And picking up...

In at work after a successful checkup.

My weight is STILL at its lowest point in 10 years or so. I had thought back in May the lower weight was because I wasn't eating as much because of the ongoing stomach problems. And I thought I looked less "skinny" (FSVO "skinny") than I had back in May. But maybe it's actually that the changed-up exercise plan is actually doing some good....I haven't been exactly careful in how I've eaten these past few weeks. (Then again, "Careless" for me is probably "careful" for some people....I don't eat fast food, I don't overdo it on red meat, I don't eat that many sweets even if I do like cupcakes and the like....). Doctor was happy to hear I'm now on a probiotic and it sounds like she takes the same kind as I do. And she also brought up a side benefit I hadn't even contemplated. I'll preserve my gentle readers' sensibilities but it has to do with having female anatomy and the thing containing Lactobacillus and of course that makes sense to me now. Blood pressure was too high in the office but it always is. And I don't need a referral for a dermatologist; she recommended someone here in town but said I can just make the appointment myself when I want to.

And now I can smell the doctor's-office antiseptic on me; it gets into your clothes. And yes, I am that sensitive to smells. (I think of my parents' old cats, and how when one or both would go to the vet, when they got home and the other cat smelled the vet-smell on them, they'd hiss.)

And now I feel like I can indulge just a tiny bit more. I might bake later this week....

Also came in to an abashed e-mail from someone in the computer services department. Apparently he was under the impression "no one" was using SPSS because of lack of feedback on it.

Um, maybe that's because it WORKS and we can get on with our bad selves about it without needing help? Am not sure I like this new auto-dealership world where we have to rank everything "excellent!!!!11!!!" in order for people to feel like it works.

The upshot, though, is that he's been barraged by people who are angry it's going away.....so an effort is going to be made to keep it. Apparently the money ($6500) can be found.

So that's a relief. And you know what? Suddenly, learning R looks that much more attractive to me. Because it's now a fun challenge instead of something I will desperately need in the coming months.

Yes, that's how perverse my brain is: "Unnecessary knowledge? Hey, great! Let's grab some of that!" but "THIS IS SOMETHING I NEED TO MAKE THINGS WORK, HOWEVER BADLY, IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS: WOE AND DOOM."

At least I'm less likely to give myself a mental block about it now. (Also, what little I read while waiting at the doctor's, it really looks like R is not that much harder than the old line-command SAS I learned back in grad school was, and I managed with that fine. So, R ahoy or whatever.)