Another Sunday morning

I keep telling myself I'm going to take Sundays off the computer and just read, or putter, or something else. This is the third Sunday since I decided to be computer free that I haven't followed through.

Here's what's on my agenda today, computer-wise:

1. I'm planning our upcoming road trip to Appalachia. Originally we were going to fly into St. Louis, rent a car, drive to our endpoint in Charlottesville, VA, and fly home. That was when I'd checked airfares and car rentals; you get penalized with a car when you don't drop it off where you picked it up. Originally, St. Louis had very reasonable car rental rates, and that was why we made one-way plane reservations to that city. But yesterday, when I'd planned each of our 12 days - activities and lodging and mileage calculations - I went to reserve the car and found the rate had increased from $400 to $1200! Too, too much, I decided. So I spend a few hours rerouting us for a round trip into and out of St. Louis. That meant changing reservations and motels and B&Bs and finding other Evergreen Club people for the dates we needed. EC is an online club we belong to where you stay with other empty nesters, getting a bed and breakfast for $15, plus good conversation and maybe a Dutch treat dinner out. I've heard back from Evergreen Clubbers in two of the five cities we've requested, so I'm getting there. By later on today, hopefully, I'll have enough positive responses to make the reservations for the car and the return flight from St. Louis. We'll get four extra days of exploration for about $500 less.

We're traveling in April because our Ecuador home exchange partners will be in our house for ten days to attend their daughter's wedding. Otherwise we'd be staying home. Our days are getting longer, and the darkness is much harder for me to deal with than the rain and wind we often get in March.

2. I've signed up to take an online course called Living Well with Chronic Conditions. I'd heard about a volunteer opportunity to teach the class, but the signup person told me they prefer trainers who have already taken the class. At present the only chronic condition I have is tingling feet from nerves in my back that got compressed last May when I sat down wrong in a chair. (I don't count cataracts, since I'm having one of them removed on April 3.) Still, I'm expecting to learn from the class - particularly about adapting my attitude to my less-than-perfect body. It's a six-week class, online, starting each Sunday.

3. I've committed to blog at least one day a week, and it's been a week.

Otherwise, I've got other things going on today off the computer.

4. Making a list of the places I could have lost my credit card this week. I noticed yesterday it wasn't in my wallet. Olive Garden on Tuesday is the last place I remember using it. But I'll call around this afternoon to other places I've been. I lose my card from time to time, and I always find it. In the meantime, I check online every day to make sure it's not being used by anyone else.

5. Four loads of laundry.

6. One trip to the gym.

7. If I find an hour, I'd like to lie down and finish "The Hunger Games". Originally written for teen readers, this one is being picked up by grownups as well. I hear it's been made into a movie opening very soon. I'd always prefer to read a book rather than see a movie. This one is really engrossing - I stayed up until 1:30 a.m. this morning reading it.

I feel bad when I don't get around to my blogging community during the week. That's the last computer activity for today.