I was just going to write off August and try to start over in September, but I thought I’d give one last entry a shot before the month fades away. It’s not that it was a horrible month, but we had some family issues that took up time and worry and any desire to interact. Things are starting to look better now, so I’m hopeful again. You know me, ever the optimist.

Here’s some good news: The Boss has decided (after twelve years) that I’m worthy of a company gas card. For some reason the oil company sent us an extra card, and he wanted me to have it. So now I don’t have to worry about whether gas prices are going up or down. All I have to worry about is changing to a new gas station, which (as you probably can guess) was traumatic for me. I don’t like change, and I worried myself to a frazzle whenever I thought about using the new card. Luckily, there was a free pump at the back of the station, away from prying eyes, so I could relax and figure out the difference in how to make it work.

Here’s some bad news: I stubbed my toe on the corner of the treadmill Friday night, and I haven’t been walking very well for the rest of the weekend. It’s a good thing I have three days off, so I don’t have to put shoes on until Tuesday. I did get to the post office yesterday, but I parked closer than usual and limped gingerly to my mailbox and back. The only other time I did any walking was to the end of my drive to get my personal mail. Other than that, I’ve done a lot of sitting this weekend. Not that I don’t do a lot of sitting every weekend, but this was enforced. I am feeling better tonight, but I’m not ready to get on the treadmill again yet. I’m walking very carefully around it, though.

I’m currently reading a real paper book (along with two Kindle books). I have so many books on so many shelves all around my house that I feel obligated to read one every so often. I have to say, it feels weird, actually turning the pages. I need two hands to hold the book open while I read, and there’s no button to change the font size so I can see it better. I find I’m not nostalgic for paper books at all, now that I’m doing most of my reading on Kindle. It’s ergonomically superior. When reading the paper book, I slipped back into old habits, counting pages and seeing how many I had to go. With Kindle, I just look at the status bar to see how far along I am.

By the way, I guess we need to use the retro term “paper book” to differentiate what I’m reading from a Kindle book. It’s one of those phrases that just a few years ago wouldn’t have seemed necessary, like “rotary phone,” or “analog watch.” Or “American car.” Or “soft taco.”