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My name is Adrienne. I'm 57 years old. I'm a Technical Services Librarian (that is, I work in the back processing books and maintaining the computer system) at a small college in Illinois. I have two cats, Zara and Mimi, who don't get along very well, leading to "Kitty Drama" LJ posts :)

I'm from the Chicago area originally (Evanston for those who know the area).

I previously was a technical writer in Silicon Valley. That could be a long essay in and of itself. I liked the work, but there was way too much of it and a lot of pressure. When I became sick with schizoaffective disorder, I was no longer able to do my job, so I left and got a Master's Degree in Library Science.

I have no siblings or cousins. My mom lives in the Detroit area and my dad moved to Nevada. I'm single (divorced). I'm bi, but it's a moot point right now living in a small town.

I wrote the above before the pandemic. Now I'm spending a lot of time armchair traveling. I'm about 13 years out from retirement, so I have a list of places to check out, but, of course, can't travel right now. I'm looking at camping as a COVID-friendly way to travel. The first major trip on my list when I can travel is Eastern Tennessee, and I want to do some hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains. I'm hoping to squeeze in some hiking and camping trips in Illinois this fall, COVID permitting.

I've been lucky during the pandemic because I still have a job, working from home. Our college is planning on-site classes this fall. We'll see how that goes.

My journal is about half friends-only and half not. I lock down posts in which I talk about work, which is frequently lately.

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Well, this was a quick walk. Bella wanted to play but Gracie didn’t, so she decided to come inside.

Turned the dryer on but forgot it was on the dewrinkle setting, so I’m going to take my shower at lunch after the clothes are dry. Napped a little.

Bella and Gracie swapped food again. Clearly the other one is getting the better food.

Napped over lunch. I had to remove Gracie because she and Bella were squabbling over the lamb toy. (Bella is more restful to sleep with.)

We were let out of work early for the holiday weekend. Popped into the shower.

My therapist wants me to ask my psychiatrist about my feeling lethargic. And she wants me to talk to my primary physician about a CPAP. (I had gotten one, but that was right when my mom died, and I couldn't deal with it.) We also talked about my going to the Unitarian Church, and she said that I just needed to ask a few questions and let people talk. We commiserated about the time of the church service though--10:30 on Sunday. My therapist said that she isn't dressed before noon, and I agreed with that statement. She also said to look for evening events held by the church.

I fell down a rabbit hole trying to find out when I created my Gmail account. I finally found the answer through trial and error.

Fed us all. Bella was trying to "forget" that she’s not supposed to eat the cats’ food. I told her that nothing had changed even though we now have Gracie.

Hmm. I’m wondering if I should get a “dog backpack” so that Bella could carry her own food when we camp.

Dozed lightly. The dogs are crashed out.

I’m thinking that I should get ready for bed and go to sleep early. I want to get outside to weed in the morning. Do I want to go to the fireworks show in Champaign tomorrow? Parking will be a bitch. No, I should stay home with the dogs and cats because they won't like the noise.

Got my ReMarkable tablet set up and planner pages loaded. I think that it will be a help.

Bella knocked into my laptop and the track ball went who-knows-where. I went into Zara's room to grab the trackball there. She seems to be feeling much better, is staying visible, and was loving me up. Good to see.

I should feed the beasts and go to sleep.

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Gracie, beauty consultant to the stars, is giving me the coveted dog-saliva facial. Ask your consultant about it today!

Woke up at 6 AM. My stomach is upset. I think that I’ll skip the dog training class tonight.

I'm feeling like crying for no good reason. I need to go downstairs to take my meds. I had a dream about how I was going to lose my job, but it was a different job. Honestly, I'm feeling at the end of my rope.

Okay, I got more caught up at work and feel a little better.

Gracie's spay is going to cost a lot. Oh well.

Oh, my antibiotic was delivered. So I just need to run out tonight and get the yogurt. Gracie was thrilled when I took her out to get the mail. so I need to take her for a walk. They seem to be getting a lot of exercise wrestling though! Bella is a tired pup! I placed an order for the yogurt (and some cat food).

I introduced Gracie to the neighbor. Gracie was barking, and I told her to stop, and he said that it was okay, dogs bark. He thought that she was a nice pup.

Oops, I missed a meeting at work.

I got my tablet. I have a lot that I want to get done this weekend, so maybe I should set it up tonight. I also need to set up the new laptop.

I got the estimate for the garage. It was around what I expected (around $25,000). So I think that I'll call him back on Monday and say "okay".

I found an antitheft purse on Magellan's site in which the tablet will probably fit. I need to measure it to be sure. I found a travel bag with pockets for a water bottle AND an umbrella, so I’ll probably get that instead.

Fed us all. Got the recycling out. I’ve got the ReMarkable Paper Pro charging. I’m not sure what to do now. I guess that I’ll post. I need to stay up until my grocery order comes a little after 9 PM.

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I went back to sleep this morning. So tired.

I think that Gracie is teaching Bella to bark. She’s small but feisty. I think that she’s the "top dog" of the pack despite her size!

I’m having the antibiotic delivered. I just need to buy some probiotic yogurt.

Gracie had her first vet appointment. She was pronounced healthy and "stinking cute". They think that she might be part beagle; in which case, she might not get much larger than she is now. They think that she's six-to-eight months old because her adult teeth are in. We have an appointment to get her spayed in two weeks. Bella had to give Gracie the once-over :)

I'm wondering if I should get a reMARKable tablet and electronic planner. It would be great to store notes there. It would be great for trips. Maybe I'll check it out at Best Buy tonight. Well, no I'm not going to return the shoes tonight. I'm going to practice dog training stuff with Bella. But Amazon has it on sale with a leather cover for the same price as it's at Best Buy without one, so I'll probably get it. Now I’m looking for a purse that will hold the tablet.

Took a short nap. The dogs are flaked out.

Work is being a pain. Some of my files are now read-only, and I needed to edit them. Sigh. Then Access was being temperamental. I hate Annual Stats time. And people were bugging me about getting things done even though I had computer issues. I was posting my status! Leave me alone!

Bella had a roll of toilet paper that she’s shredding, and Gracie is trying to get it away from her. I don’t approve of shredded toilet paper, but the tug-of-war is kind of funny. Oh, and Bella stole Gracie’s lamb toy.

Hmm. I’m thinking of getting up early to work with Bella on dog training stuff. I’m tired and cranky right now and need my patience. I guess that I’ll feed everyone now (done), get the garbage out (done), and post my data to the Web.

Hmm. The Gracie Project might be backfiring. Bella is trying to play with Oliver as if he was Gracie, and he doesn’t like it.

I’m looking into farm stands here. There’s a place that sells different types of cheeses, and I’m looking at a fresh baguette, cheese, and honey combo. And you can volunteer to feed baby goats! Oh! They have a CSA where you can get fresh bread and cheese weekly! I’m so there! There also is a farmers’ market nearby on Saturdays and a little farther away on Tuesdays. I should stop by.

I ordered a ceiling fan for the bedroom. Oh, and I got the new cool bedding, but I might wait until tomorrow to put it on.

I’m crazy tired, so I’m going to post and go to bed. I should have time on the morning to post my data as well as work with Bella.

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Joshua Bell is playing in Chicago on August 6th. I'd like to attend the concert, but it’s the middle of the week so no can do.

I separated Bella and the pup. They were being manic, wrestling.

I think that I want to go back to sleep for an hour. I can return the shoes at 5:30 PM if I leave right away.

Bella was getting overexcited and was barking at the pup, so I brought them in early.

Hmm. Bella has gotten used to the ceiling fan in the kitchen, so maybe I could replace the one in the bedroom.

I really want to go back to sleep, but I should shower. Oh, I’ll shower at lunchtime. I need to sleep.

The puppy is tiring Bella out. She’s crashed on the bathroom floor. Oliver is giving himself a bath. Now he's asleep too. I think that the pup is tiring me out too :)

The puppy likes diet cola. Strange pup.

Hmm. The money from my mom's life insurance isn't in the trust. It's a lot of money to be "missing".

I'm still so freaking tired. The doctor says that I have a UTI and is calling in an antibiotic. I'm looking for probiotic yogurt.

I'm going around in circles with Marriott. They say "we're here to help", but they are making it very hard to get a copy of my bill.

I'm going to lie down after work.

I have a vet appointment for Gracie tomorrow morning. I booked a massage on Saturday and a pedicure the following Saturday. Silence from the garage guy.

Crazy dogs are crazy. I'm glad that they're happy. Booted them out of the bedroom. I have Oliver on my lap instead. He’s much more low-key. (Though he used to be manic too, but he’s growing up. He and Lily probably had a birthday around now. Yeah, June and May respectively.)

Overslept my nap. Bella is chewing on Oliver.

The grass was wet outside. They’re predicting more rain overnight. Bella and Gracie were barking at nothing in particular, so I hustled them back in. Fed us all.

The puppy was looking up the stairs and crying. Cat up there?

I should get to bed soon and get up early to return the shoes.

Sandals

Jun. 29th, 2025 08:19 pm
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I evicted Bella and Gracie from the bedroom because they wanted to wrestle and I wanted to go to sleep.

Woke up a little before 7 AM. The puppy was missing her collar, so I put the slip-knot leash on her. We have a problem in that the puppy wants to go in before Bella has done her business, and Bella comes in. I found Gracie’s collar, and it is intact. I think that I’ll order an extra one just in case. I also ordered personalized collars for Gracie and Bella. Crud. The collar is sold out at PetSmart, so I ordered one from Chewy along with puppy food to get free shipping.

Bella is barking more. Protecting the puppy?

Cats: we’re hungry! (Fed them.) Bella ate Gracie’s food. Gracie ate Bella’s food. At least, everyone is fed. Nap time. Bella and Gracie are wrestling, and Oliver is looking at them in total alarm.

Hell. Someone (Gracie?) chewed off the charger for my Apple Watch. I bought a bunch of chargers for same-day delivery.

I shut Bella out because she and Gracie were wrestling. The puppy let me sleep. She’s crashed out.

Took Bella and Gracie out. Wow, it’s a hot day. The heat index is 93F/34C. Should we stay in? I really need to weed and plant things though. Hmm, they’re saying possible thunderstorms. Maybe we will stay in. I have plenty to do inside. Anyway, it’s lunchtime. I need to drink water. I’m falling behind on that.

Got a cat food can away from Bella. Oliver knocked them over, and I must have missed one picking them up.

Now they’re saying no storms, so I need to water the plants at the very least.

Treated Zara’s ears. She hissed at me.

The clock got chewed up too. Sigh.

Oliver is out cold. He is breathing though, so I guess that he’s okay. Bella and Gracie are wrestling though and making noise.

I’m going to take another short nap. It’s been an eventful weekend. Gracie is crashed out on the dog bed.

Oh! The clock is working! The outlet was turned off. I ordered another one, but I think that I’ll keep it as a backup. Alarm clocks are important.

Realized that I didn’t take my meds. Got up, and the puppy followed me. Bella came into the bedroom while we were gone. Bella is letting the puppy chew on her. I told Gracie that she’s perfect, and she covered my face with puppy kisses.

Oh fuck. I forgot to book a singing lesson for today.

Oliver is on my lap. It’s good to spend time with my little boy.

Opened up some boxes and found my new sandals to try on. Also, the new bathmat looks good.

I like the Orthofeet water-friendly sandals, but not so much the slip-ons. So they go back. I saved the box just in case. The swimsuit from the Vermont Country Store looks good, so it's going to Sardinia with me along with the sandals.

Bella and Gracie are playing tug-of-war with a Lean Cuisine box.

Fed the critters and took Bella and Gracie out. Gracie barks at passersby a lot.

I’m wondering what to do now. I think that I’ll sweep the front hall. Someone, probably Bella, has shredded toilet paper there. Hmm, I need to get up early to return the shoes. They cost $200, so you better believe that I'll return it if I don't love it. So I need to go to bed soon.

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The puppy held it and peed and pooped for me outside. Excellent. She really wants out of the bathroom, and I told her that I’d let her out after Bella has done her business.

I need to wait for Gracie’s new collar to get here before staking her outside. I will feed us all and take a long nap.

I was right about Gracie being able to wiggle out of the yard though. She’ll have to go out on a leash.

Gracie is smart. She’s already figured out the stairs upstairs, which Bella has never figured out.

Fed us all, except for Bella because she hasn’t pooped yet. Bella and Gracie are playing on Bella’s bed. **Dies of the cute**

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Now Bella and Gracie are under the bed. Bella pooped in the bedroom, so I cleaned it up and shut the door while they were out of the room. Now I’m up. Gracie went into the bathroom with me, and Bella was crying. BFFs? And Bella is leaving Oliver alone, which is part of what I was trying to accomplish.

Gracie is tired and yawning. I tried to feed Bella, but Gracie is eating her food. I might need to feed them separately. I’ll take a shower in a minute while we’re waiting for Gracie’s collar to arrive. I almost forgot to eat lunch (done).

Got Gracie’s collar and leash. She’s not thrilled because Bella runs around and she wants to run after her.

Gracie has figured out how to jump on the bed. Bella is crashing out.

I’m getting tons of doggy kisses. Started to take a nap, but Bella was barking at something. Now she and Gracie are out cold.

Gracie isn’t using her bed—she prefers mine—so maybe I won’t need to get one for Oliver.

They’re up now. I need soda, but I want it delivered after dark. Okay, showered. It’s so quiet in here right now. The pup is snuggling up to me. Aww. I was napping with Gracie and Bella until I fell out of bed. That woke everyone up.

Took Bella and Gracie out. Someone left the gate open and Bella got out, but she came back in. Bella and Gracie wrestled a lot. Came back in and fed the cats. I need to go out and water the plants. Oh hell, I’ll water the plants tomorrow. I want to eat. I had Bella, Gracie, and Lily on me :)

I’m thinking of going to bed early. I’m tired! But it’s still light out! Oh wait, I have a grocery order coming at 9 PM. I'll post in the meantime.

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Oliver's been helping me sweep the bathroom floor. Yeah, he's a big help. Not.

Got up at 5 AM. I stepped in dog poop outside. Terrific. Washed the bathroom floor with Bella, Oliver, and Lily "helping".

It’s definitely cooler today.

Got the puppy paraphernalia in and the back seat of the Honda set up for the puppy (place to click her into a seatbelt and a waterproof covering for the back seat). The critters are curious about the goings on.

I need to treat Zara’s ears in a minute. Zara was hiding in the hope that I wouldn’t squirt stuff in her ears. Sorry, Zara.

Lily is bonking me. Oops. I forgot to feed them. I'll do so after my meeting.

Okay, I found a refrigerator that would work for me. But it's $2500!

It's a very quiet day at work. A lot of people are out of the office.

I have a meeting set up with one garage person and left a message at another place. Left a message with the lawyers. The lawyer got back to me and he's sending me some documents. (He was very confused by my last name :)) He sent me the documents.

The second garage guy came out. It was a little bit of a hard sell, but it sounded like he knew what he was talking about. He’ll give me a quote on Monday.

Fed us all. Washed my face before putting makeup on. My skin is looking really good.

I’m sitting here waiting for the storm to pass.

Oliver really likes the puppy bed that I bought. I’ll have to get one for him and one for Lily.

I’m in Normal now waiting for the puppy to arrive.

Back home with Gracie. Bella was checking her out and already tried to play with her. I think that she’s a hit! Oliver is a little dubious. Lily is nowhere to be found. Gracie inhaled her food.

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I think that it’s bedtime soon. I’m tired. I need to order a proper collar for Gracie. I just have a leash with a slip knot. I need to order more puppy food too.

I’m planning to get up in the middle of the night to take Gracie (and Bella) out.

Lily is staring at Gracie.

Busy Day

Jun. 26th, 2025 08:37 pm
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Woke up at 6:30 AM. Gave Zara her ear med. It’s kind of shocking to see a cooperative Zara, or at least a stoic one.

I was wondering if I’d drink more water if I had a refrigerator with a water spigot, but I can’t get everything. I’ll just drink what comes out of the tap. I’m watching for sales on refrigerators though. I wonder if there's a way to set something to automatically watch prices? I tried Google Shopping and found an open box refrigerator for a really good price. If it fits my kitchen and is still there tonight, I'll get it. Oh wait, they're in Missouri. I signed up for Discount Appliances' mailing list. It looks like Lowe's, Home Depot, and Best Buy have the best prices though.

The critters can trash the large bathroom in no time flat. Even when I get on a cleaning schedule, I need to clean it on the off weeks. Cat litter everywhere!

Bella and Oliver are attending my shower. I asked Bella if she was going to be a good girl and not chew the bath mat. Oliver is literally on my back.

The transport tomorrow is on for the puppy!

I got an answer on the sheet colors, so I'll order it (done). I read an article that highly recommended the sheets and comforter, but I don't know if it was sponsored. They give a 7-day free trial before charging your card.

I finally understood something that was confusing me at work. The person with whom I was working is brilliant and assumes that everyone can follow his logic. But now I get it. Next week, starting on the 2nd, it'll be really busy with our "annual statistics". (Our fiscal year starts on July 1.)

I have the dog and cat dishes soaking, but I want to finish what I'm working on. Fed us all and watered the outside plants.

Hmm. I’m wondering if I should go to bed early and get up early to clean the bathroom. But it’s still early. I think that I’ll take my nighttime meds and start cleaning, go to bed after my meds kick in, and get up early to finish and bring in puppy stuff. I just realized that I need to wash rags before cleaning the floor, so I’ll need to stay up for an hour. Gave Zara her ear medicine.

Scrubbed the sink, toilet, and tub. I'm going to wait a minute and post before sweeping the floor.

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I took Bella out on a leash. No possums though. Now I’m cooling off for a moment, and then I’ll give Zara her pain med. It wasn’t too hard to give her the pain med. She wasn’t thrilled, but she’s a lot easier to handle than when she was younger. (I gather that it tastes funny.)

I didn't make it to the store, but I did log on by 8:00 AM because I have the training session with Bella at 5 PM. I'll go to the store at lunchtime.

I kicked Bella out of the bathroom because she was chewing on the bath mat, leaving Oliver in with me. That was good; he got some lap time. I thought that Lily was going to be the cuddle bug, but it's Oliver. Usually Bella gets jealous. (I had to remove him from the shower stall though.)

The water reminder does seem to be working. It's reminding me on an interval, and I'm drinking.

CNN Wirecutter recommended some sheets and a comforter for cooler sleep. Given that Bella doesn't like ceiling fans, it sounds like a good idea. I'm not clear on what their colors are (maybe it's the screen on my laptop), so I emailed them my question. I suppose that I could get white sheets and a gray-striped duvet cover.

I found an attorney's office that does both estate planning and real estate law. (I'll have to transfer the house to the trust.) Note to self: Tummelson Bryan & Knox. And they're nearby!

1% raises this year from the university due to "fiscal uncertainty". Thanks a lot, Trump.

I'm eyeing Monarch Money for a financial dashboard. It supports multiple accounts and types of accounts, and costs $100 a year. This is roughly the same thing for which Mom's trust wanted to charge me $100 a month. (I said no and a few other pointed things because Mom had just died, and I had other things on my mind.)

Bella thinks that the hot dogs smell good. She was a very good girl at the training session. She didn’t stress pee and stayed calm even with all the dogs in the ring. She mastered sit and down, but did the worst job of the group at walking on a leash. Personally, I think that it was a victory even being there. I tried some of what we learned at home, and it flew out of Bella’s head. We’ll work on it.

Watered the outside plants. Fed us all. Now I need to get the recycling out (done), but I want to corral Oliver and Lily so they don’t go down in the basement. Oh, and I need to give Zara her pain meds and ear infection meds (done). She’s eating well.

I'm looking for someone to clean out the area of weeds by the storage shed/garage to be. I'm also looking for someone to pressure wash the tiny patio because I'm not going to get a new one this year.

I’m turning on the ceiling fan in the kitchen even though Bella doesn’t like it because it’s so humid in here. One more day of heat wave.

I'm beat.

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There was a young possum running across the yard, and Bella grabbed it. Apparently they die of fright when she picks them up. Bella wanted to bring it inside, but I said, “No”. And Bella didn’t get a chance to pee.

Zara was suspicious when I went in her room. I had to open the closet and pull her out, but I got her in the carrier.

I’m hungry, but I’m going to have a fasting blood test done after I drop Zara off for her dental appointment. (I had to get up early anyway….) Dropping her off took longer than I expected, given that I got there right when they opened. Got gas for the car and got my blood test done.

Tired, tired, tired.

I did find one white crabapple tree for sale, but it has to wait until the garage is built. Almost everything in the yard needs to wait until the garage is built.

It's feeling hot upstairs already, so I need to bring the laptop downstairs for the afternoon.

There are some abnormal results on my blood test and urine test. Some of it was dehydration, so I'm trying to remember to drink water (which I don't like). Hmm, I wonder if there's a way to get my Apple Watch to remind me to drink. I installed a reminder app on my phone, and it also installed it on my watch. I'm concerned about a reading that said that my platelets were small. My mother had multiple myeloma. But my platelet count was okay. The statin seems to be working; my cholesterol was within normal ranges.

Zara came through her dental procedure well, with a lot of extractions. I'll pick her up at 5:30. Picked her up with two pages of post-op instructions. She was glad to see me but got grumpy when the vet tech showed me how to give her the pain meds and ear meds. (She also has an ear infection.) The bill was almost exactly what I guessed. It was a lot but not shocking.

The plus side of getting up early is being able to feel accomplished before I even start work. But it’s 7:30 and I’m collapsing. I was going to go to the store to get hot dogs and string cheese to cut up as rewards for Bella (the training class is tomorrow night), but I just can’t. I’m going to go to bed early and get up early. The grocery store opens at 6 AM.

Got the garbage out. I still need to swap out Zara’s litter box for a clean one.

I’m resisting going upstairs to post because it’s as hot as hell today. I should bring my laptop downstairs or set up the new one. But not tonight.

The water reminder seems to be a bust. I need something that is as aggressive as my meds reminder to remind me to do it now.

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Now there’s a heat advisory through Thursday. Ugh. I guess that it gives me a lot of time to work on the house.

Ack! Bella was digging in the cats’ litter box and got litter on the clean floor. I need to dig out my stick vacuum to clean up the floor.

Okay, it’s 7:30 AM. Where are the tree guys? They’re here now.

I contacted some garage builders. I'll call them back tomorrow. I don't feel like talking to them today. So tired....

The guys are still working. I’m lying down during lunch.

I gave up and brought my laptop downstairs after my meeting. It's much more comfortable, but the tree guys are louder. I wonder when they'll be done because I need to take Bella out soon. I took Bella out on a leash, and the tree is gone! Amazing! The tree guys removed the unwanted trees from both sides of the house! That saved me a lot of work.

The yard looks totally different without the tree. It got me wondering if I wanted a small pool to take dips in. I found one on Wayfair that I like, but I’m not doing anything until the garage is built. I also want a crabapple tree, but the white ones are sold out, so I guess that I'll get one next year.

I think that I'm too tired to clean tonight. I can’t stop yawning. I’m going to go to bed after I eat dinner.

Someone knocked on the door trying to sell an alarm system. I don't want an alarm system. They do have better cameras, but it's not worth it. She's coming back on Saturday to give me a quote though. Sigh.

Still Hot

Jun. 22nd, 2025 09:07 pm
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Well, I went to bed, only to feel a cat jump on the bed. Oliver had been hiding. Then Bella jumped on the bed. I turned the light on and removed Oliver.

Woke up at 7:30 AM. Bella is watching Squirrel TV. Aww. Lily grabbed my hand and rubbed her head against it.

My back hurts. Fed us all. Now I’m going to lie down for a little while.

Had my singing lesson. It went well. I’m working on the song “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac and it’s hard. She thought that it would help me with jumps in sight reading because the song jumps around.

It occurred to me that I haven’t gotten the new web cam for piano, so I need to check on it. Also, my mom’s computer is running Windows 10, so I need to update it. I found the web cam, but I’m missing an Amazon box or bag with the leashes from yesterday. Okay, found them based on the picture that they took. We’re good. Bella is playing with the boxes and packing paper.

Had lunch. I’m going to take a nap because I didn’t have a full one this morning. Couldn’t sleep. It’s actually a little cold in here. I need to turn down the a/c.

It’s going to be an expensive week for me. Monday, the tree guy is coming. Tuesday is Zara’s dental appointment. I’ll have to get up early both days too.

I bought a bunch of compression bags for my Italy trip because I’ll need to get 12 days of clothes in my medium suitcase. I will hand-wash clothes, but still….

Started cleaning. I told Bella her new name was MessMaker. (She pulled a paper napkin off of the table and was shredding it.) Ow. One of my arthritic toes is complaining. It occurred to me to go upstairs to order a white bath mat while the acetaminophen kicked in. Fuuuuuck, it's hot upstairs. It's like a sauna. I bought the mat though and a swimsuit that was on clearance. There was something else that I wanted, but I don't remember what. Oh, I think that it was to transfer money. I can do that down here.

I was wondering where the toilet bowl brush was when Bella trotted by with it in her mouth. It took a bit of a struggle to get it away from her.

Fed us all. Watered the outside plants. My back hurts.

The large bathroom is clean except for scrubbing the floor. I’ll post, pay a bill (done), get ready for bed, start laundry, and scrub the floor so that it can dry overnight. Then I’ll go to bed. Oh, and submit a grocery order (done).

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I forgot to mention that I got my camping mattress from REI. My sleeping bag should arrive on Monday. Then I'll have to test them out. I second-guessed my choice of sleeping bag, but it has an outer polyester shell and a removable inner down bag. So I could take the down bag out for summer camping.

Lily is lying flat on the floor upstairs, stretched out. I don’t know why she is up here when it’s cooler downstairs. Hmm, Oliver was upstairs too. Keeping an eye on me?

Crud. I forgot to put clothes in the dryer, including my summer pajamas. I dug out some shorts and an “A Woman’s Place Is in the White House“ t-shirt (so much for that) to sleep in, which I can also wear for cleaning tomorrow.

Hmm. A CNN article about beating the heat suggested sleeping in the basement. Maybe I should test my camping mattress down there.

Oliver discovered the package of little cat ball toys, and he’s trying to open it.

I’m in bed, and Bella is zonked out cold in her bed.

Woke up at 8 AM. It’s already 80F/27C out. Sigh. Fed us all. Now it’s nap time. Napped, and now I feel groggy. Had lunch. A box of donuts fell down and Bella snatched one.

91F/32C now.

I’m going to nap for an hour and then get cleaning. Boy, did I zonk out. I dreamed that I was looking for a place to be buried in Urbana. Hmm. Bella is still asleep.

Oh fuck. I forgot about the garden walk today. Oh well. But it’s too hot anyway.

It is oppressively hot out (94F/34C). Crazy Bella wanted to lie in the sun. I convinced her to come in quickly though.

I’ve got the sleeping bag and the tent! The sleeping bag seems nice and cushy. I’m assuming that next weekend will be cooler so that I can practice pitching the tent. (The forecasters are predicting the high 80sF.) Maybe I’ll test the camping mattress and sleeping bag later. Oh, and I got the cooler. Bella is playing with the box that the sleeping bag came in. Now she’s bugging Oliver.

Okay, I’ve cooled off. I should get cracking on cleaning the house. I was petting Lily, and Bella was jealous. Critters :) Oliver is trying to tell me something, but I’m not sure what.

Oliver was climbing in the dishwasher. Fun with cleaning with pets. Got the clothes in the dryer.

I’m feeling shaky, so I’m making something to eat.

Hmm. Sling is advertising Queer As Folk for Pride. I always meant to see that, so maybe I’ll watch later if it’s on demand.

Bella is playing with a tug-of-war rope. She’s twirling it around.

I asked ChatGPT for women’s hiking sandals with wide widths. It recommended hiking sandals without wide widths. Sigh. Okay, the last one that they had did have a wide width, so I bought it.

Hmm. The BBC had an article about a "death cafe" in Bangkok, which asks, “Who would you talk to if it was your last night?” I don’t know the answer to that. I need to make more friends.

I have a headache. I need to feed the critters , but then I’ll lie down for a little while. Watered the outside plants while I was out with Bella. It occurred to me that I need to pull out the stake from the camping supplies because I’ll need to stake the puppy out while I work in the yard. I could put the dog pool out for her. Bella is flaked out on the kitchen floor. I’ll feed the cats and start cleaning the bathroom. Then I think that I’ll shower before bed.

I found a pair of waterproof Columbia hiking boots on sale. I checked, and I don’t have hiking boots, so I bought them. I need a taller shoe rack (ordered).

I’m feeling headachy and tired. I think that I’ll take my nighttime meds, post, and go to bed. I can clean in the morning when it’s cooler. Wow, it's hot upstairs. Work is going to suck on Monday. Maybe I'll bring my work laptop downstairs, where it's cooler. I need to get a workman to install my new air conditioner.

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On eBay, I ordered a small wheeled cooler for camping. It wasn't too expensive.

Woke up at 6:30 AM, but went back to sleep for a half-hour.

There is a heat warning for this weekend through Monday. I'm planning to stay inside and clean in the air-conditioned comfort, except for watering the plants. It'll be shorts weather.

Lily is sleeping in the window upstairs. Very cute. I really want a nap. Bella is sleeping in today. Now Lily is head-bonking me :)

I downloaded the AllTrails app on my phone. There are some trails nearby that interest me. Bella and I need to build up our stamina! I ordered a second set of a collar and leash to keep in the car in case something happens to the primary one.

Napped over lunch and overslept slightly. I think that I want a nap after work, although I need to water the plants outside.

Crud. The arthritis in my hands is flaring up. I would stop working for a while, but I'm "backup on-call" for our ticketing system, and the people with whom I work is the primary on-call, so I need to stay put. I left a half-hour early and am going to lie down. I took some acetaminophen earlier.

I would like a pair of the Orthofeet Water Friendly sandals. I can’t decide between black and leopard though. (I really would like blue, but it’s sold out.)

I got confused about what days it has been between being out sick and the holiday yesterday. I thought that I missed my singing lesson, but that’s on Sunday.

Bella wants to snuggle and get petted. I told her that my hand hurts, but she thinks that I should still pet her. These are the Dog Rules. Tried to nap but couldn’t sleep. I want to watch TV, but Bella is snoozing. I watched three episodes of The Big Bang Theory. And my hand no longer hurts.

Fed us all and watered the outside plants. I’ll need to water them every day while the heat wave is going on. It was nice taking Bella out at 8 PM and it was still light.

Now it’s 9:30 PM. I’m going to post, feed the critters, and go to bed.

Juneteenth

Jun. 19th, 2025 09:58 pm
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I booked the HipCamp. I got the tent site farthest from the road, so it should be quiet.

Got up a little before 9 AM. Manic dog is manic. Ate breakfast and now my stomach hurts. I need to feed the beasties and lie back down.

I’m trying to find the perfect pair of sandals. It’s hard because I have thick ankles.

Nap time. I’m not going to set an alarm because it’s a holiday. Bella is already crashed out. Woke up in the same amount of time that I would have taken had I set an alarm. I’m still feeling tired.

I’m looking at coolers for camping, but sheesh. Expensive.

Had lunch, and now my stomach hurts. I wish that I knew what was causing it. I’m going to lie down for a while.

Threw myself together and now I’m at the orientation for dog training. I feel okay if I don’t eat, just a little dizzy. I forgot to print off Bella’s shot records, but I had them on my phone.

I found a pair of sandals that look promising. They’re wide width by Orthofeet (ordered).

Bella is being manic. “You left! And came back! I’m so happy!”

I’m tired. I’m thinking of getting to bed early.

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Woke up with my alarm at 6 AM. Bella was being annoying this morning. She kept on going back to where I think that she found the possums and barking. If that was the right spot, the mother had moved them. (Now I think that she saw the groundhog.) I kept trying to get her out of there and she kept on going back. I finally, finally convinced her to come in.

At least, I'm clean now.

Dropped my check for the flights and one-half the registration fee off. Now it’s nap time. Oliver was on my lap and he and Bella were squabbling, and I was trying to keep the peace. Then Oliver nipped me, and I escorted him out of the bedroom. Then I realized that I was so spaced out that I didn’t put The Club on the car, so I went out and did so. NOW it’s nap time.

Now a storm is rolling in. It's a big, nasty storm. It's making me nervous. There's a tornado warning northwest of here.

I found out when the Allerton Camp for Adults is taking place this fall (October 9 - 12). But it'll take two vacation days, and I'm using up my vacation days for the Sardinia trip, so I might not be able to do it. But now I know when I can go to Pere Marquette State Park to see the fall leaves. (Note to self: weekend of October 24th) I'll book the HipCamp soon. Hmm, I should try to make a camping meal at home before going camping. I want to do a dry run of everything.

I really want to nap tonight. I'm still having dizzy spells. I'll get the recycling out and lie down.

The tree people wanted to take the tree down tomorrow, but I said that it was a holiday for me, so I'd rather have it done on Monday.

Oh cool. Music of the Baroque is still offering concerts on demand. There are at least three concerts in which I'm interested. I had been chucking their mailings out because I thought that they had ended on demand. (They're in the Chicago area.)

Chico's sent me a coupon, and they have some great dresses, some of which have petites! I usually can't wear maxi dresses because I need petites. I found two dresses that I want: "Rio" dress and Metallic dress.

Got the recycling out. Go me. (They probably won’t pick it up tomorrow because of the holiday but just in case….)

I took Bella out on a leash. She was not happy. She did bounce back enough to pick up a stick, but she did not do her business.

Fed us all. Nap time. Couldn’t sleep. I’ll go post, feed the beasts, take Bella out, and go to bed for the night. Oh, and buy the Chico’s dresses and book the HipCamp for October. Bella is fast asleep though. I hate to disturb her. She jumped on the bed, and I’ve been snuggling with her. Very cozy. I found a petite travel outfit on Magellans that I like.

Okay, I've got the cat food dishes soaking and bought the clothes. I'll wend my way towards bed. Hey, I can sleep in tomorrow!

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I confirmed that Illinois Canyon Trail at Starved Rock doesn't have stairs. It sounds like a nice hike. I need to dig out my hiking boots. Hmm, I need to get a second phone charger battery for camping. There's a limit to how much I'll rough it! I bought a travel dog bed for Bella.

It looks like Bella found another dead possum. Is she killing them? I might need to take her out on a leash at night. I’m calling her “Possum Breath”. Okay, she’s a dog and doesn’t know any better.

I was going to get ready for bed. Cats: not so fast. We didn’t get our second meal! They were right, so I fed them. Now I’m in bed.

Woke up at 8 AM. Emailed in sick. Two of the tickseeds are blooming!
tickseed3.jpg
tickseed2.jpg

We get Thursday off for Juneteenth, so I plan to do some gardening and cleaning.

Bella was digging in the back garden, so I threw a stick and distracted her. She’s busy chewing it. Now we’re inside. Bella is trying to “play” with Oliver and he gave her a swat. I told her that I speak Cat and he’s annoyed with her.

I need to check whether the lab at the hospital will be open on Thursday (Juneteenth). It would be a good time to get my blood work done.

Fed us all. My stomach hurts. Time to sleep.

Hmm, it’s going to go up to 87F today. I guess that I’ll shave my legs and put on shorts.

Bella is always up for a nap. My bed potato :) Woke up at 1PM.

I received the camping food. I want reusable grocery bags to put them in. I also received a tie-out for Bella, a lantern, and some pots. The tent should arrive on the weekend. Hmm, maybe I should save a box to also put stuff in. I’ll be "car camping".

I’m feeling better but shaky with some stomach cramps. Food should help. It did.

American Airlines flights to Reno are either early in the morning or late at night. I need to take a morning flight to get picked up in Reno by my dad. I’m wondering if I’ll need to overnight in Chicago.

Maybe I’ll take another nap. Bella was already in the bedroom ready to take a nap! Napped and woke up at 6 PM.

I’m feeling dizzy.

It’s predicted to be 93 and 95 F on the weekend. Fuck. Not great for yard work. It looks like an iris that I planted is coming up.

There are ants in my mailbox. It looks like some food spilled in there. I don’t have ant spray. I left the mail outside.

Fed us all. Ordered groceries. I’m trying to get the energy together to gather the garbage for pickup. Woah. I’m feeling dizzy.

The BBC had a video about how Cologne, Germany is sex-positive. It sounds like an interesting city that I’d like to visit.

Bella has a crinkly brown mailer. I can see the appeal. She’s now ripping it up.

I flipped through the destination guide to Greenville, SC, and it looks interesting.

Got most of the garbage out. Hot and dizzy.

I’m looking into Bark Air for when I study in Italy and France. Apparently they do take cats also.

I never did take a shower. I need to get up early to do so because I need to hand off my check to someone at work. It just occurred to me that I need to find out if I need to spell out the name of the consortium or not.

It's oppressively hot upstairs. And Lily wants to snuggle.

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Now I can’t sleep. I got up and took my nighttime meds. Slept a while and overslept. Got up and emailed work. Exchanged emails with my boss. Said that I would be out sick.

Poor Bella is out cold. I told her that she could sleep last night and didn’t need to get up when I was up, but she stayed up late with me.

Slept for a while. It’s dark and slightly rainy out. I had to turn the lights on. Now it’s pouring. Bella and I came in just in time. Fed us all.

I saved an article about ticks because that’s what worries me the most about camping and hiking. I need to buy some "Off". I think that Bella’s flea meds also work on ticks. Ordered a camping lantern.

Good. The people at the conference are in the process of finding a new moderator, so everything is being taken care of. Time to go back to sleep.

I’m looking for a HipCamp near Pere Marquette State Park. I’ve wanted to go there in the fall for a while, but it’s a three-hour drive. I’d like to take Bella. I haven’t found any HipCamps in the area. I found a hotel in the area that someone said was pet-friendly, but their Web site doesn’t say that. I’ll look into it later. Okay, I found a pet-friendly hotel in Missouri that’s nearby and not very expensive. I need to pick a weekend in October because places will fill up with leaf-peepers (like me!) I’m telling Bella about it. Lots of new smells for her! I found a HipCamp that’s one hour away. I might do that. It looks like the closest place in Illinois.

I also found a HipCamp in Missouri that’s is very pretty with creeks and small waterfalls.

I’m feeling a sense of foreboding, and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s stress. Went back to sleep.

Bella was trying to eat a firefly. I told her no, we like fireflies. Oh good, it took off. It must be mating season because there are a ton of them.

I need to reimburse work for my flight, so I’ll need to book a trip within a year. Maybe I’ll fly out of the local airport when I go see my dad to use up the money. Or I could take a cruise, but I’ll use up a lot of my vacation time on the trip a year from this fall.

I need to feed the beasts (done). Bella is being manic. I had a vanilla yogurt with cookie dough crumbles. They are pure crack. Oliver is being snuggly. That’s my boy.

I was going to say that I’ll go to bed early, but it’s already almost 9 PM.

Bella cracks me up. When I feed the cats, she puts her paws on my lap and looks away from the cats because if she looked at them, she might lose control and eat their food. She seems to understand that I don’t want her to eat their food. I fed myself too.

Now I need to email work (done), post, take Bella out again, and go back to sleep.

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I bought a tent and a sleeping bag on eBay. I would like to do some camping. I bought a two-person tent, so I could take Bella camping! I looked into some HipCamp sites.

I found a campground that I like. It’s near Starved Rock, so I could take Bella hiking (although she probably wouldn’t like the metal stairs). I wouldn’t take the puppy until she gets older. Though Starved Rock is wall-to-wall people in the summer. The fall would be better. I found the one trail that doesn’t have stairs (Illinois Canyon).

Starved Rock has dog-friendly cabins, but I can’t find out how much they cost.

I should test out the tent and sleeping bag in the back yard.

Got up at 8 AM. Fed us all. Did laundry. (My white towels came out looking good!) Now it’s nap time.

Napped. Moved around some stuff that’s by the front stairs outside. Now I’m boiling. I turned the ceiling fan on in the kitchen, although Bella doesn’t like it.

I’ve been working hard on the kitchen and packing on breaks. I still need to figure out one more outfit for the trip. Hmm, if I hand wash the clothes that I’m wearing on the plane, I’ll be okay.

I kind of want it to be dinner time because I need a break. I’m soaking the dog and cat dishes and am cooling off from being outside. I’m going to take a shower (done) and see if I perk up. It’s been almost 24 hours since I had my brows done.

I have an impulse to say that I can’t go on the business trip, but I should go. Getting ready to go is a hassle.

Started more loads of laundry. Finished packing my suitcase. The linen clothes will be nice and cool. Remembered my swimsuit. (The hotel has two pools.)

Now I’m going to take a SHORT nap. Bella is zonking out.

Ugh. Bella found a dead possum and wouldn’t let it go. I finally got her to come in with a food bribe. I need to go out and get rid of it.

I’ve decided not to go. I just can’t. I’ll tell the people at work I’m sick. Not a lie because my stomach is really upset. I just canceled everything and will email them about it in a few hours.

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