Playing Computer Games Angers the Carpal Tunnel Gods
Life updates, words, and general chit chat from the week
What I’ve Been Up To
Now that I’m gearing up to teach two classes (in person!) in the Fall, I am re-adjusting to spending time around large groups of people who expect me to talk at them. The words “local woman is very tired” are on a loop in my brain.
Writing/Work
The Fall Semester is fast approaching, and I’m hard at work prepping for the two classes I’ll be teaching. It’s a one credit course that I’ll teach two sections of on one day, so in theory it’s not too much work. But I supervise a graduate assistant for each section, which means meeting with them and making sure they’re good to go before our classes start.
I’m also putting in slightly more hours at the part-time gig as we prep for the semester on the Student Affairs side of things. That and the handful of freelance projects I’ve got have actually been keeping me relatively busy this last week or so, which is a nice change from having too little to do while worrying about how to find more (paid) things to do.
General Life Stuff
Not too much to report, life-wise. A pretty standard week in which my body has been mildly to moderately angry about… desk time, I guess? Unclear. My bad shoulder is acting up and so is my carpal tunnel (more on that later), but such is being a chronically ill 31-year-old woman, I guess.
Current Obsessions
TV
I’m getting excited about a new season of Great British Bake Off. I know folks were less than thrilled with the last season, but personally, I still enjoy the show. Now that they’ve replaced less-than-stellar host Matt Lucas, I’m excited to see how that changes the vibe. (I never felt he was a good fit, a sentiment shared by many if the reaction to his departure is any indication).
Food
Convinced my husband to take me to Red Lobster for dinner the other night. Say what you will about chain restaurants, etc etc, but I love those cheddar bay biscuits.
I grew up in the suburbs where chains were pretty much what we had back in the day. So, I like a nice nostalgic visit to a place my child self deemed so fancy, it could only be for special occasions. Such as a Friday night when you don’t feel like cooking, apparently.
Gaming
Back to the carpal tunnel. I’m still obsessed with Lemon Cake, but am suffering the consequences in the form of a resurgence of carpal tunnel. There was once a time when I was only on my computer at work, but now, I transition from day work to afternoon work to my night job as the owner of a cozy bakery. My wrists do not like using the keyboard for gaming purposes, so I may have to either take a break or look into some more ergonomic options.
On the bright side, my husband has now seen my carpal tunnel brace from college, when I had my first flare up. So, that’s fun for him. (Will it garner the sympathy I need to convince him to buy me a PS5? Time will tell).
Words on the Web
Another slower week for me, writing-wise, as I’ve been focusing time and attention on prepping to teach and on a bigger writing project I’m not ready to talk about just yet.
But I did manage to get out one personal essay, in which I explore my childhood love of the Tennyson poem “The Lady of Shalott.”
And that’s pretty much it for this week, friends. Let me know what you’ve been obsessed with this week!
Great post! Many thoughts.
I don't get the chain restaurant hate. They're fine. Cheddar bay biscuits are a top shelf appetizer, period.
I think I have mild, undiagnosed carpal tunnel. I have a brace I wear when it flares up. Hazard of being on a computer 50+ hours a week. My ergonomics are much better these days, but in my 20s I was stupid and worked on a laptop way too much. But the best remedy in my experience is a brand-new gaming console. Feel free to use this as a doctor's note.
Super intrigued about the writing project you teased!