My Cluttered Desktop W4 May 2017

What’s on my Cluttered Desktop this W4 May 2017?

It’s spring here, after a long winter we’re more than happy to be outside. Spring yard cleaning is approximately 6-8 weeks of 12 hour hard labor days. This is an exhausting task, done while the gardens are in full bloom so at least it’s enjoyable. As tired as I might be, enjoying the spring blooms is while working is more than enjoyable. This week the lilac scent was so thick that it was a bit overwhelming.

Our weather seems to be perfect for plants, the gardens are flush with new growth. Lilacs, lily of the valley, and bleeding hearts are in full bloom; the scent is almost overwhelming. The flower gardens have matured; perennials have grown to the point where they need division.

While raking, digging, and transplanting my thoughts are with various things going on like:

Why do my feet, or heels, hurt as much as they do?

It’s no surprise to find a search or two relating to heel pain when dorsiflexing¹ (lifting toes to the sky). At one time I suffered tendonitis around the arch of my foot due to repetitive motion. This pain is completely different in that the heel pain is quick, sharp, and it’s over. Thankfully this isn’t a radiating pain, just a quick fleeting pain.

I’ve been concerned about my Achilles tendon, thankfully the symptoms of sharp pain mixed with loss of strength² don’t apply. Achilles tendon issues seem to be related to pushing off or flexing down, called plantar flexion³.

WebMd.com describes Achilles tendon pain to be:

• Achilles tendinopathy
  • Include swelling in the ankle area and mild or severe pain. The pain may come on gradually or may only occur when you walk or run. You may have less strength and range of movement in the ankle.
• Achilles tendon rupture
  • Symptoms may include a sudden, sharp pain. Most people feel or hear a pop at the same time. Swelling and bruising may occur. You may not be able to point your foot down or stand on your toes.

These are not my symptoms at all, which is exciting for me. There hasn’t been swelling or heat and gets better when walking or running. I haven’t lost strength and have no issue pointing my toes down.

Foot.com⁴ describes the two typical types of Plantar Fascitis heel pain to be:

• Over-use Injury
  • Soreness resulting from too much impact on a specific area of the foot often refers to “heel pain syndrome.” The syndrome can be caused by shoes with heels that are too low, a thinned out fat pad in the heel area, or from a sudden increase in activity.
• Biomechanical
  • Over-pronation (flat feet or ankle collapse), for example, can lead to Plantar fasciitis, a very common diagnosis of heel pain. is usually caused The plantar fascia is a broad band of fibrous tissue that runs along the bottom surface of the foot, from the heel through the midfoot and into the forefoot. Over-pronation can cause the plantar fascia to be excessively stretched and inflamed, resulting in pain in the heel and arch areas of the foot. Pain will be most intense first thing in the morning or after a prolonged period of rest. The pain will gradually subside as the day progresses.
    

I’ve been rather lazy and using slip on shoes, or pushing the back of my shoes down when I slide into them. Doing this makes it easier to slip in and out of my shoes when going in or out of the house. It isn’t a chronic situation, I’ve gone on a few 5 miles walks with slip on shoes. Walking without heel support most likely caused the issue. I’ve worn laced shoes for a week which seems to have improved things a bit.

I’ve experience foot pain after long days in flip flops, my feet obviously like shoes with heel support. My toes don’t like to aid with the act of keeping my shoes on.

We needed some means of entertainment at camp; my spouse voted for satellite television, I voted Internet and streaming TV.  The startup cost for TV includes; satellite antenna, installation, and the TV service subscription. My choice was connecting to the internet, then streaming TV through on of the many services we have. Internet connectivity was as easy as creating a hotspot on a phone; no installation required.  We’re trying this out before making a larger, more expensive fix.

With the decision to stream TV through various services, the next step was researching the best means for streaming services directly to our television. We could connect through a laptop but tying up a laptop isn’t optimal.

With Amazon TV, Xfinity, and Netflix; we didn’t need another service provider, we only needed internet access to connect to what we already had.

While researching the best means to steam, FireTv or FireStick caught my attention. When shopping I was told that the Fire technology was being phased out. I’m not sure if that’s the truth or if the salesman tricked me, either way the Roku seems like a good fit. TechforLuddits has an excellent comparison of streaming TV options⁵.

Don’t buy a beta max when VHS was about to run the show, why we went with Roku over Fire.

We may need to look into options as you aren’t able to stream Xfinity with the Roku unless you are on your home network. I’ve discovered that mirroring (shows what is on the device screen) or casting (puts on thing on screen while you use the device on other projects) from PC/Android screens to a TV is as simple as pushing a few buttons on the device.

My desktip will most likely we become a bit busier now that all my time isn’t being spent in the gardens. The last few weeks have been extremely busy. What about you, what’s strewn across your busy desktop this week?

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