Unutterably Silly So what are you doing RIGHT NOW?

[Stitchawl]

I'm playing with glue. Silicone sealant to be precise. Mixing it with corn flour to make a putty. I learned a very valuable lesson tonight;
when you work with corn flour, always...

Spoiler:

turn off the damn fan first!!

Stitchawl

Take Two of the Silicone/corn starch experiment (this time without the fan.)

The first batch mixed up well, was easy to work with once the putty stage was reached, molded to my hand perfectly, and smoothed out to a nice finish. But the consistency of the cured rubber was much too soft. Almost spongy. And not at all strong. It would wear down in a matter of a few hours of hard fighting. Plus, it didn't stick well to the metal grip that I was molding around.

So the second batch is going to be a different ratio of sealant to corn starch. Less starch, more goo. I'll have to keep my rubber gloves well powdered to keep the mix from sticking to me as I work with it, but I believe that will result in a much denser final product that will adhere better to the weapon's hand grip.


Stitchawl

[poohbear_nc]

I'm sitting inside watching the ice melt.

[WT Sharpe]

I just went out and cleared the snow and ice off the car. Fun times!

I can't believe our newspaper was delivered and on time this morning. I wouldn't have gone out on a day like this. Or, at least, I wouldn't as an adult. Back when I was a teenager, teens were the newspaper carriers, and I went out in all kinds of weather. To this day I hate Safeway cabs because one of them forced me to fall over a curb in the ice and snow and didn't even bother to stop and see if I was all right.

[ProfCrash]

Eating lunch at work. The roads were a bit slippery but fine if you drove smart. The first of four 10 hour days. (sigh) Ah well, better then taking vacation days.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Sat at home feeling sorry for myself.

I went to the doctor a few weeks ago and, while there, was told that my blood pressure was a bit elevated. I was told to take my pressure a couple of times a week and let the doctor know if it was particularly high (they have a machine in the doctor's waiting room that gives you a print out). I thought it was high this morning (180/120) so I called them from work. On the list of things that you don't want to hear from the triage nurse, "Woah, you'd better get in here to see the doctor right now" is pretty high on the list. To cut a long story short, I've been booked in for an ECG and blood tests, signed off work until the pressure drops and prescribed some medication (and, of course, been told to lose weight, drink less and exercise more).

Update for those that were worried

My blood tests weren't too bad. Cholesterol too high (I knew that already really), borderline diabetic (not a great surprise, it runs in the family), everything else OK.

ECG was "abnormal"; my GP told me that the results looked as if I'd had a heart attack (I haven't, I would have noticed!), so I've been booked in for further tests by a cardiologist. The good news is that the blood pressure has responded to the medication and is now steady at just over normal, but I'm still off work until the abnormal ECG readings have been explained.

Of course, I still need to lose weight, drink less and exercise more!

[poohbear_nc]

Bilbo - you can have a 'silent' heart attack - one of your coronary arteries either has a spasm or is temporarily blocked by a partial clot or piece of plaque, or even becomes blocked and then reroutes itself - many people don't notice it when it happens - but some of the heart muscle is damaged and then generates the abnormal ECG readings. Be careful until you have the rest of your tests. Good news about BP.

Walking is great exercise for the heart, BP, and weight! Not to mention reducing stress.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Walking is great exercise for the heart, BP, and weight! Not to mention reducing stress.

I'll second that! Put a good audio book on a pocket player, plug in and start walking. No need to walk fast. Just walk. Every week walk a little further. With a good book, you won't even notice the distance, and the exercise factor is still there. I walk 10-15k several times a week now, and have dropped over 50lbs. since I started. Blood pressure now 110 over 65. It's not a difficult regime.


Stitchawl

[ProfCrash]

I can't wait for warm enough weather to take walks again

[cromag]

I used to take long night hikes (I'd usually get out between 10 and 11, and get back between 1 and 2) with the late, lamented Shadow, until I blew out the meniscus in my left knee. I hope to get out there again this summer. It is great exercise, and a good reason to get a good MP3 player.

[cromag]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

As usual on the first morning of my vacation I was up early this morning, just in time for the sunrise.

Spoiler:

(not yet run through Gimp, will do that at home).

Today's plan is to go to the nearby town of Harderwijk for some fun shopping and a visit to the big supermarket. When we get home we'll prepare a pasta salad for dinner and tonight we'll watch Death in Paradise and maybe a film.

Beautiful photo!

But I am much more of a sunset person, myself!

[dreams]

Bilbo - Great news about your Blood Pressure, although a little spooky about the possible heart attack. I'll chime in about taking walks with a good audio book. I do this to relax after a stressful day and find that I will keep walking just to find out what happens in the book. When the book is great, I don't even realize I am still walking; I'm just caught up in the story.

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Oh YESSSS!!! That IS a PICTURE!!!! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!!!
I'd crop out a bit of the left side so the sun isn't so centered, but otherwise, it is perfect!!!!! For many of us, that's a once in a lifetime sunrise in a perfect composition! Nice!!


Stitchawl

Originally Posted by cromag

Beautiful photo!

But I am much more of a sunset person, myself!

Thank you for your compliments.

I'm up early again this morning, but no sunrise to be seen today

Spoiler:

Although it is suppposed to get sunny later.

Unfortunately I can't take pictures of the sunset here, from the balcony we have views over the lake to the east and south but the view of the west is blocked by buildings.

Bilbo - take care of yourself, I hope everything will be alright. And I second (third, fourth, fifth?) walking, with good music or an audio book it's very enjoyable.

[ProfCrash]

Bilbo, listen to your doctors and be good to yourself.

[Lin2412]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Update for those that were worried

My blood tests weren't too bad. Cholesterol too high (I knew that already really), borderline diabetic (not a great surprise, it runs in the family), everything else OK.

ECG was "abnormal"; my GP told me that the results looked as if I'd had a heart attack (I haven't, I would have noticed!), so I've been booked in for further tests by a cardiologist. The good news is that the blood pressure has responded to the medication and is now steady at just over normal, but I'm still off work until the abnormal ECG readings have been explained.

Of course, I still need to lose weight, drink less and exercise more!

I like your Optimism, Bilbo! Although I don't have any abnormalities in my blood tests, my family has a history of heart problems which could also be a factor for me having them, so I'm with you on the losing weight, drinking less (beer, yes, but more water!) and exercising more!

The exercise part will be the ultimate challenge. Although mainly I think it would be the diet that would be my main struggle.

[Rumpelteazer]

My daily picture of the view:

Spoiler:

Meanwhile I'm looking at notebooks. I'm thinking of getting the Dell Inspiron 17R, which got a good videocard, a lot of RAM and big HDD for a really good price (Dell's customer service in the Netherlands is good from what I've read).