Entries tagged with auntie a

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Yay, Money!

I also want to bring up to Dad that I am buying used furniture on Facebook Marketplace. I just found a (washable!) rug that I like. And a coffee table and end table.

I had problems falling asleep. I got up once to eat some oatmeal, which usually helps. Then I got up again to take a shower, so that I could sleep later. And then I woke up at the original time to get up. I'm tired.

It's cold in the house. I think that's because of drafts (the joys of having an old house). I'm looking into the plastic stuff that you can put on windows in the winter to seal them. I also want to look into insulated curtains for the bedroom.

I've got everything that I need to make cookies! Yay!

We did our introductions at work, so yay. Now I can be off-camera the rest of the day.

I'm looking into Costco. I belonged to it a long time ago, but I let my membership lapse because I was mostly buying batteries there. But you can get great deals on hearing aids there. (I'm thinking of getting a new pair because I've been having problems hearing in certain situations.) And if I could get cat supplies there, that would really help. And they have acrylic organizers. And Stack Social is having a deal on Costco memberships. And they have travel discounts. They have some good travel deals.

I want to get some brewer's yeast to put into my smoothies too.

Holy cow. I just got the check from my aunt's estate, and it's a fairly large chunk of money. It will help a lot. When the check clears, I'll get the housecleaner in to help clean and organize my stuff. I might splurge on a robot vacuum and mop; the one that I want is on sale. Actually, what I want is a massage. My shoulders, neck, and back have been bugging me. Heck, I could go to New York City, but I think that it's more important to finish stuff up in Michigan instead.

Deposited the check. When I went to the grocery store to get yogurt, I smelled some Chinese food that smelled really good. I decided to get a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, mashed potatoes, and some frozen cheddar broccoli. I should get at least two dinners out of it. No, three dinners. Damn, the food was good.

The cats want THEIR dinner. I think that Zara is looking for the chicken.

The local humane society has a cat who sounds really good. She’s a dilute tortoiseshell like Zara, but with different markings. They said that she’s chill about dogs. I’ll have to ask about other cats. It would be nice to have a chill cat. My two are divas!

Zara is picking at her food again. Of course, she does this when it’s the weekend. I’m trying to find the med that the vet gave her to increase her appetite. She’s being a cuddle bug though.

Nap time. It got to be 8 PM, and I decided that I should just get ready for bed. Laundry. I need to do laundry. And freeze the bananas so that I can make a smoothie tomorrow morning.

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And Still More Progress

I was able to get an educator's discount on Adobe Creative Cloud, so I installed Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and Adobe Premiere.

The cats wouldn't let me go to sleep without feeding them! I don't know where Zara's meds went. I must have knocked them off the table when I was cleaning it.

Did my usual morning routine and took a nap. I woke up groggy. Apparently, there is something like a "sleep hangover" you can get (I forget the proper term).

There is a form from an annuity of my aunt's that I've been ignoring because it's $30 a month. As far as I was concerned, it was worth $30 a month not to fill out the form. But now I read that I can get a lump sum of $1500, and I'm like, yes please. Yes, I know that it's the same money and I'm laughing at myself.

I'm looking for a day that I can drop off the clothes to be mended and Mom's canes, walker, and bath chair. (Someone on Facebook pointed me to a place that would take them.) Monday would be good, but I'll probably have to pick up the car. Friday would be good except the junk guys will be here. Maybe Wednesday.

Oh ugh. I scheduled my next batch of singing lessons starting next week! I don't know why I did that. That'll make things easier though with the person coming to pack Mom's clothes.

I read an article about how singing is good for you, especially choral singing. I'm working on it! I found a community chorus in Champaign that doesn't even require an audition. That might be a place to start.

Jammed through my shower in case the TaskRabbit person gets here early, though past history suggests that TaskRabbit people are never early. And yep, she said that her morning task ran over and she'll be here at 4 instead of 3:30. She's here now.

Got the printer working and the Medical Guardian device packed up. Filled out the annuity form, only to find that I need info from my aunt's death certificate. Made inroads on the kitchen. I need to dump stuff out, but it's storming.

I think that I need a new file folder called "Stuff in Mom's handwriting that I can't bear to get rid of" and date it. Maybe in 10 years, I'll be able to get rid of it.

I'm running out of steam.

I have to hand it to the TaskRabbit person. She persevered and bagged all my mom's clothes, which has got to be a really tedious task. There are a lot of scarves for me to go through though. I'm not quite done with the kitchen, but I made a lot of progress. My back hurts, and I'm going to lie down for a while after feeding the cats.

Mom's zig zag plant is perking up after I watered it. I'm glad because I like it.

Tim (my aunt's executor) told me to contact the annuity company to see what to do to get my mom's share of the annuity. He said that the money wasn't theirs to keep. So I'll call them.

My back is hurting again. I'm going to put the laundry in the dryer and collapse.

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Retirement Just Got Real

Mimi wants something, but I don't know what. I gave her some dry food, but that wasn't it (but she'll eat it anyway). Does she want me to go back to sleep? Good luck with that, Mimi.

Went through Mom's messages on her answering machine and deleted some of them so that people can leave messages.

I'm looking at the more expensive trips that I want to take while I'm still working. I was looking at a tour of China that includes a Yangtze river cruise (on my "bucket list"). Hmm, it looks like a lot of companies are pulling out of China though. Road Scholar has some cool trips to China though, including one that includes Tibet. And it has a great cruise of Australia and New Zealand. Now I know what I need to save up for.

Well, I'm going to inherit enough money from Mom to retire. It's not just my perception; I told my dad about it, and he said, "Are you going to retire or keep on working?" I still want to work until I get vested for my pension. If nothing else, it would pay for some really nice trips. And if I get vested, the uni will pay for a Medicare Advantage health insurance policy when I retire. The uni has some nice benefits.

Now that I need a will, I'm looking at charities to include in my will. Right now, I'm looking at a three-way split between The Nature Conservancy (climate change), the Human Rights Campaign (LGBTQ+ issues), and the Coalition for the Homeless. I'm also doing research for hiring an executor for my will. And I plan to buy a cemetery plot for me and the cats in the not-too-distant future. Basically, I want to make it simple to "close me out," unlike what I'm dealing with with my mom. And I'm buying a printable binder for information about my bank accounts, insurance, final wishes, etc.

The people managing my mom's money made a case for continuing to manage the money (of course). I did like them. My dad is going to do research on them and give me his advice.

Got the garbage out. (Zen saying: "After ecstasy, the laundry.") Oh, and I found a statement from Mom's mortgage company (she refinanced), and we missed a payment, so I need to get that taken care of. I see why my dad keeps saying to hire help. I have my hands full getting the finances straightened out and coordinating things.

I need to email Deanna about the trust, but I'm too tired to do it now. I think that I'll wait on the mortgage payment until tomorrow too. I need to throw myself together by lunchtime to run out and get the death certificates and bring them to the financial planner.

It's weird knowing that I could retire at any time after the estate is settled. I'm also going to get money from the sale of my aunt's house. It feels like it's raining money.

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Homework Day

My Italian teacher got confused as to what time the lesson was given all the time changes. That's okay. I'll have lunch. I'm fresh and clean and wearing the cleaning sweats. He had to reschedule again due to Internet problems. But we finally connected.

My dad keeps insisting that I should hire someone to help clean, but I don't see how that would work. Plus, it would be expensive because it's a big house.

Took a nap and overslept. Started laundry.

I called Mom twice, but she isn't answering. I'm feeling slightly guilty for not going over there.

Worked on my program. I'm having issues with it. Maybe I should go pack and something will come to me. I'm tempted to hand it in as is.

I texted with my aunt's executor, and the house is under contract! That's good news!

Okay, I submitted what I had. Now I'm going to do some packing for a little while. No, wait a minute--I need to get stuff out of the car, so maybe I should wait until morning. I can measure the stairs for the banister.

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Happy New Year (Almost)!

Wow, I was hammered last night. I completely zonked.

I'm surprised at how many famous people died at the end of this year. Were they trying to get past the holidays and then let go?

Oh, I forgot to mention that I texted with my aunt's nephew, asking him how the sale of my aunt's house is going. He said that it's been kind of slow with the holidays and the economy. I noticed that they dropped the price a little. I told him that I'm planning to go out and help my mom after I get settled in the new place. She's supposed to send him some stuff, but she can't go up and down the stairs :(

Ran out to drop a few things at the thrift store and get more cleaning supplies. As soon as my rags finish drying, I'll get cleaning.

Oh yay. Someone took the treadmill. That was the third person who said that they'd come get it. Sigh.

I've been feeling tired today, so I'm cranking up music to keep me going. Yay Bluetooth headphones. Yay, The Who. Now I'm taking a break to eat dinner and charge up the headphones.

Speaking of cleaning, I might have found a housekeeper for the Urbana house. I'm going to need help.

I've chosen my words for next year (I can't choose just one because that's how I am): connection (make new friends) and completion (deal with any tasks that I need to do as I unpack). Following through on those would change my life for the better.

I'm going to switch cat litter. The sawdust stuff that I'm using hardens like a rock and sticks. I'll have to find something else that's environmentally friendly. I'm going to try sWheat Scoop next.

Talked to Mom. She had fallen asleep and incorporated the phone into her dream, but eventually she realized that the phone really was ringing. She's doing about the same. She has to know in what city I'll be in every day next week, but then she realized that I'll have my cell phone with me.

Hmm. I swept the kitchen floor but I realized that I missed a couple of spots. I think that I'll remedy that (done) and go to bed. I'll wash the floor in the morning. Hmm, it's getting close to the New York NYE countdown. Maybe I should listen to them play "Imagine" and "New York, New York".

In thinking about 2023, the move will be a real plus. I'll be in a house that I like in a town that I like, and I can meet new people. But I think that 2023 will be difficult because of my mom's health. I think that it will be a roller coaster year.

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Boxes, Boxes, Boxes

I looked at crocs like susandennis mentioned because I want to start swimming again after the move. Apparently, crocs don't have wide widths. Oh well. No, they have a page of wide shoes. Maybe I'll try them. They don't have half-sizes though.

I overslept this morning. Suckage. Started laundry. Messaged a guy who wants to pick up my old manual treadmill.

Zara says that food is her love language :)

Headache, but I can't lie down. I'm writing Christmas cards while I'm waiting for the acetaminophen to kick in. My cards are done, even the one to my friend Lance in which I write a short recap of the year. I'd like to see Lance, but who knows when or if I'd take a road trip to Kansas City.

The treadmill guy says that he needs to get gas money and then he'll come over. Hmm, I wish that he'll get here soon because I think that I'll need more medium boxes (in storage). If I run out of medium boxes, I can pack books and the wardrobe boxes though.

I saw a super cute wool coat, but I don't really need it. I'll have to think about it. Hmm, I have a promo code, but it doesn't apply to items on sale. So it's expensive. And I'd need boots to wear with it, although I saw some used ones on eBay.

I forgot to say that my aunt's house is up for sale now. We'll see what happens. It doesn't look like her house anymore.

I sat down for a minute, and Mimi went, "Oooh, a warm lap." Cats, ruining productivity for thousands of years! Now she's "helping" me pack and is checking out the empty shelves in the kitchen. And now Zara is on my lap.

Treadmill guy is still waiting for his gas money. I'm going to take a short nap and then throw myself together to go get boxes and mail Christmas cards. I found more soup and some cookies, so I don't need to go to the store tonight.

Back with tons of boxes, and I mailed my Christmas cards.

Talked to Mom. Here's a new wrinkle: she can't get up off the couch. She's now sleeping in her chair so that she can get up. And she's having digestive problems. (She was talking to me on the toilet.) So she doesn't know if she'll be able to come out or not. She'll keep me posted. I did say that I could still come up on Friday of next week and come back on Monday because I need to pick up the girls on Tuesday.

Talking to her gets me agitated, but I need to get more done before I crash. Hmm, I'm yawning though. I just ordered Jimmy John's because I'm craving roast beef. It was good. Zara thought that it smelled good too and was reaching for it with her paw. Dream on, cat.

Oh what the hell. I'm going to bed. But I'm going to set a wake up call as well as my alarms to annoy myself into getting up early.

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Ack

Ugh. I did do really badly on the test in my programming class. Oh well. Made lots of dumb mistakes.

I haven't heard from the people fixing my hot water heater yet, but they probably were booked up on Monday by the time that they were called on Friday afternoon. I also haven't heard from the complex managers about the square feet of this place, which I'm going to use to help the movers make an initial estimate.

I'm trying to figure out what to do about ordering furniture. I need to wait until Dec. 15th, when I get the keys to the house, to measure spaces. But I'll be gone to go get Mom for Christmas and to drop her off at Greyhound for the trip back, and I don't want them to deliver while I'm gone. They ship within a week. Maybe I should wait to order until after Mom leaves.

I got the check from my aunt's estate and stashed it in my purse. Cool beans.

Ack. The management of my house rental had to reschedule our meeting to sign the lease. The best time that I could find this week was Friday. That means that I have to sit on my aunt's estate check, which is for several thousand dollars, until Friday. (There is no branch of my bank in my town but there is in Champaign-Urbana.) Sigh.

I'm still trying to decide whether to buy a snow blower or hire someone to remove the snow. Over time, the snow blower probably would be cheaper, but it requires a $200-$250 layout up front.

I changed my mind about which coffee table to get, but I managed to fall in love with a much cheaper table lamp (less than half the price of the other one). Yay. No, I keep looking at lamps. Maybe Mom will help me decide on one.

I requested move estimates from Two Men and a Truck, Movers 4 Less, and Twin City Movers.

Tried to open a Money Market account online at my bank, but they're having system problems. Okay, managed to open one. I'll have them link it to my checking on Friday.

Studied for my test tomorrow. I keep yawning, so I think that I should go to bed early. Also, I'm hungry.

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Up and Down

I returned the equipment from the sleep study this morning. I was able to sleep with it on after all. Now we wait and see what they say.

The salad from Walmart's deli was good. Nice and fresh. I'll have to get it again.

I have a headache however, so I'm going to watch the replay of my webinar this afternoon and power-nap. Well, I overslept my power-nap. At least I'm more well-rested.

Heck. The first disbursement of my aunt's money is going out this week, which is good, but I'll need to deposit the check in person at a PNC branch, which isn't good. I'll need to get up early on Saturday, my birthday, to go deposit the check in Springfield or Bloomington. I guess that I could take a long nap afterward.

The managers of the house that I want to rent in Urbana still haven't heard from the managers of my complex, so I'm going to go over there and light a fire under them tomorrow.

Ack. My assignment is going to be late because I'm stuck on a problem. Okay, I got myself unstuck, but I'm not quite done. I need to go to sleep now so that I can get myself together to go to the complex office tomorrow morning.

Oh, assuming that I get things straightened out for the move, I'm thinking to bringing my mom to the new place for Christmas. I'll have loads of stuff to do, but she can hang out.

I will respond to comments soon. I've just been swamped.

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Tired Day

Woke up around 8:30 AM to darkness and a forecast of rain showers. Got up to feed hungry cats and eat breakfast. I'm planning to take a long nap after breakfast. Last night, I was calling the girls because I wanted kitty snuggles, but they didn't come. This morning, I woke up to both of them staring at me.

Zara is hanging out on my lap.

The Washington Post had an article about the aftermath of the college that I used to work for closing.

My Italian teacher texted me in Whatsapp, asking if I was available for a lesson tomorrow, and I said, "Yes." He asked if we had the time change yet, and I said that it was tonight. An extra hour of sleep!

It's windy out. I threw on my shoes and new-to-me cargo jacket and stashed away my garbage can. Then I noticed that one of the plants that I brought inside was looking unhappy, so I watered it.

Mimi was having a lively conversation with me. She's now on my hip.

Had a nice long nap. I have a bad case of the shakes, though, and am not feeling entirely well. I have some Chinese food that I could eat tonight and soup. But I desperately need cat food, so I was wondering if I could DoorDash it. Yes, I can get some from Dollar General. Oh, my cat food was delivered into a mail locker, so I just need to go get it. That does require getting dressed though :)

I'm trying to figure out a place for a blue glass bowl and a cookie jar that I brought back from Chicago.

Had lunch. I'm thinking of taking another short nap. Mimi says that it's lap time first though. I exist to serve. I slept an hour more than I had intended.

Ate dinner and finally showered and got dressed. Retrieved the cat food, so we all have what we need.

Talked to Mom. We're both tired, so we didn't talk long. She wants to know what happens with the house in Urbana, and I said that I was going to contact them next week and let her know.

Well, that's fabulous. I went to pay my rent online, and it said that ePay was not enabled on my property, even though I've paid using it before. Did they sell the complex again? I'll drop off a rent check tomorrow.

I made some soup. I'm going to eat it and go to sleep.

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Overwhelmed

The hotel bed was such a soft and cozy nest. I wish that I could have taken it with me.

I am feeling completely overwhelmed. I'm trying to do stuff to move us along. I was outside rearranging some stuff in the van, and Mom needed my help in the bathroom. She said that she screamed for me, but I didn't hear her. So right now I'm just sitting here, playing with my phone, although Mom said that I could load the delicate stuff in the car, but she wants to go through the bags to see is there's anything that she needs.

Loaded the van. Ran and got us some lunch. Now Mom wants to go by the cemetery because my aunt's nephew sent the wording for my aunt's stone and she wants to compare it to the existing stones.

I am so not going to get my homework done tonight.

We went by the cemetery and looked at my uncle's, grandfather's, and grandmother's stones. We decided that the wording on my aunt's stone should match my uncle's.

At that point, it was 4 PM. Mom was dubious about starting that late. I was willing, but we'd hit rush-hour traffic, which is extreme in Chicago. So we're staying here one more night and getting an early start in the morning.

Mom was falling asleep in her chair, so I told her to take a nap. I'm going to start on homework. Hmm, Google FI's hotspot kind of sucks. Slow and many spinning progress icons. The laptop finally came to a grinding halt when I was trying to get TaskRabbit guys to unload the van tomorrow night, so I had to use my phone to book them. I don't know what I'll do for class on Thursday.

Mom is now bent out of shape because I won't be coming to Detroit over Christmas because I'll be moving. She has some major magical thinking in that I can snap my fingers and stuff that I need to get done magically takes no time, while she can take as long as she wants for what she wants to get done.

I need to calm down and do homework.

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What a Freaking Mess

I overslept an hour. I must have needed the sleep.

I started to go down a rabbit hole trying to get my work email set up on my phone, but I reminded myself that my goal for this morning is to get out of here and on my way to Chicago. I can work on getting my email set up in the hotel tonight.

Called the U-Haul place to tell them that I was going to pick up the U-Haul an hour later, only to have them tell me that someone was keeping the van longer, so they didn't have one. I scrambled to make another reservation.

When I went to pick up the van, the guy there said that he couldn't give me the keys to it unless I could open the lockbox. I went through the steps to go through a mobile checkin, which involved calling three different people to vouch for me, only to find that the combination didn't work.

So I Ubered back. The U-Haul app said that I had the van, so I called U-Haul. They said that they couldn't cancel the transaction, but I need to call the place tomorrow and have them cancel it. I won't be able to get another van until they cancel it.

I made yet another reservation for a van tomorrow. This one is at an Ace Hardware, and they're usually on the ball, so I hope that this will work out.

I made Mom laugh because I received a text message thanking me for using U-Haul, and I gave it the finger :)

Mom was feeling very chatty tonight. Besides my trying to get the U-Haul, I went and got oatmeal and some dinner. She said my job for tonight is to get some good rest because tomorrow will be a long day. No kidding.

Aaaad the hotel couldn't find my reservation. They finally gave me a room to get rid of me I think. And the room was boiling hot, so I've got the a/c on. But it has a nice bed.

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Too Old for Air Mattresses

My aunt's nephew told me that there will be no place for me to sleep at my aunt's house next weekend. My mom will sleep in the recliner. He told me that he'd buy an air mattress if I wanted, but I said that I was too old for air mattresses, and he laughed. I booked a hotel for me to stay at. He said that he'd reimburse me for the hotel (or actually, reimburse my mom because I'm using her credit card for stuff related to my aunt's house. She has a crazy amount of credit.)

Someone in my class recommended That's It! fruit bars, so I ordered a sampler box of them. I'm always looking for stuff to satisfy my sweet tooth, and they're healthy.

I think that I want to try Factor for meals when I get my aunt's money. They have some meals that sound really good.

Slept until noon. I must have needed the sleep. Started laundry. Checked in on the discord for my classes. One person said that she was thinking of dropping out, but she decided to stay. I'm glad.

I want to start packing for Chicago next weekend. I'm trying to decide whether to take the bigger suitcase or the carry-on. I can do laundry at my aunt's house or my mom's house.

I'm trying to figure out what to do in what order. I do want a nap. I need to go to the grocery store, and I started a list. And I should start on homework.

My dad is saying don't buy real estate or a car because interest rates are going up. Makes sense, but I'm wondering how long the economy will be screwed up. My dad says that it's anyone's guess.

Mom bought a pair of arch-support Skechers shoes, and she said that they were helping her walking. They're expensive though, so I'm looking on eBay for less expensive ones and have a bunch that I'm watching. Who'd of thought that I'd get into a shoe fetish over Skechers? I'm trying to decide between an arch support shoe (which is what I was looking for) and a really cute pair of sneakers. Okay, I bought the arch support shoes, but I'm not entirely ruling out getting the sneakers too.

I'm getting a headache, so I'm going to lie down for a little while. Mimi is snuggled up against me. Maybe I'll go to the store after I talk to Mom, but I'm also eyeing cinnamon bread sticks at Dominos for delivery.

Talked to Mom. She said that she's not feeling emotionally supported by me, but I don't know what she wants. She dumps all her stress on me, gets disappointed in me, and hangs up. She also said that her friend Lotus will drop everything and be there for her, but I have a job. Lotus is retired. All I know is that talking to me doesn't make her happy, and I sit and churn over the conversation for a couple of hours.

I think that I'll just shower, put on fresh pajamas, and order Dominos (done). The food has put me into a food coma, so I'm going to bed.

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So Many Threads of Stuff Going On

I contacted property management companies in Urbana last night for tours on Monday. One place got back to me so far, and I have appointments to see a house and an apartment on Monday. And I'm setting up a time to see an apartment in Champaign on Wednesday. I need to set up my aunt's TV and stereo this weekend so that I can drop the old ones off at Best Buy to be recycled on Monday.

Mom said yesterday that I could look for places to live during Thanksgiving week, and I said that I'd need a place before then. Thanksgiving Week is for packing.

I now have an appointment to pick up the sleep study equipment on November 2nd. My life is all about the appointments.

I met with one of my professors about some problems that I got wrong on the exam, and she said not to worry about getting problems wrong as long as I figure out why they were wrong. She said that she thought that I could do well in the class, which is good to hear.

One other place in Urbana wanted me to view a place tomorrow morning, and I said, "No". I have a boatload of stuff to get done around here, and I'm not driving 2.5 hours total just to see one place. We settled on Monday morning. I don't like those people already, though, so that's not a good sign.

I sent out requests to view houses in Champaign on Wednesday. A couple responded that the houses have been rented.

Talked to my aunt's nephew, talked to Mom, and called my aunt's nephew again to ask him something I forgot about. Not sure why I'm the go-between, but Mom said that she didn't have the time to talk to Tim but she'll talk to me. Okay, whatever.

I seriously need sweet stuff to eat plus some more frozen stuff, so I'm going to go to the grocery store now. Abort. It's raining, and I don't feel like going out in the rain. I had a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich and called it "dessert".

I reserved the U-Haul van for moving Mom's stuff from my aunt's house. I have to admit that it's easy with the app.

Paid a bill.

There's a big honking wolf spider living in one of the plants that I brought inside. I don't really want him to live inside with me, so I'm going to take the plant outside and try to shake him out. After the rain stops.

I watched a couple of plane crash videos because that's my jam. I'm really, really tired, so I'm going to crash. Oops, maybe I shouldn't say "crash" :)

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Success! Part 2

Woke up a little before when my alarm went off. I'm feeling tired. Zara made a big fuss over me.

My Google Fi order is still showing "out for delivery". I routed it to Walgreens because FedEx said that it would be delivered yesterday. Hmm. Okay, I got a text that it arrived.

Got my laptop set up again. I'm early for Italian. Italian went well. My teacher is impressed by how busy I am :)

Unloaded the stuff from the truck that's going inside my home. The guys did a good job tying down the entertainment center; it didn't move.

The second set of guys came and unloaded the entertainment center. It fit in storage perfectly. I covered it with a moving blanket. I remembered to gas up the truck, but I drove back with the sliding door open! Nothing was in there, so it didn't matter. Now I'm sitting for a moment before I sweep out the truck (done). I'm running early.

Dropped the truck off after having to take a million pictures of it for the U-Haul app. Went out to eat at Arby's because I was starving and hadn't had lunch. Texted my aunt's nephew with the upshot of my Chicago trip. Went grocery shopping. Mom called while I was in the store. She got her smartphone working, which is good. She's starting to pack for Chicago. I picked up the Google Fi envelope, but I'm too tired to deal with it right now.

I'm really tired. I'd like to go to sleep, but there's a study session for our test next week that I should attend. Also, I need to do laundry. I'd start it, but Zara is on my lap. Started laundry. Something is wrong with my washer because it's making a high-pitched noise when it spins. Need to call the repair person. Took out the garbage.

No study group. I should be disappointed, but actually, I'm relieved. I want to finish my laundry and go to sleep.

Solved the mystery of the missing moving tie-down. It was sent a a separate package that got misplaced. But I'm missing my spare glasses. What do I do, eat them? Fling them in the air? I need to do some serious organizing this week.

Started my nighttime tasks. And now the dryer has stopped, so I need to finish up and crash!

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Success! Part 1

Well, I overslept and got up at 6 AM. At least I'm well-rested.

Well, crap. My TaskRabbit mover canceled. I tried to book two new people for today. We'll see what happens. Now I'm not sure what to do. Okay, I found two more people. I hope that they will show up. I'm resting for a moment with Zara on my lap, and then I'll hit the road.

I made good time on the drive. I got used to the truck pretty quickly. I decided that I had time to stop for lunch, but ate quickly.

My aunt's nephew, bless his heart, had already pulled the plugs on the TV and stereo. One TaskRabbit guy got here early and shrink-wrapped the entertainment center. Then then other guy got here, and they moved it out and strapped it down. Elapsed time about 10 minutes.

But I had a problem because I thought that I had another strap for the TV and stereo, but couldn't find it. So I roamed the basement and garage looking for rope. No dice. I called my mom, and she didn't know where any was. She's stressed because her phone wasn't working right and because my aunt's nephew said that the estate sale people will start the sale in mid-November. She's talking about coming to Chicago the week after next.

I sat and wondered if the TV and stereo would fit in the front cab with me. They fit perfectly. Problem solved. And they will be locked up when I stop. The lock that I bought from U-Haul doesn't quite fit the sliding door of the truck. Bah.

Now I'm taking a nap before I drive back. It took a while before I was able to fall asleep, but I did and woke up freezing cold.

Touched base with the people unloading the entertainment center tomorrow. Had a bowl of soup and some leftover onion rings and an apple pie from lunch.

I'm back. I was going to stay up and study some Italian and wind down, but I think that I can go to sleep now. The cats are happy that I'm home.

Entry tags:

The Cutest Little U-Haul Truck

I got the U-Haul truck, but it was kind of a hassle. The app made me re-enter everything that I entered last night to streamline the process. Bah. But I've got it. I'll have to get used to driving it. Sandy, my pet sitter, who drove my car back, also said that it was the cutest little U-Haul, which is what I think too. I fell out of the cab of the truck after I parked it. Sigh.

Man, I'm tired. I think that I'll bring a suitcase just in case I feel like I can't get back from Chicago on the same day tomorrow, although I want to get back tomorrow. I will take a nap after we load the truck though.

Hmm. I can't stop yawning. I wonder if I should just go to sleep after work and get up really early to load the truck and tidy up and go to the store. Walmart opens at 6 AM. Yeah, I think that I'll do that. Maybe I'll pack a suitcase now through. Oh yeah, I need to bring the plants in because of the freeze tonight (done).

I'm going to bed.

Entry tags:

Too Busy

I started making a packing checklist for my trip to Chicago this weekend. This one is complicated because I need to bring packing materials and moving materials with me to Chicago, plus some tools. At least it's just an overnight as far as clothes go.

Talked to Mom briefly to tell her that I got the credit card for her account. She still isn't sure if she'll be able to go to Chicago the following weekend. She's still having health issues and is wondering if she'll make it to the doctor on Friday. I told her that I could order her an Uber if need be. She does have her new smartphone, but who knows if she'll get Uber up and running before then.

Hmm. I'm supposed to get a first payout from my aunt's estate. Maybe I should sign up for a (precooked) meal plan from whenever I get the payout until the move to maximize my time. I've been buying frozen dinners a lot anyway, although those are cheaper. I should keep an eye out for a sale on them. Though I need to eat the items in my freezer too. That could be one thing that I drive over to Champaign from my place, anything that's still in the freezer/refrigerator.

I had a dental cleaning and picked up my fixed partial. The replacement tooth on the partial feels funny, but I guess that it will wear down. I got a list of dentists in Champaign that are in the same network as the one that I'd been going to.

Then I worked on homework. I told my professor that it's going to be late; it was due at midnight. I got one problem working, and my brain is tired, so I'm going to go to sleep soon. I need some serious sleep.

Because of the late assignment, I'm going to have to pack on Friday. It shouldn't take long though.

Entry tags:

Pixel

I'm telling Zara that she's a stomach with legs. She wants her lunchtime snack! Actually, she gained a little weight and looks good. She was very thin before.

I had a bad case of the "don't wannas" (plus I've been fighting a headache all day) for class, but I attended anyway.

I picked out a day to take off so that I can look at places in Champaign. Next week is not going to work, so I'm targeting Wednesday of the week after. (It's a case of, "Which meetings can I skip?")

I tried lying down but couldn't sleep. Just as well because I have stuff to do.

Watched a Flight Channel video about a near miss at O'Hare. A 737 doing its takeoff roll rotated early and cleared a 747 on an intersecting runway by 35 feet. The only thing to say is "Fuck!!!!!" I didn't know that O'Hare had intersecting runways. I don't think that I wanted to know that.

Things are coming together for my Chicago trip. My pet sitter will drive me to the U-Haul place. My aunt's nephew called and asked if I would be there on Saturday so that the real estate person could look around. And oh yeah, I need to doublecheck that I've got the keys to the place.

I got the Pixel and it's charging. I need to buy a case for it (done). I joined Google Fi to get them to send me the SIM for it. I need to contact AT&T for a transfer pin, but I'll wait until I'm ready to transfer the cell phone number to avoid issues with AT&T.

Started laundry. Went back to work. And oh hell, I forgot to put the clothes in the dryer. I guess that I'll dry it in the morning and wear pajamas when I start work.

Entry tags:

They Took the Washer and Dryer!

I wound up staying up late last night watching a program about an Air Canada flight that ran out of fuel in the 80s. The heroic pilot managed to land the plane with no loss of life. The cause was that previous planes calculated fuel in pounds, but this new plane (a 767) used kilograms, leading the fuelers to fill it only half-full. It was very interesting.

Yay. I texted with the guy who will take my washer and dryer, so it looks like someone will take it.

Italian went well. Afterward, the junk removal guy said that he would be about 30 minutes, so I gobbled a peanut butter sandwich to have something in my stomach.

YAAAAAAY! They took the washer and dryer! And I can contact the company when I'm ready to get rid of the futon. Excellent!

Went grocery shopping. I now have the ingredients for the Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce.

Reserved the U-Haul. With mileage, it'll be a small fortune, but Mom thinks that I can get reimbursed for it? No, I can't get reimbursed for it but I'll be getting some money from my aunt's estate.

Napped briefly.

The study session that I attended was very helpful. I need to eat, but then I want to do homework while the session is fresh in my mind.

Ate. Took the garbage out. Now I'm feeling exhausted, so I'm wondering if I should get to bed early. I would like to tackle the homework though (done, so I want to go to sleep after emailing the OKCupid person).

Entry tags:

Boundaries

I had been listening to REM's CD Monster while I drove back from Michigan, and "My Crush with Eyeliner" is playing in my head. I need to dig out more REM CDs for my next Chicago trip.

I made an appointment for a COVID booster and flu shot tomorrow. I can pick my meds up then too.

I forgot to mention that Mom's friend was joking about Mom needing a quart (of blood), and I said that it was too bad that she didn't have a dip stick to see when she needed more blood. (She gets regular transfusions because of low hemoglobin.)

I dumped the garbage bags full of my aunt's clothes in my closet for fear that my pet sitter might think that they're garbage and dump them, but now I can't get into the closet. I need to deal with them sooner rather than later. I want to put the sweaters in my wicker chest, though, and Mimi has decided that's her spot.

I looked up when to book a trip for Spring Break, and Google says in January. I might book in December to be sure.

Started laundry. Looked for my spare partial, but I haven't found it so far. What did I do with it? Started reading the Unfuck Your Boundaries book. Discovered that there is also a workbook, so I ordered it. I love workbooks. I'm pondering what my boundaries are.

Ordered my mom's Uber for the trip back. It's a hassle involving many phone calls back and forth. I hope that she gets a smartphone soon. (I told her that she can book an Uber from the Web, but she thinks that's too confusing.)

I messaged an OKCupid person. We'll see how this goes. (One of my therapist's roles seems to be plunging me into things. I tend to suffer from analysis paralysis.)

Tried to order more bamboo toilet paper, but couldn't log in. Noticed that I had a Lahaina t-shirt saved to Google Keep, which started me wondering about more pairs of jeans. I went to Mercari for more used jeans, and found as many pairs of shorts as jeans. I guess that I'll be ready for Miami. I did get the Lahaina shirt. The money goes to someone in Hawaii who is LGBT+ friendly, so it's a good cause. Okay, I got the toilet paper straightened out and it ships on Monday.

Well, heck. The room rates in Miami go up in March. They would be much cheaper in November. The best that I could do in March is $224 a night. That's for a nice place with a pool, kitchenettes in the rooms including a refrigerator, and a balcony. With taxes and fees, it's $2000. Ack. Seattle is cheaper, so maybe I should go to Seattle in March. (Miami and Seattle are on top of my US bucket list.) Alaska Airlines is the cheapest, but I'd have to take a flight at 8 AM. I found a hotel in Seattle that sounds perfect.

I'm working on cleaning the stove where I had the banana bread disaster. Right now, it's soaking. Done. It's now looking good.

Talked to Mom. She was trying to guilt me into going to Chicago earlier and picking her up at the airport, but I stuck to my plan of coming up on the Friday of the week that she's going. My therapist would be proud of me. Mom is mad at me. Sigh. I pointed out that I was driving her to Michigan and promptly coming back, so I am helping her. She also said that one of my aunt's friends can't pick her up "because he works". Well, I work, damn it.

Actually, I'm wondering if Mom needs to go to Chicago at all. I'm going to rent the van, load the van, and drive, so why does she need to be there? I know where the stuff that she wants is.

I'm trying to decide what to do now. I need to make up a half-hour from work, so I'll do that first. I need to clean counters in the kitchen, but I might leave that until tomorrow.

I texted my aunt's nephew. He said that he told my mom that there wasn't a rush to get her stuff out of my aunt's house, but he would like stuff out by mid-October. I'm going to stick to my plan of going to pick up my stuff next weekend. Though wait a minute, If I'm going to drive the van back to Chicago, I can pick up my stuff when I pick up my car. The question is what I'm going to do about the entertainment center. I probably won't have the old one out by mid-October, so I'll need to put it in storage (with a blanket on it to keep it clean). Maybe I could get someone to take stuff out of here during the week. Either way, I have my work cut out for me.