Home Sweet Not-Quite-Home

[days_unfolding]

Today, it warmed up enough for the snow to partially melt, so I went out to the car to look at the wiper fluid. It was mostly full, so it was frozen the other day. So I started the car and kept the wiper fluid running for about five minutes, until it ran out. Then I filled it up with the stuff that won't freeze (although that will really get tested on Monday). Some of it had gotten on the car, so I wiped it off with some terry cloth rags that I had bought. Some got into the remaining snow on the ground, so I shoveled up the snow and dumped it down the storm drain so that someone's dog wouldn't eat it. (There wasn't a "no dumping -- flows to river" sign or anything like that). I'll have to hand it to my neighbors; they came by when I was shoveling the snow, and they didn't ask what the heck that I was doing.

Harlee is having a tough time adjusting to the move. She adjusted to the apartment in Springfield quickly, but it probably reminded her of the condo in California, where she spent most of her life. This place probably reminds her of my mom's house because of the stairs, and she was never entirely comfortable in my mom's house. She will go downstairs when I'm downstairs now. She was thrilled to find her cat tree; she was marking it like crazy when she first saw it ("Mine! Mine! Mine!"), and lies on it a lot. She will lie on the futon only when I'm sitting on it. I was petting her upstairs in the office, and someone slammed a car door, and she was off like a rocket to hide in the closet. Poor Harlee.

Zara has been handling the move much better, but now I've started unpacking boxes in the bedroom, and she doesn't like that. I'm going to leave "her" stack of boxes for last though to give her something to play on. (I do have a small cat tree for her, but it's definitely a lot shorter.)

I keep losing things in the house. The latest is a DVD collection of four Elizabeth Taylor movies, but it has to be here somewhere. Speaking of movies, I finally saw The Philadelphia Story last night. ravengirl, do you still want to do simultaneous reviews? I'm thinking of watching another movie tonight, but haven't decided on which one.

I'm going to throw myself together and run a couple of errands while the weather is still decent. Tomorrow, it's supposed to be cold, and Monday, it's supposed to be the coldest depths of hell; they're now predicting -14 degrees F. That's not the wind chill, and who knows what that will be. I' m hoping that they will cancel work on Monday because I'm not thrilled about driving under those conditions. What if I got a flat tire? I doublechecked that I'm set up for emergency messages from the College, and added my personal e-mail because I've forgotten what my e-mail password is for my work account. I'm sure that I have it written down--at work. If work is still open on Monday, I'm going to take the heavy quilt that my mom used when she's here with me. I don't have long johns, but I'll look for some while I'm out. If I don't find any, I'll wear nylons under my socks and pants. I'll wear a shirt under my sweater. I'll wear a hat under the hood of my coat. I'll wear two scarves--one inside my coat and one over my face. (I wish that I had a face mask like ravengirl does.) Someone once described the Midwest as a place where everyone looks like the Michelin tire guy four months out of the year, and it's going to be especially true on Monday. I have a full tank of gas in the car.

Maybe I'm being a wimp. I started the at the University of Illinois in January (of 1982?), and the wind chill then was -45 below. (I don't remember the actual temperature.) However, I was determined to explore the campus, damn it, so I piled on my tons of clothing, and explored when everyone sane was staying in the dorms and ordering in pizza. I was annoyed because they kept on canceling orientation meetings, but they had no way to contact us, so I'd walk over there to find that the meeting was canceled. I need to get some of that spirit back.

Comments

[days-unfolding.livejournal.com]

Now there's a winter storm warning--6 to 8 inches of snow tonight. The wind chill on Monday is predicted to be -25 to -50. Oh California, I miss you so.

[ravengirl.livejournal.com]

lol Yeah, this is the only weather that gets me to miss SoCal, myself. (Not that I don't love it there in some ways, but I love Chicago, too!)

Monday and into Tuesday are supposed to be deadly around here. I'm so lucky that I don't have to be out in it, although I would *like* to be working! Knowwattamean?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012TRLWS/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Well lookit that. It's down to 4 bucks new! I paid around 7 dollars for a new one. Doesn't that just figure?! It really does help. Not that you want THIS design (it IS reversible) but find one that's neoprene and gets good reviews. I love mine.

We should do the reviews-- I want to do it! I'm behind, though. I suck at this already! I've seen The Philadelphia Story recently, but I'm behind on the others you've seen. I have a list. ;) Let's do a review of The Phil. Story and I'll watch The Killers tomorrow at some point. What say you?

[days-unfolding.livejournal.com]

I can do a review of the Philadelphia Story tomorrow, but probably won't have time to do The Killers as well because I'll be getting organized for the work week. I probably could do it on Monday.

[ravengirl.livejournal.com]

Okay, let's plan that. I'll post mine,you post yours, just no peeking until we each have ours written. Does that work? (I'm not even sure how to review movies! I'm free-form, so advise me on any guidelines you might use, if I should employ them, too!)

[days-unfolding.livejournal.com]

I just ordered the "Mardi Gras" face mask, and we'll see how it works. (I do wear glasses though, and I'm not sure how well they'll work together.) I was tempted to get the cat mask, but I might wear it to work.

[ravengirl.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I didn't see the Mardi Gras mask! That might be my favorite.

[ravengirl.livejournal.com]

I forgot to say, I feel for poor Harley! It does take more sensitive animals more time to acclimate and she has been through an awful lot of changes and upset (at your mom's and during the move) so she's bound to take more time. Poor baby! She's being brave when you're around, though, and that's a good sign. Getting used to the sounds of a new home is tough on some animals, and scary. Give her loads of love and some pets from me! I feel like I know your cats. *snort*

You're a good cat-mom, I know. I'm just used to yakking about cats!

[days-unfolding.livejournal.com]

Harlee was a feral kitten, and her mom trained her well to fear new things. When I first adopted her, she hid behind things for an entire month until she came out to see my other cat. (She likes other cats as long as they're not Zara. Bad personality match between those two, but I love them both, so we're trying to make do.) This is her sixth (?) move, but knowing her like I do, that probably makes her more stressed each time than less stressed. None of those moves was my choice, and I'm assuming that she'd rather be with me and move than not be with me, which is probably true because I'm literally the only human that she trusts. She got used to my mom when we were living there (I keep telling my mom that the fact that Harlee doesn't hide from her is major), but never entirely trusted her. The strange move was the one to Springfield; Harlee took to the place right away and stopped hiding within a day. I feel bad that she had to leave.

Zara is another really high-strung cat. She had problems with the move to Springfield, but bounced back pretty quickly here. (Maybe she was just relieved to end the Trip from Hell from Michigan.) She has blossomed a lot though; she used to be a biter and has stopped, she used to have to be knocked out at the vet, but the last few times she managed with only some hissing and growling, and she's gotten very affectionate. She does drool nonstop when I take her to the vet. She likes people, but doesn't like Harlee. (I don't know about other cats, but she was fostered with some.) I've had to get used to her. Her predecessor, Nima, was one of the most laid-back cats that I've had and she rolled with the punches. She liked everyone and assumed that everyone liked her. I miss her.