My headache just kept getting worse and worse, so I stayed home on Friday to sleep in and hope it would get better. Around 11am I was lying in bed fretfully, still overcome by headache and thinking that I really ought to call the doctor if only I could successfully stand up -- and suddenly it occured to me that I had actually had a headache like this once in the past, and when I was taken to the doctor (this was my junior year of high school) he diagnosed it as caffeine withdrawal (I was stage managing a show and wasn't eating/drinking regularly) and told me to go have a Coke. Which I did, and immediately felt better. Working on that theory, I pulled myself painfully out of bed, grabbed a bottle of frappucino from the kitchen, and went back to bed. I drank it slowly while lying in bed, petting the kitten as he ran back and forth across my chest. And do you know what? Within an hour I was just fine. Embarassed, but my headache was gone.

I really need to do something about this caffeine addiction at some point. But right now I'm just relieved. And to make things even better, after dinner Friday night my perpetually upset stomach went away. So I was hale and sound for the weekend, if a bit tired, and continue hale and sound today, although even more tired from staying up too late last night.

I've been thinking about cooking again. It would be a good thing to do more of, I think. I love the idea of cooking in theory, but so rarely want to actually do it. For the New Year I think I will try to get all of the food aspects of my life in order -- the kitchen cleaned up and easy to use, more cooking more regularly, eating regular meals, keeping fresh food on hand and using it before it goes bad -- that sort of thing. All easy to do if I just put my mind to it, and I guess right now I feel like I've sorted out some of the other pressing things (like clothing) sufficiently to turn my attention to sorting out food and cooking. I think last year I remember talking to Moria about this, and how I just wasn't ready to deal with all the food things yet. Maybe now I am. And if I give it a try and can't manage it -- well, that's okay too.

Since I'm speaking of food I'll mention that for lunch I had an apple and some organic four-grain oatmeal with honey. Not exciting, but satisfying. I'd meant to bring the leftovers of the oayko-don I had on Saturday, but forgot. Forgetting happens a lot around food; it's one reason that organising the food aspects of my life is a major undertaking.

If you choose to always screw the other person before they can screw you -- for goodness sake, when will you rest? As it says, complete security is never guaranteed to us. All one can do is make the leap of faith, assuming that if it fails one can pick up the pieces and try again.

But never mind that little offshoot, which comes from a combination of reading 17th century writings on international law and old entries in a friend's journal. I'm still at work, nearing 5pm, with my wrists getting tired, my shoulders being tense, and my mood surprisingly cheerful for a day in which I really didn't get much done. Really, the only thing to get done right now is to go over this printout of SQLServer stuff with the SQLServer book and come to some understanding of it, and I just can't quite manage to get myself to do it. I've made a few stabs in that direction, but always come back to flicking. Once it's 5ish I suspect I will go home, possibly making a quick jaunt to the library first -- but I think I want to save the library for tomorrow. Tonight Jim and I are going shopping for winter clothes in the hopes that I can manage not to freeze to death on vacation this year. We are going to Oklahoma and Chicago to see various family, and then to Tahoe for an amazing millenium celebration organised by Harold. Much warm clothing is required!

And -- time to run.