days_unfolding

Woke up at 8 AM. It’s starting to rain. They are predicting snow in Chicago this week, but not here. Bella is squeaking her squeaky ball. Got us all fed.

I spent a bunch of time finding my new moisturizer in my suitcase, but I finally found it. I’m ready for my voice lesson early.

Had a really great singing lesson. My teacher is awesome. Zara fell asleep while I was singing. Aww.

There was a groundhog in the neighbor’s yard. Bella was defending us against him or her :)

Had lunch. Now it’s nap time. Overslept my nap by an hour. Bella and I are both yawning. A smoke alarm is chirping, so I need to see if I have batteries for it.

Wrote the travel agent to get my Mexico cruise under my Holland America ID. Oliver and Lily are upstairs with me.

It's strange how different the household is without Mimi. I'm sorry to say that it's better because Oliver and Lily really wanted to come upstairs where I am during the day. Oliver isn't trying as hard to get out too. Lily is showing me her belly. Now she’s on my lap and purring. Oliver likes to lie in Mimi’s spot on the chair.

I need to get the quarantine aquarium set up and cycled. And I need to figure out what to do about the water in the aquarium while I’m gone. I might have to stage buckets with heated water upstairs. The pet sitter unplugged my fish tank, probably because she thought that it was bothering Mimi. That's not good.

I bought grass seed and topsoil repair and fertilizer from Lowe's for delivery tomorrow.

I have my Italian ready for Tuesday. I hate to tell my teacher that Mimi died. She loved Mimi.

Need to feed the beasties. I’m way dehydrated, so I’m swilling carbonated water. Lily is licking out the can for Bella’s food. We’re all fed now.

Hmm. I need to run a misdelivered Amazon box to my neighbors (done). Then I’m thinking of going to bed early. I don’t know why I’m so tired, but I am. Lack of sunshine today is probably part of it.

I did get Bella to the vet, although I had to lift her into the car. She did well except for some stress pee (they said that they're used to it) and they really liked Bella. They were wondering what shots to give her, and I said, "everything" because then she'll be set for anything. She also didn't have a microchip, so I got one for her. They're going to send the medical records over to the vet doing the boarding. Oh, and they want me to feed her a little less. She's heavier than I thought. Oh, and Bella did a good job walking before I took her to the vet. I'll start walking her more.

I had Oliver and Bella in for a nap with me. That didn't work well. Bella kept on picking on Oliver. I finally brought Oliver out of the bedroom, which wasn't fair, but he's easier to get out than Bella. Part of the time, though, he was lying with me between him and Bella. Smart kitty.

I'm wondering how reseeding the lawn will work with Bella here, and she likes to dig. I'm wondering if I should bite the bullet and have fresh sod put down. The lawn really sucks. Actually, I found a high-related local lawn care place. I'll let them have at it. If they can't fix my lawn, I'll consider sod.

Hmm. I can get free User Interface and Data Science classes on Coursera free from the university. But I don't have time for them now. Maybe later. Maybe in retirement.

I want this grass for the side of the driveway. The only thing is that they ship it in spring, and I don't know if I'll be ready for it. I guess that I need to scramble to get that area cleaned up after I get back. And I wonder how to get the raised bed out of there.

Hmm. There was a comment on susandennis' journal about a BedJet, which heats and cools your bed. The question is whether Bella would chew on the cords. Hmm.

Huh. It looks like a snail hitched a ride on one of my aquarium plants. I guess that’s okay.

Went to choir. A bunch of people said that they were glad that I'm back. We had a birthday party for two people afterwards, and I got into a lengthy conversation about our moms, both of whom had passed away, and cleaning out our moms' houses, and travel. We were some of the last people there!

Now I need to do some Italian homework, feed the critters, and scoop litter boxes. Oh, and put clothes in the dryer. I better get to it.

Oh, and there's a local election tomorrow, so I scrambled to figure out how I want to vote.

I'm yawning, but I need to empty the fish tank. Mimi is going to have to get off of my lap. The problem with the fish tank was that It wasn't seated on the stand properly. So I planted the plants and filled it back up. Well, no, it still is a little off, but I'm not emptying the tank again. It's hard to see that it's off until it's full.

This is what my aquarium looks like today. No fish though until after my trip in March.

Mimi is on my lap again.

Had problems falling asleep again. I emailed in sick for 1/2 day and will lie down. Lily is being a love bug.

Now I’m up. I’m going to email in sick for choir (done).

I walked into a zoo at work. Lots of threads of tasks going on that don't have to do with each other. Got most of it done.

I’m getting a headache. Napped and slept until midnight.

Lily was showing me her belly. Mimi wants attention!

The university for which I work sponsors trips abroad for alumni. They have some nice trips. Something to keep in mind.

Had my Italian lesson. She wished me luck with Mimi. We were talking about “una casa stile,” a stylish house. She asked me if I had a stylish house, and I said that with four cats and a dog, I have a chaotic house :) She laughed.

Speaking of Mimi, she walked around the fountain to get to her bowl to drink. Sigh. She did eat her food though.

Mimi's bloodwork was normal. The vet is going to give us an anti-nausea medication. We're going to do a follow up in three to four weeks to see how her weight is doing. If she's still losing weight, then we'll do an ultrasound.

My dad recommended that I move my assets to Charles Schwab. I filled out a form for them to contact me.

I ordered the shims for the fish tank.

I have a taste for Chinese food, but shouldn't spend the money. I found a place on DoorDash though that has Empress Chicken, which I like. I used to get it in a great Chinese restaurant in Lincoln. Okay, I did order it. I should get three meals out of it though, which brings down the price a little.

Bella’s wet food bowl is missing. WTF? (I found it.) And I missed Bella’s cues and she pooped in the bathroom while I was outside getting my DoorDash.

The food was really good. Oliver earned a trip to the bathroom with the door closed because he tried hard to swipe my Crab Rangoon. (Bella and Lily were interested too but less obnoxious about it.)

Gathered the garbage with Oliver repeatedly crawling into the garbage bag. Thanks, Oliver. Got the toilet paper and paper towels that Bella shredded cleaned up in the cold bathroom. Oliver dashed down in the basement (I can’t get too upset because Zara and Mimi have been down there), so I took advantage of his distraction to get the garbage out. However, the door to the basement was left open, so Lily is probably down there too. Yep.

I worked on Operation get Bella to walk on a harness and leash. I got the harness on her, but it was a little tight. Also, the buckles were a bitch to get on and off. I took her outside to play ball, but the harness was bugging her, so I took her in and got it off. I gave her lots of treats while she had it on. Then I took her out to play ball without it. Bella lost the ball somewhere in the yard. I ordered a new, simpler harness for delivery tomorrow. (Bella is not used to a harness and leash. She grew up in the country where she was mostly off leash.)

Oliver came up from the basement but Lily was enamored of it. It took some time to get her trust down there. Then I abused it by picking her up and taking her upstairs.

I need to get into the nightly feeding routine and then post and print off some piano stuff. Then I’ll practice piano and singing; I need to get my act together about practicing, plus I can spend quality time with Zara. Then I’ll go to bed.

The pup is asleep under the kitchen table :)

I posted the following as a comment on dadi's journal, which I thought that I should post in my journal as well:

Thanks for your thoughtful post. I have been following the (US and world) news, but don't know what to do about it (plus I've been distracted by my new fur kids). I came up with a bit of an action plan:

1. Donate money to the American Civil Liberties Union, which often will sponsor court cases on civil liberties matters in the US.

2. Donate money to Amnesty International (although one of their action items is to sign a petition against Trump's actions. Yeah, like that would help.)

3. Join the Unitarian church, which I've been talking about for years. They have Social Justice committees, one of which is on immigration. I'm not sure what they can do in the face of Trump's actions, but at least I'll be with like-minded people to discuss actions.

Any additional thoughts would be welcome.

The fountain wasn’t working (wouldn’t turn on). I’ll figure it out in the morning. Got it working but no interest yet.

Woke up a little after 9 AM.

Now Lily is interested in the outside world. Hmm.

I can’t quite get rid of this cough. Kind of annoying.

Oliver was checking out the fountain but Bella bugged him. Got us all fed. I’m charging Mimi’s fountain.

Hmm. I need to run and pick up a prescription before my singing lesson. Napped. But I need to eat lunch, so I probably won’t make it to the pharmacy. Hmm. Maybe I could go over lunch tomorrow? Or maybe I should just have it delivered and wait. I have a vet appointment for Mimi tomorrow at 10 AM. I could drop Mimi off afterwards and run to the pharmacy.

I bought Oliver and Lily a cat toy with balls going around a track. They love it, but Bella is trying to get the balls out!

Bella is drinking from the cat fountain.

Managed to scramble to throw myself together for my singing lesson. And it went great! She had me sing an old song as well as new exercises, and my voice seemed brighter and stronger.

I signed up for life coaching every two weeks. I need to get unstuck.

Got the filter and heater working on the fish tank. I got my arm wet adjusting the sand so I had to change my hoodie.

I almost forgot to eat again. I guess that’s good?

Crap. I put a knee through my chair.

Had dinner. Filled Mimi's fountain. I need to get to bed early because I'm taking Mimi to the vet tomorrow morning. So I'll feed the critters and crash. Oh, and bring the cat carrier upstairs. And do laundry.

Dollar General also has some storage bins that I should check out.

I was talking pet fountains with my boss (she has cats), and Oliver is interested in water, so I bought one for Oliver and Lily in the kitchen and one for Mimi upstairs. (Zara does not like pet fountains.)

Oh! The delivery of the larger harness is scheduled for tonight, not last night! I was confused because the delivery from PetSmart is usually right on time (done).

Had my doctor's appointment. I'm still not thrilled with the doctor but there was a good nurse. When I was looking at my online chart, it said that I was due for a pneumonia vaccine, so I set up an appointment next week to get it at the doctor's office. The nurse said that they could do it today after my doctor's appointment. The only thing is that no one knew my appointment was over, so I wound up cooling my heels a little. But I got it done. It's kind of a painful shot and my shoulder is hurting.

And I completely forgot that I had an appointment with the new local investment firm. I logged on a couple of minutes late. I liked them, but I have a feeling that my dad won't like their investment strategy. They cover only investments, but they can partner with a bank that could administer a trust. And they don't do taxes, but can work with a tax accountant. They wanted to know more about the trust and the account balance, so I said that I would get more information from the Michigan trust.

The university sent an email saying that the new federal policies didn’t necessarily apply to us. Good because we work remotely.

When I get an electrician in here, I want to get a motion-sensitive light on my front porch. I wind up leaving mine on all evening because I go in and out with Bella. Worse, I leave it on all the time when I'm out of town and have a pet sitter. So I should get it changed sooner rather than later.

I've decided not to do the food kits while I'm getting the kitchen organized. I'll pick it up afterward.

Oliver is really the one who pisses me off. He was trying to get upstairs, so I picked him up to drop him on the stairs so that I can get in. He dug his claws in my arm and got in. I'm not particularly proud of myself but I yelled at him, and eventually got him out. I guess my next step is a feline behaviorist because I'm at my wits end with this cat. Now I feel like crying. It just occurred to me that I could give him food or treats and go up while he's eating. Maybe I could discuss strategies with the vet on Monday.

Oliver knew I was mad at him. He was hiding when I came downstairs. I talked to him calmly and he came out. And then he tried to get upstairs when I went to get Mimi’s dishes. Sigh. I think that I have some Greenies that I could give him when I go upstairs. If I can’t find them, I’ll order more. I have Churus. I can give him kitty crack. He’s my 10th cat and by far and away the most difficult. I only hope that he’ll settle down as he gets older. It’s ironic that his sister, Lily, is the perfect cat.

I could shut Oliver up in the bedroom during the day, but it would keep Bella out of the room. But she doesn’t sleep during the day. Oliver would be more comfortable in there.

I also ordered Oliver a treat puzzle. He’s curious, so he might like it.

Well, the new Costco wet dog food was a hit. Bella inhaled it.

I’m thinking what to do tomorrow. I want to take Bella for a walk. There is a Dollar Tree in Urbana, which I didn’t know, so I’d like to go there, but I need to get the pet supplies organized so that I can see what baskets I need. Maybe I’ll organize the pet stuff tomorrow and go to Dollar Tree on Sunday. Also, I need to get my tax info together and write the trust about various things. Also finally get the aquarium set up.

Oliver got upstairs when I took Mimi’s food upstairs. I shut him in the guest room by picking up the door that needs to be hung. I think that I need to shut him in the bathroom when I feed Zara and Mimi. I took it more calmly though.

I think that I’m going to take a short nap right now. Then I’ll work on the kitchen and practice singing and piano. The puppy is already asleep.

I’m having problems falling asleep, so I should get up and do things. It doesn’t help that I have to lie on a different side than usual because of the shot. Bella: if you aren’t going to sleep, you should pet me. LOL. Now the puppy has gone back to sleep again. Hmm. Now I’m yawning. I think that I got Bella’s new bed, so I’ll get it set up and then post and go to sleep.

I got Bella’s new bed put together. She says, “This is new. I don’t like it.” So I’ll leave both beds set up tonight, which doesn’t leave much room in the bedroom! (She’s so conservative about new things that she should be a cat.)

I’m going to sit for a moment, then start the late night feeding routine.

Project Churu worked really well. I gave Oliver a Churu, and I was able to go get Mimi’s dish while he was occupied. Except that I think that Bella licked up the Churu :) Next time, I’ll give it to him on the counter.

Lily was on my lap getting petted, and Bella got jealous and put her front paws on my lap. Lily hauled off and slapped her. Way to go, feisty little cat!

Oliver realized what I'm doing with the Churus and abandoned it to follow me upstairs. Sigh. He's too smart. Lily ate the Churu. So now I'm shutting him in the bedroom when I come upstairs.

Everyone is fed. Did dishes. Watered plants. Scooped litter boxes.

I keep adding places to my "bucket list" as I check them off. I saw a beautiful picture of Vietnam, so now I want to go there. Road Scholar has a trip to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Not at the top of my list though.

Anyway, I'm going to post and go to bed. We'll see if Bella dares try the new bed.

Woke up a little before 6 AM. The puppy was looking at me like, are you really going to get up now? I really got up now. It’s freaking cold out (wind chill of -5F/-20C) and my nose is running. There’s a cold weather advisory tonight with wind chills as low as 19 below zero (-29C).

Oliver is telling me, quit sitting and feed me! Bella says, pet me! Good to know that I’m useful :) Bella thinks that when I’m talking, it must be to her. Why would I talk to the cats? (I was talking to Lily.)

I’m mulling over a friend for Bella. There is a standard poodle that I was looking at, but the shelter from which I adopted Bella has a border collie mix that looked good. Hmm. The border collie is a puppy though. Do I really want a puppy? Though there would be a lot of grooming fees for the poodle.

I tried to shut Bella in the bedroom while I fed the cats but she noped out. Lily eats slowly, so I spent my time shooing Oliver and Bella away. I need to feed Bella (done) but I’m taking a break.

Napped. Took Bella out. She never does her business right away, but runs around and sniffs first. And she checks to make sure that I’m following her! I bring a ball out with us, but whether we play depends on how cold I am :) Today I asked her to go in, and she listened to me! That amazes me. In contrast, Oliver NEVER listens to me.

I don’t know why I thought that it was going to be warm today. It’s too cold to go clean up dog poop (12F/-11C with a wind chill of -11F/-24C).

I found a skin care place in Champaign that interests me. But I’m having a facial on the cruise, so I’ll wait until afterwards.

Got Bella her chew stick. She started whining in the bathroom where she has previously pooped, which got me vaulting up to take her out. I forgot my hat and pulled my hood up, which was made for a taller person, so I can barely see out of it. After all that, she didn’t do anything.

I’m trying to figure out my day. I think that I want another nap. Then I’ll work on the kitchen until 3 and then take a shower. My singing lesson got moved to 4:30. After that, I’ll cook. Then I’ll go upstairs and get the aquarium set up after putting Oliver in kitty jail. And then I’ll work on the kitchen again.

Hmm. Bella’s nails are long. But they’re black, so I’d be worried about cutting the quick. I guess that I’ll ask the vet to do them and see how far they cut them back.

Napped. The puppy is next to me on the bed.

Bella doesn’t like artificial chews. She picks them up and drops them.

For some reason, I’m remembering my mom hugging the elephant that I gave her, and that breaks my heart.

Hmm. I have a shoe rack over the door in the library, but I’m thinking to move it to the bedroom and put over-the-door hooks for backpacks and purses (ordered from Amazon).

Zara is being cuddly. I managed to keep Oliver out of my singing lesson. Bella too. Just me and Zara.

Had a great singing lesson. She started me on an Italian art song along with the sight-singing and the music that I’ll be learning in choir. Zara crashed out cold. I think that she likes having me in here. But I should take Bella out. I’ll come back later and practice piano.

Ugh. The cold isn’t messing around. It goes through my jeans.

Ugh again. I need a new stepladder, but Lowe’s is charging $79 for delivery. I’ll have to check Home Depot. It was cheaper, yay!

Oliver likes the warm stove. I’m baking pizza. It’s kind of cold in here. I should get to work, which would warm me, but I’m huddling next to the oven.

I should bring in the plastic food containers from the car. I want to set up a pet food center with labels for each food of the critter eating it. I have a label maker upstairs.

I printed off a ton of music for piano. My teacher suggested that I put it in a binder, so I went on Walmart's site to order one plus some other odds and ends. Then they said that there was a deal that if you spent $500 on Walmart+ Travel, you get $100 back. Sounded good to me, so I upgraded my hotel stay in Miami, and it's paid for so I don't have to worry about it. They didn't say that I'll get the $100 (actually, $133) after the stay. But it'll be good to have extra money then.

Mimi is being extra snuggly. It's chilly up here. I’m leaving the space heater on; it has an automatic shutoff if it tips over. I might bring up the large heater.

The pizza is knocking me out, lol. I’m thinking about feeding the critters and going to bed soon.

Got my second wind and started organizing pet stuff. I just spent a ridiculous amount of money on cat food and dog food can organizers. Set up the dry food containers.

Oliver thinks he’s a kitten and jumps onto my leg when I’m standing. Ouch.

Bella did her business rather efficiently, so I guess that she’s feeling the cold. I wore the hood over my hat and it helped. Everyone is fed. I was holding off Bella from eating Lily’s food, and then Oliver tried to eat the food, and Bella got in his face. “If I can’t have it, you can’t have it either.” LOL.

Ten o'clock and I'm going to crash.

Bella has found a way to play with Oliver. They play a little rough, but no one is getting hurt so okay. She also wants to play with Lily, but Lily is having none of it, which is just as well because Lily is so delicate. Lily has no fear of telling Bella to back off though. She's like the tiny cat that ROARED! She seems to have grown some too, but I think that she’ll be smaller than Oliver.

I requested to sign up for the 3D Italian Campus, but haven't heard back yet. It sounds like a very well organized course, and I can practice with my Italian teacher. The point, though, is to do a lesson every day.

I had two cats and a dog watching me get ready for bed. Apparently, I need supervision.

Bella: The best toys are found toys. Me: Ummm.…I’m going to sign her up for the obedience training class and we’ll shop for some toys afterwards.

I'm leaving Zara's door open except when she's eating because I hope to get her integrated into the rest of the family. She has seen Bella several times but is unsure of her.

Got up on time but decided to spend the day in pajamas. I'm very sleepy. It's a good morning, though, when I had a purring Lily and purring Mimi on my lap.

Went to enroll Bella in a training class, only to discover that her medical record says only "adult vaccines". Texted the shelter, asking for a list. Oh crud, it looks like the class is full. The next class runs into my trip. I need to look into other classes. The Dog Training Club of Champaign-Urbana has Spring session classes starting on March 30th. I could do that. I'm kind of curious about "nose" training classes too because Bella tracks steps in the yard.

I didn’t close the door fast enough when I went for my nap, and Oliver burrowed under the covers. Okay. Then he bit me on the thigh, and I forceably escorted him out of the bedroom. Ouch.

Had a nice nap. The puppy crashed out too. I took her out afterward, but she clearly wanted to go back to sleep. Received my three-prong-to-two prong adapter plugs.

I read tommx on DW's post on Bach's "Air on a G String," and I haven't heard it for a while, so I listened to it. Bach is my favorite composer, and I loved it. It occurred to me that I should listen to Bach when I first wake up; it would help me wake up. Hmm, if I set up my Echo Dot, could I get it to play a preselected piece when I wake up? That would be cool. Maybe I should listen to Bach while I clean and organize too. There hasn't been enough music in my life. Well, not enough recorded music.

I was thinking about my reaction to various composers of classical music. I love every instrumental piece by Bach, but his choral music leaves me flat, although I listen to the Mass in B Minor occasionally. Mozart is pretty but generally leaves me cold, but I love the Requiem and can listen to it over and over. I watched the Marriage of Figaro though, and the embellishments drove me crazy. (There would be one sentence on the subtitles, and they'd sing for 10 minutes!) I don't know a lot of Mozart's work though, so maybe there are pieces that I would like. I do like the "Clarinet Concerto". I went to play the Clarinet Concerto, and Amazon Music played instead Massenet:" Méditation de Thaïs," which I also love. I should listen to more Massenet.

Because I'm not going to go to the dog training session on Sunday after all, I just ordered some Kong dog chew toys from Amazon. I hope that Bella likes them.

I’m kind of rolling my eyes over how many doors and gates I need to close when the hordes are eating. They are no respecters of each other’s food. All the hordes are fed. I haven’t been fed yet, but I’m the low creature on the totem pole :)

I thought that Bella was acting like she wanted to poop, so I took her out even though she had been out not too long ago, and I was right. I’m learning to read her.

Oh My God! Peace agreement in Gaza! About fucking time! I am so happy to hear that!!!!

I subscribed to online access to The New Yorker to get access to an article that I’ve wanted to read for a while. (It was about a woman who had postpartum psychosis and killed her kids. No, not Andrea Yates.) That linked to an article about a guy whose brother died in the Lockerbie bombing, and he has been trying for years to solve the case. Both articles were very good.

I think that I’ll go to sleep early and get up early to get the recycling out and to scrub the aquarium heater.

The puppy is crashed out cold and is snoring a little.

Oh, I should set up the Echo Dot. I need to find it first.

Aargh!! I spent a ton of time getting Alexa set up and trying to get it to play Bach to wake me up tomorrow morning, only for it to say that “music alarms are not supported for this device”. Did I say “aargh”? Google Home is easier to use, but I don’t know where my Home device is. A Google Home Speaker would have better sound. I ordered an open box one on Mercari for half-price. Oh, it looked like I needed an Echo Spot. Okay, I ordered one and will use the Google Home to play music while I’m organizing. I could bring it or the Echo Dot upstairs to remind me to take my meds.

I pulled out Mimi’s wet food dish, which had a little food left in it. Oliver was eating the food, but some of it got on my hands, and Lily was licking it off of me. And my heart filled with love for this cute little cat. I never thought that I’d meet another cat whom I loved as much as Harlee (although Zara comes close), but I might wind up loving Lily as as much.

Got my home insurance taken care of. Now it's bedtime.

Overslept my alarm. I had three cats in the bedroom. Now Zara is in the kitchen with the youngsters. Good girl. Managed to take a shower without Oliver in the bathroom.

I looked at Little Free Library kits because that would be a way to get rid of my extra books, but sheesh. Expensive. I'll have to think about that.

Mimi is on my lap, quacking. I told her that she's awfully furry for a duck. All's right with her world. I heard a loud crash from downstairs. Do I want to know what that was? Oliver is at the gate, and Mimi is annoyed. He's insisting on staying up here because I'm doing something! And he wants to know what!

If we got snow last night, it's melted. No, there's a dusting on the ground that I couldn't see from my desk.

Mimi is on window patrol. She's not going to like it when I have that tree taken down when I have the garage built.

Got the dog stuff set up, part of which is cat stuff. I wanted to move a litter box in with Zara because she might not want to come in the bedroom if the dog is there. Oliver and Lily checked out the dog bed. Tried to nap but didn’t quite fall asleep. I’ve been cuddling with Lily the Love Bug.

I looked into a board to go over the aquarium. It looks like I'd need manufactured wood, which comes in 4 feet by 8 feet, and a saw (I'd probably have to buy a used circular saw) to cut it to size. Does anyone know of a way to get someone to cut the board for you? I'd rather not get a saw that I won't usually use. And I don't have a workbench. I did find a used folding workbench that I could buy. Or plexiglass? I need something that would hold the weight of a cat. (The lid that it has does not.) Hmm, maybe I should ask Erik (my ex) what he recommends. (Sent an email.)

Hmm. My nose runs all winter long. I figured that it was something that I had to put up with, but maybe I should ask the doctor about it? Which reminds me, I need to make an appointment with my primary, but I don't like her, so I'm procrastinating. I need to find someone else. Okay, I scheduled an appointment. I like being able to schedule one online. And I checked Dr. Google, and runny noses during winter are normal, if annoying.

I looked up info about the Urbana Dog Park. I think that I should train Bella to come when called before I take her there. I need to look into training classes. Dog treats. I didn't get dog treats. Ordered some from Amazon. Oh, I also could pick some up at the Walmart where I'm meeting the dog shelter person.

I received another Green Chef box, and I'm not done with the last one. I need to do mass amounts of cooking this weekend.

Just remembered to stick a pen in my purse because I'm sure that I'll have to sign things when I pick Bella up. Although I did fill out some forms online, so maybe not?

Poor Lily is not happy that I'm upstairs without her. I explained to her that it's because of her brother, but she misses me.

I was about to leave to go pick up Bella (I’m meeting the shelter person at the Walmart on Bloomington, about an hour from here, and I want to pick up dog treats there) when the shelter person texted me that they were running about an hour late. It worked out well because I needed to heat up the car to get rid of some ice, so I did that and ran an errand. Now I’m having some quality time with Lily and Oliver.

I got there in plenty of time before the shelter person got there and bought four different kinds of dog treats for Bella (and some human treats too). I waited inside the Walmart for them to text me because it was cold outside. Finally they did, and I drove over too them, and they gave me Talley/Bella. She was crawling along the ground, poor scared girl, but she jumped in the car.

I forgot to wear my night vision glasses on the way back. (They did help on the way out.) Bella came out of the car willingly and went into the yard. She did not pee. She really didn't want to come in the house, but she finally did. I brought her into the bedroom because it was quiet. She saw my bed and promptly jumped on it. (So much for the dog bed that I bought. I wonder if I can return it?) Oliver and Lily came in and met Bella and seemed a little cautious (which is to say, Oliver didn't get in her face) but were mostly unfazed.

I gave Bella some food and water, but she didn't touch it. She ate treats from my hand though, so I hand-fed her some food. Then I gave her the bowl on the bed, and she ate a lot. I gave her water on the bed, and she drank. I took her outside, and she didn't pee. I fed the cats.

Now she's in the bedroom. I'm going to try taking her out one more time and then get ready for bed. I'm going to set my alarm for 5 AM to take her out again. Then I'll feed her and the cats, and then go back to sleep.

Spent some quality time with Zara and Mimi. I want to reassure them.

I bought some pooper scoopers.

Zara’s schooling Oliver! He ran after her and she was swiping at him.

Lily really wants to be let out. I’ll do so after my nap this morning.

Fed the catlings and myself.

I’m staying home today and will work on the house.

I need to get a “Please close the gate—dogs live here” sign on Etsy (done).

Started laundry. Had a nice long nap, but I feel like going back to bed. Oh well, it’s a holiday, so I’ll take another nap. Couldn’t sleep. It didn't help that Oliver was rolling around on my head and then did a pungent poop in the litter box.

Ugh. Zara was in here, but Oliver came in here, and she ran into the library room. Oliver followed her in there, so I forcibly removed him. At least, he’s easy to distract. Oliver gets into faces, whether they’re human or feline. He needs to stop that. Hmm, I’m wondering how I can work on the library room if Zara is in there and Oliver follows me around.

I’m looking for a dog boarding place for during my cruise in March. That’s a long time for Angel (Bella?) to be mostly alone. I found a place that also does dog training. Excellent. There's another place called "Dog House on the Prairie".

Hmm. Working is going to be interesting later this week because Oliver likes to walk on and lie on computers. I might have to put him in kitty jail. Maybe I should bring the gate upstairs and put him in the guest room.

I’m trying to decide what to do, let Lily out or work on the aquarium. I think that I want to work on the aquarium. Oliver wanted to be involved with decorating the aquarium. I told him that a cat does not add. I think that I want a board to put over the top of it. Oliver has already fallen in. (There’s no water in it yet.)

Crud. They’re predicting snow on Thursday, but only about an inch.

I think that I’ll let Lily out when I’m making my Green Chef dinner. I’ll be able to keep an eye on her. No, I let her out now. She told Oliver off. She’s tiny, but feisty. She seems to be doing okay. Oliver runs after her, and she turns and growls, and he slams on the brakes. It’s pretty funny. He’s still trying to bother Lily. I’m kind of glad that she likes to climb and he doesn’t. I have to admit that it’s easier for the rest of us when he’s distracted by Lily.

Lily’s still scared of me, although she did sniff my hand. That’s okay; she’ll get used to me.

I’ve decided that I’ll make the Creamy Garlic-Herb Chicken Skillet tonight. It seems fairly easy.

I ordered “Muddy Mats” for the front and back doors and they’ve arrived. Perfect timing with the dog coming later this week. I’ll have to remember to put a rag by the door to wipe muddy paws.

Napped. I’m not sure exactly when I went to sleep but I think that it was three or four hours. Oliver and Lily are okay. She’s advanced to smacking Oliver if he gets too close. I’ve got their dishes soaking. Fed the hordes. I’m starting to really like Lily. She asks for what she wants (in this case, food). She isn’t a pushover.

Oliver knocked his food off of the counter (I have to feed him first because he tries to eat everyone else’s food) and started to eat Lily’s food. I rescued it and gave it to her in the bathroom.

Hmm. It just occurred to me that cooking might be difficult with Oliver around. And I’m hungry now. I’m thinking of having a cooking day tomorrow when I make the food and freeze it. Maybe I’ll start prepping tonight. Maybe I should shut Oliver in the bathroom while I cook.

Now I’m wondering if I should call the dog Bella because she is beautiful. I found a site on Etsy that has a collar personalized with the dog’s name and the person’s phone number and address.

There’s a fly in here that Lily is stalking. Oliver is licking up my Louisiana Crunch Cake crumbs. Strange kitty. Lily is licking the fork that Oliver knocked down.

I shut Oliver in the bathroom and made the food. It looks good. I’m letting it cool off. I’ll try a little and freeze the rest. It’s pretty good. And it’s healthy; it has chicken, kale, cauliflower, and peas, plus some cheese and sauce. I enjoyed the cooking. Put it in the freezer but realized that I don’t have freezer tape. I need to get some. Loaded the dishwasher and started it and let Oliver out.

Oh good. I was wondering where I could walk Bella before driving back from Bloomington to Champaign (a little over an hour). The TA Travel Center (a truck stop) has a dog run. I’ll buy a soda there and walk her. I’m also going to stop at a rest stop on the way.

Now I’m thinking that I’ll stay up for the New York City countdown (it’s almost 11:30 there), feed the cats, start another load of laundry, and go to bed.

I missed the New York countdown because Oliver was rolling around on my laptop and shut off my WiFi. Somehow, that's appropriate. I'm going to post while he's running around and go feed them and do the nightly routine. Happy furry New Year, everyone!