Thursday Threesome

We were talking about how things get done here at the Back Porch and thought we'd include everyone in the discussion: ::A geek in the family::

A geek-- Hey, who handles tech support at your place? You? ...the six year old? ...or someone from outside? ...and how about in your web space? No, we're not looking for techs; we're just curious .

Me, and Scott, about equally, except when it comes to hardware. He's a lot better with hardware issues than I am. My 'web space' is not used any more, discounting this journal and the photo blog, which are maintained by their respective sites. I also do some of the tech support at work.

in the-- computer? Just a curiosity for the designer types: what Operating System are you running? ...and which browser? Since sites can show up differently in different browsers it's more than a casual question.

I used a Windows 98 desktop, and a Windows XP home laptop. Both run Internet Explorer 6. The desktop also has Mozilla Firefox, in yet another attempt to get into one of the browsers everyone says I'm supposed to like. I didn't like it. I just haven't gotten around to uninstalling it again yet.

Family-- Do any family members read your place? Do they care? Do they have a clue? ...and how about your 'off line' friends? ...or do you supply a little bit of separation there?

Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad! Hi, Scott! Hi, Jenn and Rob and Becky and.... Augh. Hi, everyone. :P Yes, my friends (online and off) and family read my LJ. Not all of them, certainly, but enough to count, I think. :) Whether they care - well, they reply to my posts, so I assume so.

News and a quizlet.

Well, non-news, more than anything. Went to the appointment and it went pretty smoothly, even to not starting too late (I saw her and was out a half-hour after the appointment time). I think I owe Scott an apology, she had trouble classifying the stupid thing too. First she said it didn't look bad to her, more like there were two moles against each other, one flat and one raised. As I told her, the raised one has been there a long time, the flat area hasn't and itches a bit. (I've got skin allergies going this year - so that's not as diagnostic as it would be otherwise - but the skin around it doesn't itch.)

The upshot is that she doesn't think the mole(s) is(are) a problem but, because of its unusual appearance and location, I now have a referral to the dermatologist upstairs from her office to have it looked at more closely. And, as she put it, quite likely removed even if it is probably harmless. This is not really a surprise, I've had two moles removed so far and both were fine. I don't especially want to get chunks of skin cut out needlessly, but I don't mind in the least having them removed for things like this. Less to worry about. So we'll see what the dermatologist says.

She warned me they were backed up a month or so right now. I went right upstairs to make the appointment, where the lady at the counter very courteously warned me again that they were backed up. I've been told the mole is likely not a concern; I'll survive the delay. My appointment is for May 14, so a whole week less than a month. And walking up turned out to be a very good idea - they gave me all the paperwork I'd need to fill out, so that instead of filling it out then whilst everyone waits on me, I can fill it out and bring it back with me then.

Oh, and as a minor aside, the latest attempt to alter my diet to improve my cholesterol is having an impact. It'll be most of a year before my next cholesterol screening, so I don't know if it's having an impact there, but I'm shedding weight again. At this point, I'm just sort of bemused, as it's not my goal but I'm also not near to being underweight, nor is it rapid enough to worry me. I only hope the cholesterol levels are dropping as well. :P

( Apparently I'm a Grammar God. Given my tendency to spontaneously correct things if I'm not watching myself, and spell-check as I read, is anyone really surprised? )

Alta.

I have Mercedes' Lackey's Alta in my hands, and I'm more than halfway through. And I am hoping I will be able to make myself stop and go to bed! This is the same glorious world as Joust, the same main character, but that....

...that was an adventure and an intro, and this is the meat. This is not merely a continuation of that story, though it is that. It is a deepening of it, a strengthening of it, and somewhere along the way this book got its hands on an editor. Or I'm just besotted. The continuity errors in Joust got my attention on the first read-through, where normally I miss such errors. I haven't spotted any yet in Alta. Doesn't mean they don't exist, does mean they're not as obnoxiously in-your-face.

She has really thought this world out, really detailed things, has reasons and reactions, thoughts and knowledge to share.... This world exists, and I want to see more of it. I don't want this book to end. I sincerely hope the story doesn't end when the book does, even if that will leave me impatient for the next one. So far, it's amazing.

I don't want to go to bed. :P