I microwaved some couscous and added sundried tomatoes and beans. It's better than I expected, but still kind of ick.

We`re thinking about getting a combination deadlock.

Heh: π-ce cube tray: [link]

What was it Willow said? "Better to curse the darkness than to light the damned candle"?

We got a combination deadlock and I loooooove it. No more carrying keys when I'm just running around the neighborhood or walking the dog. No more worrying that I will accidentally lock myself out out of habit when I'm just stepping out into the yard to feed the birds and still in my bathrobe. And if, say, I don't want my petsitter to have the combo anymore, I can just change it. I can actually set several different combinations, so if I have guests I can temporarily set one just for them and keep using my usual one. It's a whole lot of nifty.

Does require a battery. we haven't had it long enough to have to change it, but the instructions for doing so were pretty straightforward iirc.

Not using the other lock is key (npi) to this whole system, of course, but that was already my habit.

Also, I think whimpering is fine, but I'm sorry you've got the pain to provoke it, Hil.

Thanks. I'm trying everything I know to relieve the pain enough that I can get to sleep. I've got Stevie Nicks on my iPod, and I'm reading A Swiftly Tilting Planet, both of which usually help a bit. Can't go any higher on the meds.

day o interviews went well. Was told by boss-of-applied-for-job that I have an impressive resume. Seems like a bunch of nice folk. One red flag for me that I realize has been annoying me the more I think about it. It's a staff position. Staff is a bit of the bottom of the ladder. Viewed on as a servant by some at the school. The faculty get sweet things when they start, set up things. Computer choices type of things. Staff. not so much. I was asking if the production staff have laptops. Nope. Old Dell towers. Um. Dude. tech! gear everywhere. crazy schedules. and you want me tied to a tower? Not even a Mac?

Hil, continued less-pain~ma. Sucks that you can't sleep.

o-a, I remember that split from when I was teaching in the UK equivalent of community colleges. 'Support staff' used to be second class citizens compared to faculty. Totally ridiculous, since they did most of the work, in the English department I'm thinking of in particular.

So no one at Derby Uni has yet found time to help with the fact that I'm being pushed through an illegal admissions procedure because I'm disabled. If this isn't sorted by the end of the week, I'm talking to a lawyer. Whether or not I can afford it.

Get 'em, Seska! It really sucks that they are doing that.

Hil, relief and sleep wishes for you.

omnis, being treated with respect and consideration at a job is worth at least $10 grand a year.

Yeah, I just pulled that number from my behind. It's probably worth a different amount to different people. In fact it's probably not quantifiable at all.