Douglas E. Berry

Setting some goals.

2019-01-02T01:47:29Z

So, 2019 has wandered in and just made itself at home. In defiance of my personal promise to try to be more social, I'm sitting at home writing this while Kirsten is off at a "brunch" that has now extended into the early hours of the evening. I will try to be better about getting out and seeing people and going to events, it's just hard for me to accept that I can actually go somewhere and not people out quickly. That's my biggest social fear, that we'll go somewhere and I'll be done after ninety minutes and drag Kirsten away from a good time.

Another reason I avoided partying last night and today is I've been making some headway on my cleaning binge. Our alleged living room, the space in the front room where the bookcases, TV, and futon are, has been picked up, sorted, dusted and vacuumed. We have a nice bag of stuff for Goodwill, and that Halford the garbage is being picked up tomorrow because there was absolutely no room in either the trash or the recycling bins. I'm taking my time, doing a little and stopping to watch some TV, then picking up and doing another bit of the work. This works best for me, pacing both body and brain.

As I mentioned last time I posted in the journal, one of my goals for the new year is to write more. An opportunity has opened up on that end. Chris Garcia mentioned that he was planning a slew of fanzines for this year, and I asked him to send me a topic list. He replied by saying he would love for me to co-edit again (I did some of the work on the Heavy Metal and Horror issue of The Drink Tank last year) and asked for topic suggestions. Being me, I threw out the idea of doing an issue on the Queen of Cities; Byzos, Nove Roma, Constantinople, Istanbul . . . by any name, it is a city of a thousand tales. So that will be a thing.

Honestly, at this point, I'm really eager for the school year to start up again so I can back to work. It's not just the money, I really enjoy what I do and love the kids. Also, just being out there on the corner when there's no one to cross means my mind can wander and it takes me some interesting places. I need to start carrying a small notepad and pen to jot ideas down as they come to me. That will work better when it warms up a bit and I'm not wearing gloves every day.

Another thing I'm working on is a Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition game. The campaign I'm in is nearing its climax, and our DM has said he wants to step back for a bit. Fine, I'll jump in! Planning on using the Earthdawn setting, because I love games of exploration and mystery. I think I've explained Earthdawn recently enough, but without going into too much detail, the world was ravaged by a magical horrorshow and people are just starting to come out of their bunkers to a vastly different world. I will keep the frontiers open, and avoid over-civilizing Barsaive.

On the health front, we are trying to make it a habit to go to the gym three times a week. Even if we do almost nothing there, it's the habit of going that's important. I'll be heading over tomorrow, and work on getting back into a good rhythm. Once spring arrives, I'll do my cardio by taking long walks in Santa Clara's Central Park. Getting my bike out and doing ever-longer rides is also on the schedule. I'm already signed up to walk a 5K with Kirsten, and I want to get more use out of my bike at Burning Man.

Speaking of That Thing In The Desert, we officially opened Burn season by visiting Harbor Freight the other day. There was a mechanics bag on sale that is perfect for all our towing hitch gear. As we are Lords of the Impulse Buy, we also grabbed two pairs of work gloves; a tester for the light connector; and since the current one broke, a new spray nozzle for our hose here at home. Next up on the list: an impact driver and some lags to better secure our shade structure, a kilt for me, and we need to schedule some time and money to replace the door on the Free Trailer Beowulf. We'll be getting together with friends for that.

That where I stand - sit, really - on this first day of 2019. Of course, the toilet is acting up. I'm trying very hard not to see that as an omen.

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Three bags full.

2014-03-02T22:59:49Z

With the Giants in Spring Training, we're in Spring Cleaning mode here at Offhand Manor. Today, we tackled the amazing amount of clothing we own.

We're both packrats, we freely admit it, but things had gotten ridiculous. So kshandra and I sat down and began culling the herd without mercy. I got rid of a lot of old t-shirts, Kiri dumped a lot of stuff that didn't fit right. We're about halfway through and we already have three bags of stuff for Goodwill and a pretty decent load to take to Oasis (our "we do it all" laundry of choice.) We've also thrown out a ton of garbage.

More to be done, but we've made impressive headway. Now, where did I put that flamethrower?

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A Five Year.. err... Day... Plan

2014-03-01T01:33:47Z

Everyone knows that kshandra and I aren't the best at keeping a clean house. It's not garbage, but clutter, that is our personal demon. But now that we have some nicer furniture, and have dealt with a lot of the clutter issues, I really want to work on the cleaning side.

In the past, the trouble was we both worked long hours. But now that I'm on the shelf, I really want to clean if only because it will give me a daily goal and something to do. Since we live so close to the railroad tracks, dust is a big issue. Those trains rumbling by shake things out. With my lungs, this is bad. Getting air cleaners is on the agenda, but cleaning comes first. I also want to have a clean place to reduce my fall risk. To that end, I've made a schedule for cleaning.

Monday - The living room. Everything from the futon to the far wall. This includes Kiri's workstation, most of the bookshelves, and the TV unit. Dust, clean the ceiling fan, straighten things up, take out any trash, vacuum.

Tuesday - My workstation and the kitchen. Dust, clean the ceiling fan, straighten things up, take out any trash, vacuum. Wipe down the stove, clean the sink, sweep the floor, mop if necessary.

Wednesday - Hallway and bathroom. Vacuum hallway, clean bathroom sink, toilet and shower. sweep up, mop if necessary, take out trash.

Thursday - The bedroom. Dust, change sheets, all laundry into bags, tidy things up, vacuum. Re-arrange all the critters.

Friday - Laundry day! Usually this will be 2-3 loads.

I figure this will take an hour or so a day on cleaning days. Fridays will take longer, but most of that is me playing Civilization IV or Madden 11 while waiting for my timer to tell me it's time to switch loads. Having a beer will be my reward for finishing.

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I need a favor... (Locals)

2014-02-19T00:34:21Z

I'm doing some Spring Cleaning, and it's going well. But there's one thing I do not feel safe doing.

Hanging our artwork.

We have some really nice things, but with my balance issues I wouldn't feel safe on the stepstool doing the work to get it up. Also, I have the design sense of a wombat, so I need help putting things in the right place.

Also, we have a lot of stuff that needs to be framed. I'll measure out what needs to be done and see if I can get a good price at Cost Plus or something. But again, I'd need help getting it all done.

So what I'm asking for is a good old-fashioned hanging party. We'll provide pizza and sodas, you provide artistic sensibilities and hanging skills. Power tools would help, though I do have a cool laser level and stud finder. Offhand Manor is in Santa Clara close by Scott and Monroe.

There's no rush on this. But reply with a way to contact you (all replies will be hidden) if you'd be available some weekend in the next several weeks.

This also gives me more drive to clean the place.

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A couple of good days.

2013-09-08T20:38:57Z

Yesterday we went out with two main goals: pick up my meds and get me a trekking pole at REI. The cane I had been using was too short and heavy. The therapists suggest a lighter trekking pole and had me work with with one. Much better feel. At REI, a very helpful young lady showed us the options and I ended up with a Leki Wanderfreund AS.

Made in the Czech Republic. Cool!

What made this fun was the guy checking us out used to work at Lord & Sons as a machinist. There was a line, so we didn't really have a chance to chat, but I'd love to learn why he left a good position at a skilled trade to work retail.

The plan was to hit Pizza My Heart so Kiri could have lunch. Alas, it was still a while before they opened and I could feel myself fading, so we went to RiteAid, got my pills, and headed home. The only other big thing was making a big order from Safeway and clearing out all the things in the fridge that had died in the past month.

After a night that led to us calling to cops on our normally quiet-if-not-gone neighbor, I felt the need to do something. I took out some garbage, straightened up around my desk and the back of the futon, vacuumed, cleaned out Vera the Vacuum, did some dishes, and was then order by Kirsten to stop now so I wouldn't burn out.

I obey those kind of orders now.

Just waiting for the Safeway order to arrive, and then the Niners' game tonight. Tomorrow I have OT.

Next weekend we're going to try to make the Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival for as long as I can hold out. Any locals who want to meet up there, just let us know!

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We have conquered Ikea!

2013-04-06T18:49:46Z

Actually got in and out with pretty much what we were there for, and only a few impulse buys, all of which were needed around the place. Some new forks, food containers, kitchenware, and a picture hanging kit. Along with the Expedit TV unit.

Before leaving this morning, we consigned the old cursed shelving unit to the pile of trash out front, along with all the old plastic storage bins (they had become overly brittle after a few years). This picture shows the pile from just our little triplex. I don't think the young lady in #3 has added anything to the pile. And we're pikers compared to some of the apartment buildings down the street. Small hills of mattresses, box springs, construction debris, broken toys.. funny thing is the same buildings had similar piles last year. Kirsten is of the opinion that, given the neighborhood, the buildings experience a high turn-over of people who leave in the night abandoning everything they can't carry.

Imagine our shock when we got home to discover that the scavengers has already taken it, along with all the boxes. Damn, those guys work fast.

Now enjoying a rest. I have to work today, so need to recharge to face eight hours of dispatching.

Tomorrow we assemble the new thing, and try to bring a little more order to our chaos.

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OK, a change of plans

2013-03-25T17:56:23Z

I was going to use the money from the Great Sale 2 for a new bike. However, a new opportunity has arisen, and I must strike! Strike now!

Saddle my horse, for we ride to Ikea!

In short, we have been stuck with an ugly, awkward shelving unit since we lived in San Francisco. The thing is over eight feet long and looks like crap. Next week begins the annual neighborhood clean-up effort here in Santa Clara, when you can throw away anything.

So I'm taking advantage of this fact to ditch the shelving unit and get one of these. Ideally, I'd also like another smaller shelving unit. This, along with some more culling of the book and game shelves, will give the living room a ton of storage space and a better look. This would also allow me to lose the second ugly, broken bookcase.

Now I just need to devote part of my weekend to clearing off the shelves, and doing a major book-sorting. We also need to figure out when Kiri and I can get over to the store, as I'm not allowed in Ikea or game stores alone.

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It has not been a good week

2012-10-10T20:11:05Z

Saturday and Sunday were utterly insane days at work. Too much to explain here, but suffice to say that I will never cheer for a Stanford sports team again. Then I wake up Monday feeling utterly miserable, and that grows into the dreaded flu-like symptoms. Which caused me to miss both Monday and Tuesday. It was one of those things where you are so sore and drained of energy that just the idea of eating, let alone actually preparing food, makes you sick on its own.

Feeling a bit better today. Took a Vicodin for the remaining muscle soreness early this morning. Feeling good enough to break out my new mop (as yet unnamed) and finally do the kitchen floor. New mop, very hot water, and Pine-Sol really killed the accumulated grime. I may make a second pass later. I am such a Domestic God! I need a new floor mat for in front of the sink.

Anybody want to buy me a one-time visit from a maid service for the Generic Winter Holiday?

I've decided to try playing Madden11 without coach mode being on. Spending a lot of time in practice. Learning the kicking controls was probably the hardest part. I mad some... interesting kicks and punts before figuring things out. The game looks amazing on our new TV. Hell, everything looks amazing on the new TV.

Reading yet another Black Library omnibus. Enforcer is Matt Farrer's collection of tales concerning Shira Calpurnia, one of the Empire's elite Adeptus Arbites, the enforces and judges of Imperial Law. I've finished two of the three books. On the plus side, Farrer has a great grasp of how big and alien the Imperium really is. He also explores areas not normally seen in these books; the Ecclesiarchy, the inner workings of a Rogue Trader flotilla, and the network of powerful telepaths who pass messages through the warp. He writes fascinating characters and places. Where he fails is in good story-telling. The first novel in the collection concerns a huge religious festival and the attempts to disrupt it. Each chapter starts with a description of the day's required rituals and observances. But the actual story reads like a SSI Gold Box adventure. Go to a place, beat the monster, get handed information. The second book should have been brilliant.. a contested succession in rogue trader flotilla sold old that their charter was signed by the God-Emperor Himself nearly ten thousand years ago! The maneuvering of factions and claimants should have been a game of shadow and daggers. Instead, the entire thing falls apart. They just aren't good police stories.

The Giants remain alive. We just need to win two straight on the road to make the NLCS. GO GIANTS!!!

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The editing process.

2012-08-22T20:21:22Z

De-cluttering your life is not something that you just do and it is done. It is an ongoing process. You need to constantly look over your stuff and ask if you really need it, want it, or are going to use it.

I'm really proud of kshandra right now; without any prompting from me, she took a hard look at her Playa gear and really whittled it down. Throwing things away is hard for her, and it is an important step.

Now it's my turn. Setting up the new bookcase has given me the chance to take a good hard look at our books, DVDs, and my gaming shelf. I'm finding books that we could give to my sister's kids, books that I practically have memorized, and yet more RPG stuff that I haven't touched in a long time.

So I'm pulling a lot of stuff out to be sold or giving away. My goal is to cut things down to where I can get rid of the second crappy old bookcase. The first one we ditched went to out neighbor, who is 21 and has an excuse to decorate in Early College Student.

So watch this space! A second Great Sale may be coming!

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I built a cubicle

2012-01-10T01:48:30Z

The Command Papasan has been sent to the other side of the room, as it was beginning to creak in an ominous way.

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Well, this was worth the trip

2012-01-07T23:19:09Z

The first day of Spring Cleaning and Decluttering is done, and it turned out to be a money maker. After clearing out trash and putting things where they (allegedly) belong, I tore into our two large boxes of CDs. Kirsten and I were pretty vicious about eliminating things, and we ended up with a nice load of stuff we didn't want any more. Off to Streetlight!

We dropped off the stuff, and went browsing for about a half hour. Came back, and asked what our stuff was worth. We walked out with a check for $128 and about a quarter of the CDs we had brought in that they didn't want. This was just the first load as we clear out unwanted books, games, CDs and DVDs.

Decluttering can be profitable!

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Like the Cylons, I have a plan.

2012-01-04T21:06:38Z

Things are getting a little cluttered again here at Offhand Manor, so it's time for spring cleaning to begin. To make things easier, I have divided the place into four quadrants. We'll do each quadrant in turn.

The living room area, where Kirsten's desk, the TV, and the bookshelves are.

The kitchen, which includes my desk.

The bathroom and hallway.

The bedroom.

Each area will be thoroughly cleaned and organized, with a strong eye towards decluttering, before moving onto the next area. I expect many trips to Rasputin, Half-Price Books, and Goodwill. There may even be a repeat of the Great Sale.

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