Tuesday, January 07, 2014

2 Snow Days!

I just had two snow days right after a two week vacation, so this is my sixteenth day off of work.  It has been below 20 degrees outside, many offices have shut down, and people on Facebook have been stepping outside to toss boiling water into the air to film it turn into ice-cold vapor instantly.  From what I have heard about what it's like out there, I decided to stay inside for these two days.  Here is what I have been doing.

1. Reading. I just finished the Johnny Carson biography and last night, during some awesome insomnia, I read almost all of "Juliet, Naked" by Nick Hornby.  I like using the kindle because I can click a word, and it instantly tells me what it means.  One word I don't use nearly enough is wont, as in "I'm wont to staying cooped up in my apartment for days at a time and steadily losing my mind."




2. Working out.  But not at the gym.  It's far to cold to go all the way over there.  I have weights and things at home and an application on my phone where I can search for workouts to do, it gives me instructions how to do each exercise, and then I get points when I'm done!  What do I get for these points?  I have no idea.  There is no winning, just more points - not unlike Donkey Kong.  I also like when the computerized voice chimes in to say "You can do it."  Thanks, robot fitness lady!

Hey, I just had a thought.  Why don't they have video game based workouts, like jumping over barrels thrown by donkey kong, or pedaling a bike that powers Pac-Man faster, and making turns somehow to get power pellets and ghosts?  Probably this has already been done in some variation, but I think the classic games would hook in the aging people who loved those games and need more work out motivation.  I know at least one guy that fits that description.

3. Actual work for my actual job.  I just did an hour or two of that.  I was desperately hoping that I couldn't get logged into the system and would have an excuse to blow it off, but alas, it bloody worked.  Anyone else hope for good excuses like that?

4. I finally broke down and threw out all my old VHS tapes.  Considering I don't have a VCR and most everything can be replaced on DVD or laser disc and there is no space in this tiny apartment, they had to go.  But as some of you know, books and music and things are kind of like my little friends and so hard to part with.  Two that I didn't dump was a recording of Super Bowl XX when the Bears won (along with the victory parade) and the original Star Wars movies in widescreen format and before Lucas went back and put in the piss poor cartoons and things and ruined entire scenes.  But when am I seriously going to ever convert those things to DVD's?  Likely never.  They'll just sit in a corner somewhere being ancient and awesome and every day increasing the likelihood that if ever put into a VCR, the tape will shoot out like a ticker tape parade.  Kind of sad, really . ..

5. Listening to lots of music.  I have kept my iPod in the next room and have not allowed myself any skips.  You would be surprised with the stuff you own and like when you have tons of weird music and can't remember where it all came from, like me.  We can find value in a song when we don't immediately jump at the chance to skip it without giving it a fair chance.  I just heard this cover of the Flaming Lips by Postal Service that I didn't even know I had.



How about you, Seven Readers?  What have you been up to?  Has it been this cold out by you?  Did you miss any work as a result?

5 comments:

David Oliver said...

It is and has been plenty cold. Either 1 or 3 degrees was the low last night depending on who you want to believe. Things have been pretty much the same for me but my cat has not been a happy camper. He likes it outside and it's just too cold. Last night he actually used the litter box. I think that was first time he's gone indoors in a year.

I've got a stack of old VHS tapes too. Their job is to gather dust. Maybe Leo would like to play with them...

Gorilla Bananas said...

"It bloody worked", Dr Ken? Are you turning into an Englishman? To be honest, you sound a bit stir crazy in spite of all the activities your busying yourself with. I hope you get out soon!

Jimmy Fungus said...

I had to get to work in that extreme cold, and I have to say it nearly drained me of every ounce of energy I had just trying to do it. I wonder how the heck the Eskimos put up with that stuff... or how did our cave men ancestors survive such frigid conditions?

Mr. Shife said...

I'm not allowed any snow days, My bosses are brutal. We just got some snow but nowhere near the cold you had to deal with. Glad you were able to take advantage of the time off and get some stuff done. Have a good weekend, Dr. Ken, and I like your video game/workout idea. Solid gold baby.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

David: Congrats on the cat's first indoor dump. It's kind of like a human breaking a streak of never pooping in a public restroom.

Gorilla: I was getting VERY stir crazy. I don't know how Mrs. Noisewater puts up with me. Turning into an Englishman is possible. A mad Englishman.

Jimmy: Being an eskimo would totally suck. Huddling up with dogs, and your damn house is made of ice, the one thing you're trying to get away from. F' that. Eating whale blubber soup . . .

Shife: If I get the live action video game workouts done, you'll get a free membership. I feel like I will need a big space, like an airplane hanger, and lots of waivers signed saying you don't mind having barrels run your ass over with a late jump.