days_unfolding

Hot Day 5

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 01:50:23 GMT

Ack. The prices for the cruise go up in the summer. But I still think that the summer would be a better time to go.

Gracie was grumbling under the bed. I think it was because Bella wasn’t leaving her enough room? Bella gave up and jumped on the bed. She’s taken over my side. Um….I realized that I didn’t take my meds, so I got up.

It just occurred to me to look for Orthofeet shoes on eBay, and I found some that I like. Maybe I’ll get a pair of Mary Janes to take with me to Europe.

Overslept until 9:30 AM, but I’m not surprised.

I rescheduled my massage for financial reasons.

The dogs went outside when I brought the groceries in. I was afraid of that. I hope that they decide to come in soon. Bella came in. Gracie is still holding out.

I forgot to mention something cute that happened last night. Oliver came into the room when I came back in after taking my meds. He lay down on the bed right next to Bella! Bella got up and moved then. Then Gracie came out from under the bed and tried to pin Oliver, so I removed Oliver from the room (which isn’t fair, but I needed to sleep).

I’m tired, but I have an important meeting this afternoon, so I don’t dare take a nap. I’m hoping that they’ll let us out early for the holiday.

Sigh. Gracie won’t come in. She’s lounging under the porch to get out of the sun, but she’s still outside to bark at things that need to be barked at. I guess that’s her logic. Meanwhile, her sister (Bella) is lounging in air-conditioned comfort.

Showered. I’m feeling a little more perky. I really like my new underwear (sometimes it’s the little things in life).

I think that I figured out my back problems. When I work at my kitchen table, I sometimes bend my left leg and press my foot against the table leg. I think that it’s throwing my back out of whack. So I need to stop that.

Gracie finally came inside. Yay.

I’m trying to figure out what I’ll do in Venice. I don’t want to go to St. Mark’s Basilica because I’ve already been there. I thought about going to Murano, but I don’t really want glass stuff to bring back with me. I did see a shop that sells Venetian masks. That does interest me. Though I found one that I like on eBay. There are some good museums, so I might go to them.

My meeting went okay. I put my makeup on to be on camera. Because I’m “together”, I might run out later to get some body wash. Now I’m stopped on what I need to work on at work, and I’m just running the clock down.

Let the dogs out and watered the outside plants. To my surprise, Gracie wanted to come in when I went in.

Country Arbors has peonies and bee balm, so maybe I’ll finish the front garden. I’m not sure where I’ll get the time, but I’d like to do it.

I’m really tired but haven’t taken a nap yet. Now I’m thinking that I’ll just get to bed really early.

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Hot Day 2

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 02:57:13 GMT

Hmm. I looked at condos in New Orleans and found some that would be doable. Need to think about that. The summers are beastly, but they’re beastly here too. We have corn sweat. I could probably grow a bougainvillea. I found a couple of retirement homes there that might work.

I overslept until 9:40 AM. I remembered my meeting at 10:00, which went well.

I looked at the weather, and it’s not predicted to rain this week, so I need to get out and water plants.

Oliver lost his balance and scratched up my leg 🙁

I’m trying to decide whether to go see my dad next year, take a cruise, or both. The cruise would be during the summer, I think (Bermuda). That reminds me to get the days off in the fall on my calendar (done). I sent an email to my dad asking if I could visit on Labor Day weekend next year. He said “too soon to tell” because health issues keep cropping up. I’ll book the cruise but leave a visit open.

The dogs are restless because I won’t let them out. But I don’t want hot dogs (ha ha). I’ll let them out later in the afternoon.

Hmm. There’s a rumor going around that the English function of LJ is going down, but I’ve been able to access it. At least I have my entries backed up on DW. Just in case—I’m also days_unfolding on Dreamwidth.

I’m being watched intently by two dogs who want to go O-U-T-S-I-D-E. I told them at 4 PM because that’s when the temperature will start to go down (and there will be shade too).

It just occurred to me that I should get a New Orleans t-shirt because the ones that I bought there are falling apart. I found one that I really like, but forgot that I have no money until I get paid. Saved it.

I’m wondering if I should get a pair of Orthofeet sneakers for the trip. They’re supposed to be good for feet, and I’ll be walking a lot. (My dad says that he walks in “just plain Nikes”.) I’m also wondering if I should get some Levi’s black jeans because Gloria Vanderbilt is selling dark navy blue as black. I want black jeans!

I need to pick up more tennis balls for the dogs tomorrow. They have one that’s gross and falling apart.

I need to get a trellis because I think that the lilac rose is a climbing one. I saw one on Walmart’s site on clearance that I like.

Hmm, do I want a patch of daylilies in the patch of grass by the street? I could plant them in a semicircle around the tree.

I was worried about the dogs, but I convinced them to come inside. Yay.

I’m working on the kitchen. I need to get to bed early because I have physical therapy at 7:15 AM. (Yikes!)

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Ouch

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 02:09:12 GMT

Ow. I wrenched my back putting my pajama pants on. Did I say “ow”? I’m falling apart. And “ow,” I did it again this morning.

Got up around 7:30 AM. I canceled physical therapy because of my back. I got my groceries, but there was no diet cola in it. I’ll have to stop by the local store.

I didn’t take my CPAP off last night. I kept on waking up but remembered to keep it on. Go me.

I lay down for a while to stretch out my back. It seems to have helped. But it just twinged again. Damn back. Do I need a massage? Do I need to take yoga lessons again? I’m doing some gentle stretches. I booked a massage on the 3rd at 4 PM. Crud, it twinged out again. I need to find my yoga bag and take some lessons nearby.

Zara was calling me, so I went and fed her. “Mom? Where are you?”

I finished a project at work, checking captions and posting slides and recordings for the big online meeting that we had a couple of weeks ago.

I thought about mowing tonight, but with my back, that’s a “no”.

I bought some shampoo and conditioner to fill bottles for my go bag and my trip. (I use some fancy stuff that makes my hair shine.)

Hey yay. So far, no rain is predicted for the weekend. Yard work! Walmart has marigolds for the tomato garden. No rain tomorrow too.

The Week had an article about how more dogs are “left-pawed”. Gracie is. She paws me with her left paw when she wants me to do something. And usually scratches me, sigh.

I’m lying down again with Oliver and Lily. I set my alarm for 8 PM. And I’m trying to conserve caffeinated soda for tomorrow. I wound up lying on my back with my knees up, and Oliver burrowed under my knees. Okay.

Oliver and Lily are playing Chase Me! No, Oliver is bugging Lily. I told him to leave her alone, but he’s not listening to me.

I kind of want to climb Mount Shasta, but 1) It’s very tall, and 2) You have to learn to self-arrest, and I could see freezing up. So maybe not. Mount Whitney? I found a guided tour in which they supply everything, but you have to be able to carry it all in a backpack, so I’d need to do some training. (I’d need to do some training anyway because Whitney is tall!) It’s not going to happen any time soon. It’s tough to train for mountains in the flatlands too.

I’m not going to get the garbage out either because of my back.

Everyone’s fed.

I want to go to bed early and lie quietly to stretch my back. Too bad that I don’t have muscle relaxants. Maybe if my back is still jacked up tomorrow, I’ll go to Urgent Care. But I have piano tomorrow. Busy busy.

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So Tired

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 03:27:45 GMT

Woke up at 7:30 AM? I took the CPAP off, sigh. It’s cool this morning with a high of 74F/23C.

I really want to go back to sleep. I will at lunchtime. Drastically overslept my nap, so I’ll need to make up some time tonight. I’m not going anywhere tonight but will package up my return for tomorrow. Hmm, I might need packing tape.

I want to lie down after work too. Don’t know why I’m so tired.

Weird. I’m vetting out the captions for a big meeting that we had the other week, and Zoom hallucinated some captions for things that no one said. That’s the first time that I’ve seen that. I’m glad that I’m going through it line by line. They would have been embarrassing (one something like “making an asshole” and one “that’s sad” in response to someone).

It occurred to me that I can use the extra money in my Flexible Spending Account to pay for a GLP-1. I probably should have put more in my account, but at least I’ll spend the money that I have.

Oh! I need a towel for my gym bag. I’ll pick one up when I get packing tape.

Napped and overslept. Fed us all. I’m about to jump in the shower to go to Meijer. Hmm. I’m thinking of getting up early and going instead. It’s late.

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Sigh. I Guess That My Dad Worries About Me.

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 04:43:12 GMT

I was looking up details on the Chicago Pride Fest, but I don’t know if I’d be able to go up there for it. Champaign-Urbana has a parade, but it’s in September.

It’s crazy humid in here. I moved my work laptop under the ceiling fan in the kitchen. It’s been raining. Thunder now.

The car is ready. Yay.

Oh, what a mess. The physical therapy people called me, and I didn’t answer because I had meetings all day long. Then they called my dad as the emergency contact. Then he called the police when he didn’t hear back from me. The police left the screen door open, and the dogs got into the yard. Shit. I called my dad and told him not to do that (and called the PT people to not call my emergency contact), but I’m not convinced that he will listen to me. Gracie came in because it’s raining at least. (Bella already came in.)

Got the car (Honda). It runs like a dream now. And it’s a lot cheaper than a new car. It’ll work great for my trip to Michigan to pick up the remaining stuff from Mom’s place.

Went back to work for a little while, but I want to take a nap. The dogs are play-fighting loudly though. Annoying. Couldn’t sleep.

Logged onto work and finished my task.

I need to go to sleep and put this lousy day to bed.

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Frustrating Day

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 02:59:56 GMT

I read an article on Facebook about how Dusty Springfield was bi. One guy posted a comment with a derogatory slur for women who love women. And it really annoyed me. Yeah, I already knew that assholes exist, so I don’t know why that got to me in particular.

Oh, what a day. I got up on time for my meeting. But my light upstairs burned out, leaving me in weak light from the upstairs windows. Then I was managing the meeting in the afternoon. I had to start the recording, but people just launched into talking, and I’d have a lag in reaction time. Plus, people expected me to respond to things on break, but I needed bio breaks. I’m glad that it’s over.

I got a cranky note from the travel agent for my fall trip. What I think that happened yesterday is that she changed the time for a meeting in September, about which Meetup sent me a message, and I read that as being yesterday. She also said that I didn’t request an extra day in Istanbul and didn’t send the dates for my flights. But I found an email asking for the extra days in Paris (which I got) and the extra day in Istanbul, and asked her to send me the dates for my flights, which she sent. I just sent her the times for the flights because she sent me the dates. What a mess.

On the other hand, my sleep doc is on the ball and sent me a prescription for the travel CPAP. I’ll order it tonight.

Well, I got the hose disentangled and coiled up, but it took me longer than I thought. I can mow the side yard as soon as weather and time permit. I need to look for plant clippers to get at some of the weeds. (Some of them have long roots, so I need to cut them back.)

I think that someone is paying tribute to Bella and Gracie. Two ball toys showed up in the yard. They seem to be the neighborhood dogs :)

I sent the email to the travel agent and ordered my travel CPAP. I have to get up early for physical therapy, so I need to get to bed soon.

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Last Day of Work Before the Trip

Fri, 22 May 2026 01:55:24 GMT

Barney Frank died. Not surprising because he was in hospice, but still, sad. The New York Times and the Washington Post had great obituaries for him.

Woke up with my alarm at 7 AM. I’m tired, so I think that I’ll skip my shower at lunchtime and nap instead. I have a meeting in the afternoon for which I need to be on camera, so I’ll throw some clothes on and slap on some makeup.

Got everything set to drop the fur faces off for boarding tomorrow.

Overslept my lunchtime nap. I’m still tired, but I really need to mow today.

I’m washing clothes for my trip.

Mowed the lawn by the sidewalks. At least people on the sidewalks won’t have to deal with overgrown plants. I’m tired.

I really want to get to bed early and get up early.

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All-Staff Meeting Day 2

Thu, 21 May 2026 02:25:13 GMT

Got up at 6:30 AM. It’s raining, ugh.

Day 2 of the All-Staff Meeting went well. The team that I’m on had a good discussion about creating training classes.

The only thing is that I’m really tired. (I had to resort to coffee part-way through because I was sleepy. To my surprise, I kind of liked it. I do have my mom’s coffee maker. I should pick up some light roast.) I have time to mow for a while, but I’m tired and the cats want to be fed. I ate some dinner; the local grocery store had some chicken tenders with honey-mustard sauce, and it was really good. Anyway, I’m not going to mow tonight. I think that I’ll do some washing and packing. And get to bed early.

Oh, I asked my boss if I could take Friday off so that I could drop the cats and dogs off on Friday instead, and she said yes. I need to call the boarding places tomorrow to make my arrangements.

Oh crap. Thunderstorms on Friday. So much for yard work. I need to get up a little early tomorrow so that I can leave work early to mow.

I’m too tired to get the recycling out. I’m going to put pills in my “pill planner” for the trip because that doesn’t require much energy (done). And I need to find the charger organizer (not found–ordered a new one) and the laptop (done). Oh, and submit a grocery order (done).

I keep getting catalogs for world cruises. Like I’d have the time and money for that, plus I have furry dependents.

Blue Cross Blue Shield sent me a letter telling me how to get information about Medicare. I turn 64 this year (hard to believe), so it’s time to start learning about it. I think that there is a “dummies” book about it too (ordered).

Everyone’s fed. I think that I should start wending my way to bed.

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All-Staff Meeting Day 1

Wed, 20 May 2026 02:36:04 GMT

Oh, what a day. I overslept an hour and a half, but made it to my meeting. Then, I was going to go to our volunteer work, but my shoulder and neck started bugging me (maybe from carrying the laptop?) So I went home to work. Then I had an IBS flareup. Sheesh.

We each did the Clifton Strengths assessment. We found it interesting that five out of seven of us in User Services had relator, someone who likes to work in a friendly environment, in the top five. Makes sense though because we work closely with our libraries.

The ground is still wet and I’m feeling achy and tired, so no mowing today. I need to book my hotel in Chicago and the bus (done). The Hilton is booked up, so I’m staying at the Hyatt near O'Hare. (They have an airport shuttle.) I’ll have to hussle a little on the way out because my flight is at 1 PM, but on the way back, the bus is at 3:30, so I can take my time. Maybe I can ask for a late checkout because my flight back gets in at 10 PM. I wonder if they have a Domino’s near there so that I could order a pizza when I get in. Or I could buy food on the flight from Denver to Chicago.

Oliver and Lily are attending my nap. Oliver is under the blanket and Lily is batting at him. Napped and woke up just before my alarm.

Fed us all. I looked for the White Elephant gift from last December at work, but couldn’t find it. I’ll ask the recipient for his address to have it sent to him.

I need to wash off the mud that Bella got on my jeans and go to bed. Damn, it’s humid in here.

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Trip Planning

Thu, 14 May 2026 03:26:34 GMT

Overslept an hour but still have time before my physical therapy appointment. My stomach is really hurting, so I called in sick for the appointment. I’m going to go back to sleep. Slept. Overslept, so I’ll take my shower at lunchtime. My stomach still hurts.

Met a guy on an adult tricycle outside who apparently visits the dogs outside every day. He asked if he could give them a donut, and he gave them two. He said that they give him great joy.

Showered at lunchtime. I had a mad scramble at work after lunch. Now it’s getting dark, but the forecasters aren’t predicting rain?

Ordered some “leakproof” underwear for the flights and roaming around with Dad. I hope that the dogs don’t get into the package and scatter them all over the yard. I think that I want to start packing, although the jeans will need to be washed at the last minute. I just bought a couple more pairs of jeans. Should I take a pair of shorts? The weather is so weird right now.

Ow. Getting a headache. Need some Tylenol and some water.

Piano class went well. Fed the cats and dogs, and somehow it got late. I didn’t have time to gather the recycling. I need to gather it on the weekend so that I can just roll the cans out.

I canceled HBO Max because I watched everything that I wanted on it. I want to sign up for Starz to watch their version of Amadeus, but I might as well wait until after I get back from my dad’s house.

Dug out a leash to take Gracie to the vet tomorrow for a shot.

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Sleepy Day

Wed, 13 May 2026 02:44:24 GMT

The dogs are totally flaked out. I had problems falling asleep, so I got up to have some oatmeal. Bella got up with me because she is My Dog.

Woke up several times during the night but got up with my alarm. I wasn’t moving fast enough for Gracie though and she pawed me. Oliver jumped on my back with claws outstretched. Ow. A quiet morning at home.

Got my groceries in and dogs out.

Today is meeting day at work. I was wondering how I could be so tired after sleeping all day yesterday, but meetings put me to sleep. I can barely keep my eyes open. I think that I’m going to bail after my last meeting.

The co-pay for my CPAP was only $44 and change. That’s a bit of good news.

Water did help my sleepiness a little but I still bailed out of work.

Oliver was already on my, er, “their” bed. He looks like a little angel. Appearances can be deceiving:) Slept until a little after 7 PM.

Fed us all. Logged into work for a little while. I need to get to bed early because I have physical therapy in the morning.

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Sick Day

Tue, 12 May 2026 02:16:01 GMT

Paid my property taxes.

Woke up at 3:30 AM and went back to sleep. Kept on waking up periodically. I made the mistake of rolling onto my back after my alarm went off and the dogs jumped on me.

Emailed in sick and slept. Woke up at 11. My stomach was still upset so I emailed in sick again. Ate lunch. Fed the cats; Oliver whapped Zara on her nose, and then her food was missing, so I think that I dropped it getting Oliver to stop.

Got woken up by someone selling Medicare Advantage. I’m not eligible for Medicare yet, dimwits! Was outside with the dogs and got my new shoes. I now have my outfit for the flight: black yoga pants, a black t-shirt, a summer blazer, and new shoes. I’m feeling shaky, so I’m making some food. Ate. I feel better.

It looks like the trip to my dad’s house is on.

I think that I will lie down for a little while after I check on my packages. Overslept until 7:30. My weed whacker was here. I might not make it to the local grocery store.

Fed the dogs and cats. Now I’m going to shower. No, I’m going to order some food and go to bed.

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Inside and Outside

Fri, 08 May 2026 03:19:38 GMT

Woke up at 7:20 AM? Oliver isn’t eating his breakfast. Has he decided that he doesn’t like chicken? He eats the rest of his meals. I’m not too worried because he’s young and relentlessly healthy. Well, relentlessly rambunctious, anyway.

So freaking tired. I closed my eyes leaning on the filing cabinet in Zara’s room. I showered in the morning, so I can have a lunchtime nap. Still silence from the CPAP people, so I need to call.

Overslept my nap. I’m not feeling up to phone calls. I just want to work quietly. I’m doing a tedious task for work, but I volunteered to do it. The government issued an edict that all public-facing Web sites, applications, and the like at colleges and universities will become accessible. The original deadline was last month, but the government extended it for one year because no one was making the deadline. We have a Web page that contains an archive of webinars that we gave for years now. We posted the slides for each webinar in PDF format, which is the devil as far as accessibility is concerned. So I’m replacing the 60-odd PDF files with the original PowerPoint files. Someone will have to caption all the recordings of the webinars, who probably will be me. Oh well, job security. But the upload feature for the files keeps flaking out.

Checked on the dogs, and Gracie was sitting on top of the dirt for the raised beds.

Bella is always so happy when I go outside and see them.

It keeps threatening rain. Probably no lawn mowing tonight. Maybe I’ll take a nap. It started raining, and I went to let the dogs in, but it isn’t raining hard enough for them to want to come in. Okay.

Oliver attended my nap after work, but he was good and let me sleep. Had a good nap. Fed us all.

I finished We Burned So Bright. It was hard because a lot of it was depressing, especially after the fizzy gay hockey player books. But it’s good. And hard.

Another iris is blooming.

I think that the dogs have gone to bed already. They were outside for over 12 hours!

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Lousy Day

Thu, 07 May 2026 03:24:45 GMT

I woke up at 7:20 AM. I’m feeling groggy. I told the people at the AARP group lunch today that I’m not feeling well. I’m going to let the dogs out and go back to sleep for a while.

Crappity crappity crap. I overslept, and came upstairs to find that the cats broke my work monitor. I’m not sure what I do about that. I guess tell work and see what happens.

Today kind of sucks. I’m feeling groggy and confused. Oliver didn’t eat his food and Zara barely did. Zara might need more appetite enhancer meds, but I think that there’s a discombobulating force field here. The dogs, however, have been happily playing in the mud.

Piano class was okay. We sight-read some music of hers, some of which are simplified adaptations of other works and some are hers. We then practice them a little in class, and then we go into breakout rooms and play what we’re working on for her. Usually, I pick out the hardest of the three pieces, and if I have a high breakout room number, I usually have a handle on it if not perfect. Not this time. I was working on the teacher’s simplified excerpt from Rubinstein’s Melody in F. I started playing for her, and she busted me back to playing hands separately. If I was on the Gong Show, I would have heard the gong. Oh well.

I stepped on Bella’s paw. She yelped, but she seems okay. I apologized over and over.

Got the recycling out. I didn’t get boxes out because the ground is still wet.

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Water Filter, Tricycle, Rain Barrel?

Fri, 01 May 2026 05:23:49 GMT

I read an ad for a water filter on Facebook that said that energy shortages could affect water supplies. It was trying to scare us and it said that the filters are in short supply, but you can get water filters from REI! I decided that having one (from REI) is not a bad idea though. And I want to get a folding tricycle in case there’s an energy shortage. No, I don’t trust the way things are going. (I do have a bicycle but don’t know how to ride it. And a tricycle would be better for groceries and such.) Actually, a rain barrel is not a bad thing to have too. I can always use it to water the garden.

Overslept. I was scrambling to get myself together for my physical therapy appointment, but I decided to call in sick for the appointment and dental appointment, and I’m going back to sleep. Overslept my nap too. Jammed into the shower in case we needed to appear on camera for the presentation today. (We didn’t.)

The presentation today went well except for a moment of worry because the Zoom meeting was waiting for my boss to log on, who is at a conference in LA. One of my colleagues texted her and she logged on.

Napped after work and way overslept. Fed the fur faces. I’m making myself some food. Ate. I need to go back to bed soon.

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Odds and Ends

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 02:48:26 GMT

Got up around 6:30 AM. Threw myself together and got my blood test done a little after 8. The blood test person asked me which arm, and I said, “Whichever arm in which you can get a good vein.” She said, “Oh, you’re going to be like that.” She found one. I can check that off of my list.

I really want to go back to sleep. Come on, lunchtime. It doesn’t help that Gracie is snoozing in my field of vision. So jealous!

I got my slides done for work last night, so the pressure is off me today.

Called the CPAP people and they’re emailing me some forms to fill out. Made an appointment with Weight Management–for June, sigh.

Way overslept my nap.The dogs had been jumping on me and wrestling before I fell asleep. Maybe I should wake Gracie up whenever she naps upstairs. She’s snoozing now.

Got some file sorting done while Zara was eating because Oliver wasn’t in there. Then he came in and I stopped. Every little bit helps though. I need a box of file folders (ordered).

Cat thermometer. When it’s cold, Lily curls up in the cat bed, which has fleece. When it’s warm, she sprawls out in a box. It’s in-between right now, so first she tried the box and is now in the cat bed. She’s stretched out though. Gotta calibrate!

Oh! No piano tonight. My teacher sent a note because it’s the fifth Wednesday of the month.

I should be able to book the cruise in about a month if I don’t tap my Ally savings. Pink sand beaches, here I come! Oops, two months. Four paychecks.

I’m thinking of driving up to Michigan to get Mom’s stuff in storage the weekend of July 4th. We get the 3rd off, and I can drive up then. I need to check that the storage place will be open on July 4th though. I’d load up the car then and clean out the storage space. Then I’d drive back on Sunday. I need to get Mom’s car fixed by then. Money, money, money.

I finished my latest Heated Rivalry book (the guys wound up in each other’s arms after being idiots) and am waiting for a new one to load in the Kindle on my phone.

Gracie is barking her fool head off.

Got my groceries in. Got my recycling out. I need to get to bed early because I have a physical therapy appointment at 8:35. And then a dental appointment afterward.

Oh ugh. Passports with Trump's face on them. Good thing that mine won't expire for a while.

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In-Person Event

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 03:05:50 GMT

Woke up around 4:30 AM. The dogs and cats were wondering why I was up so early. Took an Uber and met my colleague at 6:30 AM.

My colleague drove us up to the Chicago area (Elmhurst). The event went well, and no one was upset about the lunch choices that I chose.

I’m so freaking exhausted. I have a singing lesson at 7, but then I’ll be working towards going to bed. Singing went well. I left a couple of pages out scanning a song though. I need to scan it for next time.

Oliver and Lily: ”Good, you’re home. Feed us!” Fed us all. Gracie isn’t eating her food. Anyway, now I’ll post and get ready for bed.

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Annual Physical

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 01:52:34 GMT

My dad wants me to stop taking my antipsychotic med. I’m not going to do it, but I need to sleep on my response to him.

Oh great. Champaign-Urbana has a high level of nitrates in the water. Do I need to buy distilled water? Oh! No it doesn’t. I needed to zero in further on the map. It has other contaminants though. Need to get a reverse osmosis system.

Drastically overslept this morning. Sigh.

I had a fun time feeding Oliver and Lily. Lily went down in the basement last night, and she spent the night in the basement. (She likes it down there. I wasn’t being cruel.) I went to let her up this morning, and Oliver went down. Sometime in there, Bella went half-way down the stairs to the landing, and I had to get her up. After a little while, I went to let Oliver up and Lily went down. I went to feed them, which got their attention, and both came up. Sheesh.

Lily is going after a roll of paper towels. I told her that she’s not a kitten anymore, but a full-grown cat, but she still wants it.

Had my annual physical. It went well. She is giving me a referral to Weight Management to get Wegovy. She is giving me a referral to a gynecologist for my urine leaks. (Getting older is the pits.) I have a fasting blood test next week.

I get a magazine called Hawaii magazine. It’s got me wondering if I should go back to Oahu one of these years, although I had been thinking of a trip to Molokai. I just found a perfect hotel near Waikiki. (I went to Oahu twice, one on our first Hawaii trip when I was about 10, and once when I was 17.) Oahu has cheaper hotels than the rest of the islands.

I’m reading the books on which Heated Rivalry was based. I think that they’re sexier than the TV show (although the two leads of the TV show got matching tattoos that say “Sex sells” ;))

Fed the cats and myself. (Gracie hasn’t come in yet.) Washed my clothes for tomorrow. I need to post, feed the dogs, and shower. I need to get to bed early because I’m meeting my colleague at 6:30 AM. Yikes.

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"Voice and the Violin": Concert

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:15:22 GMT

Gracie woke me up at 6:30. I let the dogs out and went back to sleep. Then I drastically overslept. Fuck.

A lot of people at work seemed to have had a tough week. Yay, weekend.

Fed the cats and showered at lunchtime. I’m wearing used clothes and will change later before the concert.

It’s a good day for planting tomorrow–a high of 56 F/13C. It’s supposed to be windy though, which isn’t great for assembling the planters. I guess that I could put a brick on the instructions? I need to find my stapler to staple the instructions together. I checked on crops, and I should plant green beans as soon as I get the planters built. Sweet potatoes are a warm-weather crop, and I like them. Zucchini? I ordered bean seeds and sweet potato slips. I’m going to order my soil on Sunday. I’ve been looking at and saving green bean and sweet potato recipes. I bought a book on canning.

Hmm. I added a cooling comforter to my Amazon list (not expensive because Gracie chews stuff). But I’ve been sleeping without a comforter, so do I really need it? But that does give Gracie easy access to me to wake me up. I need to dig out my linen sheets.

I fell in love with a t-shirt that is artsy and would make a good travel t-shirt. But it’s $72! Yikes! I found the perfect shirt for my mom in the same catalog, sigh. I would get it for her if she was still alive.

Gracie came in at the last minute before I had to leave. Give me a heart attack, dog. I slammed their food down and left. I left early for the concert because the first floor is sold out, and I didn’t know what parking would be like. I found a spot though, and I’m in my seat chilling. It’s interesting to people-watch. Most people dressed up a little (including me—I’m wearing a linen top, pants, and blazer), some are wearing jeans, and some dressed to the nines. I’m in the balcony. Some people got seats right above the stage, which is something to think about for next time. Most of the people are older. I guess that classical music attracts an older crowd.

They did a good job building the venue. There are no bad seats.

This is my second time to see Joshua Bell. I saw him once in California.

The concert was fabulous. His wife has a lovely voice. He substituted the Massenet "Méditation" from Thaïs for one of the songs, which is one of my favorite violin pieces ever. He played it in honor of a friend of his from Indiana University who got a job at the University of Illinois, where we are. The friend had an untimely death while on tour. He commented that he was from nearby (he’s from Bloomington, Indiana) and said, “Go, Hoosiers,” and we all laughed. We gave them two standing ovations and they did one encore. Then he made a gesture with his hands that clearly said, “Enough “.

I’m sitting with a Diet Coke waiting for the traffic to clear out. Well, we ended with a bang with a tornado warning. The staff brought us down into the basement where the sets for plays are made. A nice person found me a chair.

I’m home now. It’s storming but not too bad now. At least I know that my phone makes a nasty noise when there is a tornado warning.

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Rose Planting Day

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:59:34 GMT

I ordered some peonies also. I should be done with buying stuff for the garden. Wait, no, I want to buy blueberry and raspberry bushes. And I’d like strawberries, but the birds eat them. Hmm. Okay, I bought the blueberries and raspberries with bird netting. I’m not sure how many strawberries to get. I have a big strawberry pot, but don’t remember how many pockets it has. Ordered a new lilac bush, and I’ll put chicken wire around it.

Gracie was biting me because I was trying to disentangle the blanket. Then she rolled over to have her belly scratched. Dog logic. Young dog logic. Bella wanted her belly rubbed too, but at least she wasn’t biting me to begin with.

Got up a little after 7 AM. I’m charging my cordless drill. Showered, and it feels good to be clean. I really want a nap.

The Japanese Maple should arrive today. Arrived. I have lots of planting to do. Oh, and the chicken wire top for the raised bed for the tomatoes arrived yesterday.

Got the registration renewed for the Honda. Yay. And I hope that they will email me a reminder in the future.

Napped. I’m feeling groggy. My work computer crashed but came back up. Someone was running around here and unplugged two devices.

Received the cane with a seat and the small stepper.

Hmm. Someone in a Facebook group online starts extra plants and sells the seedings. I was looking into that for next year (I want to get a setup for starting seeds next year), but apparently I’d need a couple of licenses to do that. Might not be worth it. My other plan for next year is to get a third planter with legs for herbs (I’m growing herbs in pots this year) and to clean out the area behind the garage and put down mulch. Eventually, I’ll want to take down the trees there and plant redbuds, some pink grass with a name that I’ve forgotten, and lavender. Maybe have stepping stones that lead to the back.

Had my therapy session. She told me that there are straw “blankets” for grass seed, so what I’m going to do is get the “dog-safe” seed and buy those blankets. Excellent. I need to remember to bring the measuring tape out when I go outside after work. Ordered the “dog-safe” grass seed.

Garage guy called me back. He’s coming over on Sunday (note to self–3ish) to rake up the gravel and talk to me about what I want for the driveway. Things are taking shape.

I planted the three roses and four ferns. Watered the side garden, roses, and crabapple tree. The Japanese Maple is soaking in a bucket. (This sounds so simple, but it was a lot of work.) My small Craftsman shovel worked better than my big shovel, so I’m wondering if I should order a big Craftsman shovel. And I need a rake to loosen the dirt for the grass seed.

Oh, I also got my Astilbe in, so I’ll need to plant it on Sunday.

I’m beat. Bella came in but Gracie did not. I need to sit for a minute and then I’ll feed the cats. Fed the cats and dogs. Ate dinner while watching the latest episode of The Pitt.

Ordered the grass blanket, stakes, and a rake.

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At Home Day/Piano Class

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:11:19 GMT

I was doing my PT exercises, and Gracie and Oliver had to get in the middle of what I was doing. The hazards of doing exercises at home.

Someone on a frugal living Facebook group suggested getting shoes on Poshmark. That never occurred to me, and they have some nice shoes in my size. Also, I have some boots that I want to sell, so I’ll try selling them there.

Woke up before my alarm a little before 7 AM. Let the dogs out. Went back to sleep. Got up a little before 9. The dogs must have gotten good exercise because Gracie is totally crashed out. (Bella probably is too, but she’s downstairs.)

Called about rescheduling Zara’s appointment at the vet. Apparently the vet with whom we were scheduled is out sick. The new appointment is a little over a week out.

Overslept my nap a little. I’m getting caught up on my sleep.

Made some phone calls. Started to call the Secretary of State for the registration number and PIN for online renewal, but the Web site said that it should be on the prior registration card. Left a message for the garage guy about getting the gravel out of my yard.

There’s a lively conversation on one of the listservs at work about whether the new Obama Presidential Library would join our consortium. That would be pretty cool. I’d like to see it when it opens. (The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield is a member of our consortium, and I’ve been to the museum.) I’m wondering if we could get a group of people from high school to go together.

One of the books that I requested from the university library is in. I want to wait for the rest of them, though, before I trek over there.

Ordered a ton of fall bulbs from Breck’s. This time, I will stash the bulbs in my garage until I’m ready to plant them. (My last set got stolen.) I still need to order peonies for the front garden.

I’m waiting for my piano class and talking to Zara. I told her that she’s one tough kitty. Of the older contingent of my mom, Mimi, and Zara, I wouldn’t have thought that Zara would be the last one alive. (I think that she’s 17 now.) Piano went okay. I was working on a pretty piece (simplified Gurlitt Andante? I’m not near the music.)

I shut Oliver in the bedroom so that he won’t eat Zara’s food. Also, I need him in there when I get the recycling out.

Got the recycling out. I didn’t get the boxes on the porch, but I did put out some boxes from inside. Got the registration card for the Honda, and it did NOT have the registration number and PIN, so I need to call them tomorrow. I also discovered that the battery on the Honda is dead. Sigh.

Filed my taxes. It was more expensive than I thought because I had to pay for TurboTax as well as pay the taxes. Life is expensive right now (says the person who spent a pile of money on bulbs). I forgot to mention that the refrigerator isn’t working properly, so I need to get it fixed or replace it after I finish the kitchen.

Anyway, I should wrap things up and head to bed.

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Singing Lesson Day

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:46:34 GMT

Overslept until 8:30 AM. Tired. I think that I’ll nap at lunchtime and shower after work.

Fed the cats. Oliver seems to be learning that I don’t want him to eat Lily’s food. The dogs don’t want to come in. They’ll probably get wet in the rain predicted for 11. I have a meeting then, but they could stay on the porch. Oh! My 11:00 meeting was canceled! And the rain doesn’t seem to be coming.

Wow, did I oversleep my nap. I’ll need to make up some time for work this weekend.

It looks like I got my roses. I’ll need to assemble and charge the tiller on Saturday to plant them on Sunday.

I want to sign up for an app in which you earn Amazon gift cards when you walk. (You also pay for it, so they’re making money, but I think that the gift card incentive will work.) I’ve decided to do the mobility exercises first to walk better. Hmm. I could ease into walking on the treadmill. I ordered a (used) book on walking. I ordered some more (used) books on yoga, stretching, and hydration.

Hmm. Someone is selling a Pilates Reformer in Normal for $100. Though I think that I want a folding one. I should take Pilates classes, but I’ll wait until I get farther on the Lifelong Mobility classes.

Hmm, because I’m doing volunteer work on Sundays (although not this Sunday), I could get up a little earlier and go to the UU Church. It would be my community day. I could have lunch out.

My singing lesson went well. We were singing my two favorite songs for this year, and I got a good sound on the solos (although I want to practice more this weekend), so I was happy. I’m feeling full of music!

Fed the cats. Ate dinner and watched an episode of The Pitt. Got the dogs in and fed them. Watched another episode of The Pitt. When I watch it on Sunday, I’ll be caught up with all the released episodes. I think that I’ll watch Heated Rivalry next because it got a lot of buzz.

I’m washing some clothes, but then I’ll go to sleep. I think that tomorrow I’ll work on the bathroom, but I’ll work on seated tasks in the kitchen when I need breaks from standing.

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Piano Class Day

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 02:53:50 GMT

Got up at 7:45. Let the dogs out and went back to sleep for a half-hour.

Work has been zooish. There’s a lot going on. Among other things, we’re trying to set up an in-person event in April.

Ordered some stuff from Amazon including cat and dog food.

I’m getting dubious about Hot Springs Village, although I will check it out. It’s not very convenient for going elsewhere. Flights have to change in Atlanta and trains in Texas. Plus having to go to Hot Springs or Little Rock for health care. Athens is much better, although a little more expensive. There are some deals there if you look for them. It’s near the transit hub of Atlanta. You can hop the train to New Orleans from Atlanta. (New Orleans is always a good idea. I inherited an apron from my grandmother that says,”To hell with the dishes. I’m going to New Orleans!”) Athens has a really nice senior center with classes and trips.

I sang a little, and Lily sat up and gave me a bleary-eyed look. Then she settled down back to sleep in the cat bed on my desk. Oliver is perturbed that Lily is blissfully asleep in the cat bed. He’s now sitting on her in the bed. Goof :) They worked it out, and now we have synchronized napping.

I’m being grossed out by all the ads for stuff in my email and Facebook. I want an advertising detox. I guess that means that I have to spend less time online.

Gracie and Bella finally came in at 3 PM. Good. I have some items from Amazon coming tonight. (Yes, I know, buying stuff leads to more ads, but Amazon doesn’t bug me as much.)

Piano class went well. I scrambled to get there because I was IMing with a colleague right at the end of the day. Oliver pushed his way into Zara’s room and was harassing her for a while (with yelling from me), but they settled down. I enjoy playing piano. I should practice more often. Zara would like that too.

It’s supposed to rain tonight or tomorrow, so I won’t get the larger boxes out for recycling. (They won’t take them if they’re wet.) But I need to get the bin out (done).

Started washing clothes. Submitted a grocery order. I’m going to post and watch The Pitt. And then go to bed.

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Oh, Zara

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 03:06:04 GMT

Zara came out of her room. Today is not the day that I wanted her to do that because I need to give her her meds and take her to the vet. I’ll figure something out. Now she's on top of the refrigerator and totally freaked out. I'll have to tell the vet that I can't bring her in today. Now she's on top of the kitchen cabinets. Pretty good jump for an old lady. Ay-yi-yi. Zara is still on top of the cabinets, but she wants food. She looked like she wanted to jump on top of the refrigerator, but Lily was there eating. Gracie was barking at Zara. Sigh.

I'm feeling like crying for no reason. Maybe because I screwed up with Zara.

It looks like my lilac bush arrived too. How exciting!

I’m going to nap for a little while.

Now Zara is in the bathroom, so I put her food with meds in it in there. I might be able to get her to the vet after all. Nope. She didn't eat her food with the meds in it, and she's hiding somewhere (behind the washer?) Yep, she was behind the washer, and went back there when I came in. I rescheduled the appointment.

The powers that are are letting us out of work early today as a thank you.

Hmm. A company called Kikoff said that they could match me with a nutrition/exercise coach, and it would be covered by my insurance. I’m not quite ready because I need to finish the kitchen, but I saved the link.

I picked up Zara and brought her back into her room. That jerk Oliver jumped on my shoulders and jumped into the room. I’ll feed her after I get Oliver out of there. Oliver left, thank goodness. Zara came over to say hello.

Huh. My singing lesson is at 7:30 PM, not 7, so I’m killing time waiting for it. Zara looks much more relaxed in her room. My singing lesson went well, although my teacher was also wondering why it was scheduled for 7:30. Zara fell asleep while I was singing!

Let the dogs out, fed everyone, etc. Now I'm going to watch Harry Potter.

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Little Crabapple Tree!

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 01:39:32 GMT

Overslept and woke up at 8:30 AM. Got my groceries. Nice delivery guy. He liked the dogs and said that they must be having a great time due to the weather.

Oliver is in the cat tunnel upstairs, and Lily is batting at the moving lump. They make me smile.

Today is a zoo at work, and the person with whom I primarily work is off sick. So I'm scrambling.

I got Bella in with the aid of a Munchie Bone. Gracie is still outside.

Hmm. I think that I want some marigold seeds to plant with my tomatoes to combat pests.

I want a nap after work. Actually, I perked up so I didn't take one.

The little crabapple tree is really cute! I’ll post a picture of it. I have the root ball soaking in water and will plant it on Saturday. (Note to self: turn on outside water.) The spot where I wanted to plant it has electrical wires running through it, so I’ll need to move it over. Oh, and I want to get a water ring for the little tree to give it the best chance at growing.

Got the pet gate up by Zara’s room, sort of. I don’t like how it fits. Oliver doesn’t like it either. But it’s up.

I came inside after trying to get the dogs in (they’re still outside), only to find that both Oliver and Lily had jumped into Zara’s room (and probably ate her food too). Sigh. I’ll have to feed her again and shut the door.

Now it’s dinner time for me. Then I’ll try to get the dogs in again. They come in more easily at night.

I read a BBC article about “dusking,” sitting outside and watching the sun set and dusk begin. That sounds like a good ritual to start.

The dogs are in and everyone's fed. I'm going to watch The Pitt and then go to sleep. I want to get up on time to shower because I have a vet appointment for Zara tomorrow.

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