Just so it doesn't feel like I've abandoned this journal, here's a quick update.
The money pit
When my guest bathroom sink started leaking the day before, I started installing a new one on New Year's eve, only to get stuck after I'd turned the water off. (Remember, kids, it's a very bad idea to start plumbing projects on a holiday.) I had to call out a plumber and pay a bundle for him to cut out the old fixture with an acetylene torch and install the new one, so we could have water when our guests arrived.
On January 2nd, in a cold downpour, we smelled gas outside. The gas company came out, found the leak, and shut off our gas because the leak was right under our electric meter.... We had to have someone come out and do a temporary repair the same day so we could have heat and hot water. Ka-ching!
That same day, the rain started leaking through a window into the living room. Not expensive, since I could just weatherproof it myself, but it confirmed my superstition that bad news comes in threes.
Here a job, there a job
At the end of the year, when $client[0] couldn't get their budget worked out, I rolled off and started with $client[1]. Within a week, my first client ran into problems they couldn't fix, but managed to scrape up enough money to get me back for a week. It only took me four days to fix, so Friday I'll be back at $client[1] because they were happy with some of the quick optimizations I suggested on their application.
Be sure to tune in next week for another episode of "As the consultant turns".
Open your eyes
Even after more than a year, I never got used to my bifocals. They still can't fix presbyopia completely with surgery, but at least now they can make soft contact lenses for my myopia and astigmatism. (I tried gas-permeable contacts many years ago and couldn't wear them. The soft lenses are nothing like those -- they're very comfortable.)
I've been trying a monovision pair of soft contacts for a couple of weeks, but my eyes get too tired looking at a monitor all day. Next I'm going to try contacts to fully compensate for distance in both eyes, and add reading glasses if I need them.
Of course, the best solution would be to just stop aging, but I don't think they'll figure out that one anytime soon.
