days_unfolding

The local schools are having a remote day tomorrow. Maybe I'll wait until lunchtime to brush off the cars.

Crud. I forgot to order food. I’ll do so after I get up.

Ugh. -3F/-19C with a low of -7F/-22C. Yep, it’s cold.

Woke up a little after 2 AM. I was going to go back to sleep, but I wondered if I woke up because I needed to pee, so I got up and did so.

Woke up a little after 7 AM. Gracie was trying to get me up, and I was pulling the covers over my head. It’s 0F/-18C, and the dogs came in quickly.

Rob Reiner and his wife were killed. That made me gasp. Horrible. That shook me up.

Ugh. I really want to go back to sleep, but I should shower so that I can brush off the cars at lunchtime. I finally did shower and have my Christmas sweatshirt on.

Gracie: Oliver is on your lap!!! Yes, Gracie, I know. He has a right to be there. Oliver is now walking on my keyboard, knocking stuff down, and being annoying.

I think that I'm going to have to be dug out before I can brush off the cars. I'll contact the snow guy. He said that he'll be there shortly. The dogs got out when the guys were done, but they helped me catch them.

Brushed off the Honda. I didn’t get the Kia because my hands were cold.

Busy day at work. I'm just getting started on the things that I need to get done. Meetings otherwise.

My car got stuck trying to get it out. No caroling today. I took the time to brush off the Kia because I’m sitting waiting for AAA. The guy called by AAA was very helpful and pulled me out. He dug around the car so that I can get it out tomorrow. But I’m dubious about going anywhere tomorrow.

I need to let the dogs out (done). Fed us all. I've just about had it with today. I want to go to sleep soon.

shadowkat mentioned Merlino wool socks, which I looked at because I'd like to keep my feet warm this winter. But they're pricey, and I'm trying to shut down the spending money spigot. I'll think about it. (I found some cute ones though.) Hmm, they have two pairs of knee-high socks for cheaper. I could save them for times that I'm tramping through the snow.

Hmm. I should find the package with the Christmas cards. Oh no, Amazon says that the delivery "is running late".

All the pets are flaked out. Gracie is lying on the floor with her head on the stairs. How is that comfortable?

I’ve been feeding Oliver and Lily some dry food late at night to use up some dry food that I have. (Waste not, want not, etc.) Zara won’t eat it.

Bella says, “Why are you reading when you should be petting your dog? Clearly your priorities are messed up.”

Woke up at 7 AM.

I’ve been getting tickets for a parking violation on the Kia, so I need to brush it off and get it jump-started today. Hmm, tomorrow would be better.

Ugh. Wintry mix tonight.

Oliver almost got out. He stopped when he realized Gracie was in the doorway. Sigh.

Fed us all. Nap time. Oliver was in here but he left. Good. His interaction with the dogs is not restful. Napped. I feed like I need another nap but I need to eat lunch first.

I think that I’ll turn on music when I work on the kitchen.

Up from my nap. Feeling shaky.

Now they’re saying snow and flurries tomorrow morning. Sigh.

Things to do:

— Shower and put on new sweats (done)
— Put new laptop upstairs. Measure old laptop and buy sleeve for it
— Open packages. Find lights for tomorrow. (Done).
— Work on kitchen (a little)
— Wash clothes from cruise (in progress) and put them back in the suitcase. Fill toiletries bottles.

I started opening packages while I wake up. I got my Elemis travel set to put in my suitcase. Got the dash cam, which is actually worth some $$$.

Hum. I’m waiting for the package with the knee scooter. Nothing yet. I want to wait to let the dogs out until after it comes. Maybe I should take a shower.

The Medicare Web site says that I don’t have to sign up for Medicare until after I retire, but they suggested asking my job to make sure. I still have two years to go anyway.

My Christmas sweatshirt is now supposed to arrive tonight. Maybe I’ll wear it tomorrow while I put up lights. Oh drat, I didn’t get light clips. Maybe Walmart has them? Ace Hardware does. I’ll run over there tomorrow. Actually, I’m trying to order some from Walmart, but it says “low stock”. We’ll see if I get them.

The Christmas sweatshirt is cute.


I’m trying Olay moisturizers because they’re cheaper. I got an eye cream first because the dogs stole mine :(

The sweats are cozy and warm. They look better than average sweats. I’m tempted to look for more. I don’t need to spend the money, but I could wear them to work on days that I don’t go out. I ordered a pair of “peach sorbet” sweats, marked down for Cyber Week. I will be cozy this winter.

I’m hungry. Made some food. Oliver says to feed him “Right Meow“. Fed us all. Gracie hasn’t eaten her food yet.

I need to stay up until the stuff from Walmart arrives and possibly the knee scooter. I think that I’ll wash my clothes from the cruise next. And do some dishes (done and done and my swimsuit and coverup are soaking in the sink).

I’m trying Hup. You put a Web cam in your home and it tells you what cleaning to do.

I guess that I’ll post while waiting for the Walmart order. Oops, I need to bring the laptop upstairs too.

I overslept this morning. I’m going to call the car place and tell them that I’m sick and reschedule for next week. The question is, should I lie down again? I need to be showered and makeupped by 8:30 AM for my meeting. Yeah, I guess that I will. No, I won’t. I’ll just hang out for a while.

Done. Have an appointment for next week. Now I need to shower.

The guys are building the garage this morning. Wouldn't it figure. I'm glad that I'm home with the pets, although they don't seem too alarmed. The dogs were barking at first, but now Gracie, Oliver, and Lily are fascinated. The garage guy was right that it goes fast once they start. Right now, the walls are up and the roof is on. It just looks like they need to put up the siding.

The morning meeting is over. It was a meeting with the top candidates for my grand boss’s position. They were very strong candidates, and I think that any of them would do.

The garage is finished and the guys have left. It looks great!

The yard looks very different, of course. Smaller, but the garage looks like it was always there except for the driveway. I contacted the electrician to let him know that it's ready for him. I also asked him to put a floodlight on the front of the garage (on the driveway-to-be).

I had planned to plant roses on the side of the garage, but now I'm wondering if I should build the patio next to it. I had planned to build the patio by the house because there is a small (very small) patio already there. I need to look at the light and shade patterns with the garage in. Also, eventually I want to put in landscaping on the other side of the garage, but I'd need to take the remaining trees down (I want to plant redbuds), but that would cost over $3000, so I probably want to wait. But I might plant wildflowers on that side for now after I get the brush cleared out.

Oh. I did find the missing glasses and yes, Gracie chewed them. Sigh. I'll order another pair. I need to watch them like a hawk!

Silly critters. It’s after work now, and I’m feeding the beasts. I gave Bella and Gracie some dry food with wet food mixed in it. They switched bowls, but okay. Bella ate the wet food out of the dish and walked away. Oliver came over to check the bowl out, and Bella chased him off and ate a little more of the dry food. “I don’t want it, but it’s MINE!” They make me laugh.

Another silly dog thing: I gave some treats (“Bonkers”) to Gracie, who hasn’t eaten them before. She ate them, but wasn’t very enthusiastic. I gave some to Bella, who likes them, as a bribe for coming in the house. She gobbled them up, and Gracie suddenly was a lot more interested in them!

Had my voice lesson. I told her that I was tired, but she still worked me hard, but in a kind way. We were working on a song that drives me nuts, so I don’t know it as well as I should.

My piano teacher also teaches a piano class on Lessonface. I’m not ready to start up private lessons again yet, but I asked her about the class and she thought that it would be a good fit. So we’re arranging a prorated fee for October.

I also bought some self-study music theory books. I can read music, but don’t know much beyond that.

Did some dishes. Now I’m staging stuff to go to the electronics recycling tomorrow morning (done). I need to post, feed the beasts, take the dogs out, and go to bed.

I’m glad that I work for the State of Illinois and not the federal government.

Oliver is trying to school Gracie by smacking her. She seems unimpressed. Sigh. The dogs were on the bed, as was I, and Oliver wanted to come over to me. Gracie chased him out of the room.

Woke up 20 minutes late.

Ack. I have a CT scan appointment on Friday, so I rescheduled my car appointment for the Honda. I need to get the Kia's battery jump-started.

Had my dental appointment. I knew that part of it was the rest of the cleaning, but I knew that there was "something else," which turned out to be a CT scan. No big deal. They're filling out the paperwork for preauthorization for my implant.

I got my trip to see my dad next May okayed with my boss and Dad. I want to book the flights early because it'll be over the Memorial Day holiday (done). I chose Economy Plus and Priority Boarding because the older that I get, the less that I want to deal with the hassles of traveling.

I'm going to try Misfits Market for groceries. It's supposed to be a lot cheaper than most grocery stores.

I’m ordering a poke bowl on DoorDash. I got one DoorDash order, but the other one seems to be stuck? After putting me off for a while, they said that there was a problem with my Dasher, and do I want to reorder or cancel? I reordered because I was hungry. This time, the food made it to me quickly. And it was worth the wait. (I did lose around an hour’s time though.) I’d like to figure out how to make poke bowls myself. The question is where I’d get the tuna, but there is a large Asian market nearby that might have sushi-grade tuna. Worth a visit, anyway. Hmm, and where is my rice cooker? It has spoiled me for Minute Rice.

I checked the Social Security Web site (after consulting with my dad) and I'll be eligible for Social Security and Medicare (when I turn 65). I'm not sure how my pension will affect Social Security though.

Lily is eating the leftover rice grains from my poke bowl. Fed us all (and not rice for the critters). My back really hurts, so I want to stretch out and go to bed soon.

I really want to go back to sleep after I eat breakfast. I guess that I don't need to be up when the garage guys start working. I would like to ask them how long it will take for the cement to cure though. I'll need to take the dogs out on a leash.

I did nap, and the guys aren't here yet.

I swear that Gracie is still growing. Her legs are getting long! She still has the high-pitched bark though. I'm telling her that she needs to learn some manners. She's barking at the cats because they won't play with her.

I'm hungry, but I need to wait for my food to get here to eat (done).

Still no garage guys, but it's supposed to rain this afternoon.

Oliver knocked down the English muffins and Bella grabbed them. Twice (I got two packages.) I’m rather annoyed.

I kind of don’t want to take out the garbage in the rain. I looked into the title on the Kia, and CEFCU is still listed as the lienholder even though I paid it off years ago. So I sent them a message asking what was up.

I'm going to bed to get up early in case the guys come tomorrow.

Holy cow. A post on Facebook was about how they used ChatGPT to create their itinerary in Italy, so I asked ChatGPT to create a five-day NYC itinerary that included a list of places that I wanted to see. It delivered, including subway stops and walking directions. Wow. Some of them were what I figured (the Lower Manhattan day was what I had already figured), but there were some surprises. And they told me the best nights to see a play! I need to think about the play nights because I want to stick close to the hotel on the day that I get off the cruise ship so that I can check in, but I won't want to see a play that night because it'll be an early day, unless I can grab a nap. Do I want to take pictures with a GoPro of the cruise departure from Manhattan? Or maybe just use my phone with a tripod? Hey actually, I'd like to do the cruise around Manhattan on my first day. ChatGPT said that it would be better on the Greenwich Village/Chelsea day though.

Hmm, maybe I should do the WTC and lower Manhattan on the first day and make it an early night.

Overslept and woke up a little before 8 AM. I thought about napping at lunchtime and taking my shower after work, but I have a therapy session this afternoon (online). So I need to make myself presentable.

I got everything done at work that I wanted to get done before the long weekend. (I'm taking tomorrow off.)

I'm going around in circles with FedEx about the camera. I think that they delivered it to the pickup facility, but I'm not sure.

My stomach is doing flip-flops.

Crud, AAA had my old address in Lincoln, don't ask me why. The card said that it expired on August 15th. I logged on and changed my address, and it said that it actually expires in December. I asked for a new card. I'll have to wait to jump-start the Kia until I get it. Though I think that I can use my phone app as a card?

Okay, good, my retirement contribution went through.

I checked the weather in Bermuda, and it's raining every day, so I ordered a rain poncho. (I have a raincoat, but it's heavier.) I hope that I can have my beach day though.

Had my therapy session. Nothing much to report; I'm doing everything that I need to do. I just need to wait and see what happens with Gracie.

Yay. CVS has the COVID vaccine, and I made an appointment on the 5th. (I'm getting a flu shot as well.)

Fed us all. Opened up some packages. More used clothes. Some photography books. A tripod for my iPhone. My back hurts.

I'm thinking of going to bed soon and getting up early to do stuff. I don't feel like I have the energy to clean now.

I bought an iPhone Photo Mastery class because I don't want to take the DSLR with me on my trip. Plus, I can focus on finding good pictures without fiddling with the camera. I also got Urban Photography and Landscape Photography.

I bought two other bumper stickers: "Caring for other people is not political" and "Caution: driver singing".

I forgot to mention yesterday that I received my new glasses. They’re perfect. I’m saving them for when I go out. I’ll wear my cheap glasses at home. Hmm, I wonder if I should get a second pair?

I bought a PDF on dog photography, but it vanished from my phone. Crap. So I bought books on dog photography and pet photography on Thrift Books. Bella and Gracie are so striking, so I might want to shoot stock photos of them eventually. Let them earn their keep! I did get an email with the books to download after all. But I’m still glad that I ordered the Thrift Books books.

I want to start making overnight oats. I should go to Aldi tomorrow and get ingredients. Actually, I’m going to Meijer because AI suggested an apple flavoring with Apple Pie Spice.

I had problems falling asleep, so I got up and ate oatmeal. Woke up a little before 10 AM.

I think that I want to stay home today. It’s a beautiful day. I’ll get the ingredients for overnight oats tomorrow and make it on Tuesday.

I want to plant peonies and tulips in the fall, but I can do so when I get back.

My legs look like I’ve been cutting myself. Thanks, Oliver.

Gracie was blocking Lily from coming downstairs and eating. I went upstairs, picked up Lily, closed Gracie in upstairs, and put Lily on the stairs. Ugh. I was giving Gracie her meds and Bella snatched the piece of hot dog with the med in it. I banished Bella to the bathroom. Then I couldn’t find the meds, which I had put in my pocket, but they fell out. Finally, I found them. Gracie spit out the med twice, but finally swallowed it. Whew. This is hard.

I saw a top in Coldwater Creek’s catalog that I liked, but it’s over $100! For a top! Fuuuck, inflation. It would look really cute with jeans and short boots though. I looked at Coldwater Creek items on ThredUp. Didn’t find anything similar but found some nice cardigans. I found something similar on eBay and bought it for a lot less!

Nap time. I’m up now. Gracie came over and gave me a kiss, and then Bella pushed her aside and gave me a kiss. Jealousy :) Had lunch. I ate a cookie for dessert, and both Gracie and Bella jumped on my lap wanting it. I kept pushing them down and they kept jumping up.

Note to self: add my Fidelity account on Monarch Money (done). Added my mom’s car too, which is worth more than I thought.

I’m feeling tired. And crap, I didn’t take my meds, so that’s probably why. It’s too late to take them now.

Got my weary butt into the shower. I don’t feel like going outside but feel like working on the kitchen.

Oy. I went to feed the cats, but Gracie was blocking Lily upstairs. I went upstairs to bring Lily down and shut Gracie up there, but Oliver came up too. I finally was able to shut Gracie in the bedroom and fed the cats. Did I say, “Oy?”

Chaos2: I brought Zara’s food into her room, but Oliver busted in. I was trying to get him out, and Bella ate Zara’s food. I got Zara more food and was able to get Oliver and Bella out of there. Sigh.

Maybe I’m an otrovert instead of an introvert? Or both? I enjoy interacting with people one-on-one, but don’t like group activities. This is why I’m dreading joining the Unitarian church, although I think that’s the way that I need to make friends.

I'm feeling really tired and achy. I'm drinking some water to see if that helps, but I'm thinking of going to bed early and getting up early.

I think that I want a used Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid. They're a little more expensive than the cars at which I was looking, but people really like them. I found one that I like, but I'll start more seriously looking after I get back from Sardinia.

I didn’t get up early but slept until a little after 7 AM. I didn’t do laundry, so I’ll have to shower at lunchtime and go to the bank in the afternoon. I’m sitting for a moment and waking up. I’m groggy. Got the laundry going.

I’m concerned that the Italian school hasn’t sent me the link to pay for the course by credit card. I sent them an email, but have heard nothing from them.

I really want to take a nap at lunch, but I should shower so that I can go get the Euros from the bank. My shower was nice. Gracie was fascinated by my naked bod o_o.

I copied a list of things to do in Cagliari. And they have Uber there, although it partners with taxis.

I think that I'm going to stay home tonight. I need to water the plants, and I'm feeling a little dizzy.

Called the garage guy and left a message. I hope that I won't have to follow up with him the whole time.

I changed my password at work because It was going to expire while I'm gone, and I've been mopping up errors because of it. I think that I've got everything?

Hmm. I was going to take Gracie out at 3 PM, and it's 2:45, and she's fast asleep upstairs with me. She got up, and I took them out.

Picked up my Euros. They gave me a nice mix of bills, and I have a lot of Euro and smaller coins from last time.

I had pondered becoming a locksmith as a retirement job, but all the schools and apprenticeships are in Chicago. There sure is a shortage of locksmiths here though.

Crap. Gracie has Giardia. I'm trying to find out how that will impact her boarding, but the vet's office is closed now. I had heard that it was contagious. The vet is now closed on the weekends. This will be a cliffhanger. I'm going to proceed as if the trip will happen as planned. The vet said to talk to the boarding place about it, so I'm going to get up early tomorrow morning to call.

It is so freaking humid out. I had sweat pouring into my eyes (which stung) when I took the dogs out.

Got some stuff done. I want to go to sleep early so that I will get up early and call the boarding place.

Lily smacked Oliver. Cranky cats.

I was feeling very sleepy but drank some water, which helped. I need to get to bed. Ordered some ear wax removal drops and a bike helmet.

According to my dad’s system, now is a good time to buy stocks. I’ll “paper trade” some tomorrow.

Good. The tree people got back to me and they can come by on Tuesday morning “to assess my situation.”

I was eyeing a Lincoln plug-in hybrid car yesterday, but need to compare prices with other ones. The price was less than I expected. I wouldn’t want to buy a car until after I get the garage built. The Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid is more expensive. The Toyota RAV4 plug-in is comparable, so it’s all about which car that I like best. Also Consumer Reports, which says to get the RAV4. It doesn't have a report for the Lincoln though. Actually, I really like the Mazda CX-90 PHEV, but it's more expensive. (Consumer Reports says no on it though.) Actually, the CX-70 is more my size. Most dealers do not carry plug-in hybrids, so how can I test drive them?

Placed a grocery order to get Munchie Bones, lots of cat food, and some food for me.

Came in with Bella after an hour. She tried to grab my donut. Bad Bella! Urgh. I brought food into Zara’s room and noticed that she needed water. I went to get her water dish and Oliver busted in. Zara hissed and hid. I went to get Oliver out, and Bella ate Zara’s food. Sigh. What a zoo. I’ve got it sorted now.

I’m leaning more towards “Freckles” for a dog companion. If she’s still available after I get back from my business trip, I’ll look into her. Unless I go for “Rita”, but I don’t know if they will adopt across state lines. She looks like a real sweetie though. I saw the most adorable puppy at the place where I adopted Bella, but I don’t want a puppy. She sure is cute though. Look at that face!

I almost forgot to feed Bella with the brouhaha about Zara’s food. I filled her dish and sat on the stairs to the upstairs. I felt cat feet on my head and knew who it was (Oliver) without looking.

Napped. When I got up, I had Bella with her paws on my chest, licking my face, and Oliver on my back shoulders. Got my groceries in. Ate lunch and read The Washington Post. Started opening packages. Found the “good” dental glue. I’m having a dizzy spell, so I’m sitting down and chilling carbonated water in the freezer. I need to clear a spot for the air conditioner, and then I’ll be done. Got the air conditioner in. (My next step will be to get someone to install the air conditioner.)

I started doing my “things that I need for my business trip” shopping.

I’m being poked with a Munchie Bone :) Finished my water.

Ugh, I don’t feel like going out. I should take my shower and fix my tooth though. I certainly have a lot of stuff to do here. Glued the tooth back in and it's setting. It came out when I took my partial out. I guess that I didn't let it set enough.

Took a shower. Bella was pulling stuff out of the garbage and strewing them on the floor. I told her that she was creating a dog mess. I need a trash can with a cover (ordered). I just remembered that I need to sign Bella up for obedience training.

It’s raining. Bella is noping out. I love my raincoat. I never use umbrellas anymore.

Do I want to subscribe to the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra? Most of their upcoming concerts sound interesting. They have a "pick 4" deal that I'm going to get. No online sales though; you need to send the order form in or call.

I can’t stop yawning. I need to make it an early night.

Crud. It's supposed to rain on Monday afternoon, which would put the kibosh on mower guy.

Woke up at 6:45 AM. Bella was busy watching Squirrel TV and didn’t do her business. I finally brought her in, knowing that I would regret it. She pooped inside after eating. At least we’re all fed now.

Napped and overslept an hour. Bella was tired too. Brought the rosemary plant outside, and it looks much happier since I watered it.

Hmm. It occurred to me that I would like to grow strawberries. I looked at a strawberry planter. I need to figure out another place for the garbage and recycling bins because I’d like to grow plants on the existing patio, which is a small concrete one.

I just noticed on my mower guy’s business card that he cleans gutters. I’ll throw my business his way. He’s a young guy starting out.

Ate lunch. I think that I want another short nap. Done. Bella was still asleep when I woke up, so I sat there playing with my phone until she decided to get up.

I’ve been exchanging emails with my dad about investing. I might need Moody’s reports to begin with.

Aww. Oliver wants Mommy time. It won’t last long, but it’s cute. I have a dog partially in my lap and a cat in my face.

Bella, Lily, and Oliver attended my shower. Lily walked on top of the shower stall and then jumped in. I opened the door for her and Bella walked in. Then Oliver appeared from under the toilet. Lily was in the window, behind the blinds, looking outside. Then she and Oliver were wrestling in my laundry basket and knocked it over. My shoes were in there to keep them from Bella, and now one is missing. I pulled out a new pair of Skechers from my closet. It’s a zoo here :) That reminds me that I want a nice hamper for the bathroom (done).

I made my food first because I want to hustle Bella outside right after she eats to go poop. (It’s funny how much of my life revolves around poop now.)

I planted four plants and dug up a daylily. The shade side garden is taking shape. Cleared the lawn of debris except for one stick that Bella kept on bringing back out when I put it on the stick pile. Watered the garden. I need to charge the tiller to plant the daylily by the street.

Some neighbors walked by and said "Hi" to Bella. They know her name but not my name :) They said that she looked like a happy dog. I said that she likes it when I work outside.

The Silvervine sticks that susandennis mentioned are a big hit with Oliver. Bella took one because it’s a stick, and sticks belong to dogs. She destroyed it in short order. I’m going to bring them upstairs so that Oliver and Lily can play with them in peace. Yeah, Lily likes them too.

Bought a Japanese Spirea. One of the ones that I have is very happy, but the other one is not. Plus I wanted a light pink one like my mom had. And I bought a really pretty strawberry pot and strawberries.

I need to get my new weeder out of the package. And find my clippers.

I think that I'm going to post and then work on the kitchen. I need to get up early to bring the car in to be fixed. Which reminds me to get my new debit card entered into Uber.