I suppose it was inevitable...

For the first time ever, I was stood up by a client tonight. The event was already booked and an additional reader hired. I got to the location and was told by the client that we weren't needed anymore to do palm and tarot readings. I don't believe it's just me when I think that she could have let me know in advance by returning the phone message left with her sister yesterday, even if she didn't receive the 2 confirmation emails send previous to that.

Oh, well - A couple hundred dollars I'm out of pocket, not to mention the hours put in. Time for a policy change. From here on in I guess I'll have to take a non-refundable deposit for private parties and events where another reader is also booked.

How Long Can the Construction Noise Continue?

The best laid plans of mice and men...

After the scaffolding came down, I thought for sure the construction noise would quiet down for awhile. No such luck. They're still at it with concrete saws, sledgehammers, and other heavy machinery. Until the noise level gets down to a reasonable volume, there will still be delays on correspondence and website updates.

Back to Work II

So it's taking longer to catch up on correspondence and website work than originally thought. For the last 4 days we've had heavy machinery right outside our door. 4 days of backhoes and bulldozers, and at least 1 more day to go. Too loud to hear myself think...

Months More of Work Delays Ahead

The ongoing construction/restoration work here has become far too disruptive to continue attempting to keep up with writing and blog posts. Monday through Friday is pretty constant noise and dust now, which makes it impossible to think clearly for long or get any regular work done.

I've already had to stop teaching private students here because of all the construction work, and will not be doing any hand readings at my home until this is all done. No new students will be able to start the Holistic Cheirology course until then either. Working at other locations is no problem, so I am still available for corporate events and private parties. My tai chi classes for seniors are also happening Tuesday mornings at the Guildford Recreation Center in Surrey.

All the construction work is scheduled for completion sometime this Spring, so expect very few new blog posts or website updates until late March or April.

Broken Fingernails and Bleeding Cuticles

I've been more than a tad reclusive again lately, having very little contact with anyone except family, clients and students. Lots happening, but mostly just keeping to myself and not writing much at all. I seem to do this from time to time when something big is coming up that will require a lot of my energy, effort, and clear thinking. (That plus getting worn down by all the construction/restoration work that's still going on outside right where my patio and tranquil garden used to be. Today they're removing our windows again to finish the installation.)

One thing I noticed was that just before becoming reclusive again, ALL my fingernails broke and the cuticles on most of them began bleeding. In hand analysis that's a strong indication of exhaustion, hypercritical thinking, and the need to take a break and "recharge the batteries". It also shows that effort is being wasted trying to hide the exhaustion from others - They see it easily anyway.

My fingernails kept breaking short until last week, and the bleeding cuticles are finally looking better. Sure enough, now I'm getting back to writing and socializing again.

Where Does the Time Go?

Seems like the last blog post was just written yesterday. So much going on these days it's hard to keep up with it all. Then to top it all off the construction here has been terrible the past 3 days - We've had to keep going out to get away from the noise and vibration. This building renovation project is expected to continue through the Winter, but hopefully we'll have quieter days again.

Caught a Virus

Somehow wound up with a worm virus in my computer. Don't know yet how it got there in the first place, or how much damage it did before it was caught and repaired. So far everything is back and seems to be working fine (knock on wood)...

Another Day of Work Disruptions

Construction noise here almost non-stop today as the remaining outer walls were removed. This is the view out our patio window onto what used to be a tranquil nature scene:

At least I was gone out for most of the morning teaching tai chi...

Update on Work Disruptions

Plenty of noise and disruptions today - Hammering and vibrations as workmen replace more rotten wood. These pictures may give you an idea of what it's like here right now.

Our patio and back door from the outside - That trench is 4 feet deep.

Looking out at what used to be my tranquil nature scene.

Palmistry Books - Don't Believe Everything You Read

One of the biggest problems in getting palmistry more recognized and established as a science rather than a pseudoscience is due to book publishers, the content they select for publication, and their methods of promotion. A lot of questionable content is readily available on the market, and being promoted quite effectively.

Book publishers are concerned with what they can sell, not with ensuring accuracy of all printed material. This means that as long as they can move enough copies it really doesn't matter to them whether or not the content is truly accurate, or just more examples of the Forer Effect and subjective validation passed off as fact.

For example, I received an email from a book publisher promoting a newly revised palmistry book. (Times have sure changed - Publishers used to send me free copies...) Their email and press release state that it's a "book regarded as the standard in the art of palmistry" and "widely regarded as the definitive guide to palmistry". Well, I suppose those quotes are true inside their own publishing house at least!

Work Disruptions Continue

It's amazing how quickly noise sensitivity developed from the renovations happening to our home. The outer stucco and walls had to be completely removed, and about the only way to do that is with a circular saw, hammer and crowbar. The noise and vibration inside have been rather intense this week - Even when it's quiet while the workers take a break, it's like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I'm so glad for the meditation training I've done - Can't even imagine how I could have continued working during this noise otherwise. (Surprisingly, my hands are still very steady while the construction goes on, with no tremors or finger twitches.) It will certainly be nice when the renovation work is all finished.

Website Outage Today

The HumanHand.com website and simian line forum are currently unavailable due to a server issue. At this time it is still unknown how long the outage will last.