is never good news for my sinuses.  It may be time to stop taking the cheap, fake Costco mucinex replacement (which doesn't last all night) and switch to the good stuff until my sinuses get better.

K (of KC&c) stopped by.  Glad Lucy let her into the building 'cause I'd not taken my phone out of my purse yet today so didn't know she'd called.  She is going to help us with some SEO stuff.  I feel a bit like I've just let someone into my messy hall closet...but I need to get over that.  She isn't fancy pants people so no need for me to pretend that I'm smarter about this stuff than I really am...

Sad news:  `Star Gazer' host Jack Horkheimer dies.  You may remember the show as "Star Hustler"...same show/guy.  I don't know if we ever actually went out and did what he suggested...but just hearing the theme music transports me to the 70's.  He was 72. Very sad indeed.

Image:  Was feeling proud of myself for my progress on my walking behavior modification (re-start) and then I realized that my current goal is *less than* my original baseline.  How sad is that?!  Trying very hard to remember that one is not meant to compare these things...(May 2008 baseline shouldn't be compared to June 2010 baseline).  Sigh.

Day started poorly (running late & snappish S) but I'm hoping it will straighten up and fly right.

Things I did today that Bibliophile would normally do?  Researched a book for him (him: it's so-and-so's autobiography published by xyz in 2009 me: do you mean such-and-such and do you want the trade or the deluxe edition) and then called around looking for first printings.  Update:  Have talked to three independent bookstores.  First was friendly (I've met them) the second wasn't (not sure I've met them) the third was fairly friendly (I've met them) but, more importantly, was informative.  I now know that the firsts of this book sold out almost immediately and it is therefore unlikely I'll find one for my guy by calling all over town ;-)  UPDATED update:  Bibliophile, hoping against hope, had me call a fourth indie.  Nope.  But, they were friendly (I've met them).  Now I'm attempting to locate copies offered online.

Last of the images from last weekend with the Twins (their PUs and CFS).  Here is Twin n sporting sunglasses.  Rumor has it that those of you attending W's bday party will get to meet the twins.

Whew!  Just (finally) finished getting all the cheapass books updated in the database and taken offline.  Half the books have been physically removed from the shelves, sorted (by destination), shucked & de-tagged (thanks to volunteers), and are ready for S to take them away.  Can't pull the others yet, due to space constraints.  Next project?  Getting the newsletter out.  After that?  Building a photo tent.

Had another migraine last night.  Really getting tired of this.  Two this week and constantly having that feeling that one is "hovering" since Sunday night.  Not sure what is causing the problem...(which makes it especially annoying).  In potentially related news...my face still seems to think it's 17 again (breaking out).  Can't blame hormones, haven't changed meds/shampoo/face wash/soap/laundry detergent or anything else.  Eating habits haven't changed. Bleh.

Spent the late afternoon and evening with KC&c while S was at his day job and then at a signing.  It was member night at the aquarium.  We picked up K at her office, went to dinner, and then enjoyed the aquarium.  Everyone seemed to have a great time!  This outing accounts for most of my steps today.

Image:  Aunt T (briefly) holds both boys (was holding Twin n and Twin a toddled over, arms raised overhead, grunting, with that cute "pick me up" face).  They are too big & heavy for me to actually stand holding both of them ;-)

CFS & W came by to volunteer today.  They shucked books (from mylar bags) and removed location code tags (from the cheapass books) which was a HUGE help.  In a couple hours (not including lunch...yum!) they finished 10 banker's boxes full.  Whew!  That's only about the halfway mark on the project but space constraints keep us from getting too far ahead of the bibliophile.

Image:  The twins play with their father's camera

Been putting audio short stories on his iPod (he's recently begun to have problems reading while the bus is in motion).  Today he listened to Little Ambushes by Joanne Merriam on EscapePod.  Said it was "a near perfect story" which is something he very rarely says.  Guess I'll have to listen to it myself ;-)

Have clocked over 1.5 miles so far today just pulling books (for the cheapass project).

Image:  "Room for one more?"  It's not often I wish for a *bigger* lap...but that's exactly what I wished for when twin a (in blue) toddled over with his bottle and tried to sit on my lap (and on his brother's head).  He settled for sitting next to me, propped up against my thigh.  There were three other laps available.  No, I don't think I somehow rated higher than the other available laps...I think that the boys are doing that "My brother has XYZ...I want it too" thing that siblings do so well.  CFS took this photo and was nice enough to share ;-)

Exhausted and fighting a migraine.  Grrrr.

Most of these steps were clocked at BC2 while pulling books (as part of the cheapass book project).

Spent the evening with S at M&R's.  They had stressful news to share but that may turn into an opportunity for them.  We've got our fingers crossed.

Image:  Twin a demonstrating his tumbling skills on their new "toy".

CFS and I drove out to see the twins and their PUs (1.5 hours each way & a three hour visit).  It was good to see everyone.  The boys seemed to be enjoying what they view as a new toy (a new to the family couch in the family room)...they tumbled on it and off it with apparent glee.  I took Twin n in to get his bottle and sat down with him while he drank it.  Twin a toddled over and tried to get in my lap too...but settled for sitting propped up next to me.  Cute ;-)

Then back to the house to pick up S (he was at a book sale and then at a book signing with HC today) and a trip to BC2 to get some work done. 

I'm wiped.  We'll see how steps turn out today...I'm not expecting much.

Image:  Twin n rushing the camera (he'd just woken up...hence the slightly dazed expression).

Anyone else trying the Lightning Add-on for Thunderbird?  I might be dense...but where are holiday type "packs" to pull down so I don't have to enter in all that noise?  Google calendar has them (hell, even Palm calendar, going way back, had them). Hmmm.  Found one.  But, come on guys, Parent's Day is not a real holiday and I don't give a rat's ass about religious holidays (unless, like Xmas, it means biz closures).  I want *just* bank and USPS holidays, people (if I wanted to know about Ash Wednesday I'd ask for US religious holidays).  Gaaah.