days_unfolding

Woke up at 8 AM. Let the dogs out. Fed myself and the cats. I think that I might have fixed my phone, but I need to log onto my work phone and test it. Yep, it’s working. Yay!

Napped and overslept until a little after 1 PM. Rescued my Costco box (dog food). The delivery person put it on the sidewalk because the dogs were out, but it was still there. Oliver is climbing all over me. I told him that he had breakfast and doesn’t get lunch, but he’s still hopeful. Ate lunch. I’m trying to decide what to do. Usually, I take a nap after lunch, but my first nap ran long. I should work on the bathroom. Maybe I should start on the bathroom and take a nap when I need a break.

Well, Bella came in around 2:30. Gracie is still refusing to come in. Bella wants company, so I guess that I’ll take a nap. Yeah, it’s a real sacrifice :) Bella is one tired pup. Napped. Got Gracie in at 5 PM. I told Bella that she doesn’t need to stay up with me, but she thinks that it’s her duty as The Dog. Fed us all. I had to carry Lily down from upstairs because the dogs are in. She nestled in but also was saying “No” clearly. (She doesn’t like being picked up. Oliver doesn’t mind it as much.)

I think that I’m procrastinating working on the bathroom because I’ll need to stand up. I did start on the bathroom with frequent breaks. Bella came over and yawned at me, and I told her to take a nap. But she thinks that she needs to fulfill watchdog duties.

Watched Season 2, Episode 1 of The Pitt. Fed the dogs and cats their nighttime crunchies. Bed time soon.

I’m wondering how much it would cost to have slide-out shelves put under the stairs. It’s wasted space in a small house. I do pile stuff under there, but that looks messy. It probably wouldn’t be cheap.

Woke up a little before 8:30 AM. I took Gracie out on a leash. When I was trying to bring her in, she pulled me down the stairs and I fell on the sidewalk. My Apple Watch asked me if I needed emergency services, but I seem to be okay.

I couldn’t find Gracie anywhere. She had to be under the bed. I had left her leash on, and I had an image of her tangled up in it, but she was fine. Whew. Oliver is in the bedroom, knocking stuff down. Got him out. Nap time.

We didn’t get snow. Now the forecast is for snow on Monday morning.

Oliver is parading around in my face, hoping that I’ll feed him. I told him that he ate his food and part of Lily’s this morning, so he’s not starving. I’ll feed him again at dinner time.

Had lunch. I’m going to take another nap.

Oh crud. Now the forecast is for thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon.

Napped and overslept. Let the dogs out. I’m trying to wake up now. I’m feeling like I want to get to bed early, but I was going to work on the bathroom and watch Harry Potter. I think that I need music for energy. Maybe I should work on the kitchen because I can do a lot of it from my chair.

Target has a sale on raised bed soil. But I need to get the raised beds first and the gravel cleaned out. I’ll call the garage guy on Monday.

The cats don’t like the chicken Birdie and Louie food. I’ll never buy it again. I went to get the dogs, but they don’t want to come in. I went to get the recycling bin, only to find that I had brought one in, which is good because Oliver and Lily dashed down in the basement. It’s a zoo here. The dogs still don’t want to come in, so I’m tackling the kitchen.

Hmm. I found another knitting class that would not conflict with yoga. The down side is that it’s at 9:30 AM on Saturdays. But I kind of want to do this.

Gathered up some recycling and garbage. That’s right; I don’t have choir on Monday due to Spring Break, so I can stay home and get stuff done. I need to get my dry-erase markers (and put them in a safe place away from the dogs!) so that I can mark that I got stuff done today.

Got the dogs in finally and fed them, though Gracie seems to be on a hunger strike. I don't know what's going on with the hunger strikes around here. (Lily wants Birdie and Louie tuna and nothing else.)

I'm going to post and watch my movie.

I'm wondering when I'll be able to watch the Olympic ice skating. The time difference does not work for me. I wonder if they'll rebroadcast it in the evenings.

Gracie woke me up at 7 AM. I’m going to take care of the beasties and go back to sleep. Oliver was tired and sleeping in a laundry basket. Gracie doesn’t want to come inside. A typical morning. It’s a circus here as I feed the beasts. Fed us all.

Watched some of the ice skating on YouTube. Oliver is on my lap loving me up. I fed him and that gets cat approval. Napped. Woke up at 11 AM.

Torrid had a hoodie that said, “I’m only talking to my dog today”. I bought it. (Though it should be “I’m talking to only my dog today”.) Napped again.

I’m drinking water because I’m dehydrated. I’m trying to get up the energy to tackle the bathroom. I’m going to do some decluttering while I move stuff. I’m taking a break from the bathroom and am going to open packages.

Me to Oliver: I need to get up and get the recycling out. Oliver: I don’t care what you have to do. I care that your lap is warm.

I’ve got the Olympic TV on my phone. Nothing is on that I’m interested in however.

I received multiple pairs of jeans. I need the new hoodies. Two of them are out for delivery.

I keep checking on my investments. I’ve made a little money so far. Dad said to check on them during the week to see if they have triggered additional investment.

Oh excellent. I have conditioner for my hair and a small white board for the refrigerator. Got my hoodies. The postal guy gave Bella and Gracie some treats. I just need to hand-wash a t-shirt and underwear, and I’ll be ready to go tomorrow. I got a ring with a pretty blue topaz that says “Strong as fuck” on the back.

Gracie doesn’t want to come inside again.

Yuma Kagiyama is one hell of a skater. And he clearly enjoys the audience. Turned on the TV broadcast, but they’re showing skiing, which doesn’t interest me that much.

I've started yawning, so I'm going to wend my way to bed after finishing hand-washing stuff. There's no live Olympics anyway at this hour. I started a new Pacific Crest Trail book after dumping the other one because it was trying to teach us Zen. I might read a little more.

Kept on hitting snooze and got up at 7:20 AM. Gracie does not want to come inside. Sigh. I'm tired, and I won't get a nap at lunchtime. I'm tempted to blow off piano, but I shouldn't nap because I want to get up early on Thursday and finally get the car jump-started.

Oh man, I'm yawning my way though a meeting. I might need to take a nap after work.

Going back to the Appalachian Trail book, the part that I find interesting is that it’s as much a mental challenge as a physical one. That got me wondering about my mental challenges. I tend to cave in. Maybe getting the house together is my Appalachian Trail. Maybe I should get an Appalachian Trail map and assign (big) house tasks to portions of it and color them in. I kind of like that idea. I ordered a laminated map. I can use dry-erase markers on it. I finished the book, which I liked better when she dug into the mental hardship of the trail. She also wrote a book about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, so I bought it. I found it interesting that she said the AT is harder than the PCT.

At this point, it’s too late to take a nap, so I’ll just go to bed early. I need to get into my pajamas so that I can hand-wash jeans.

I think that I’ll gather my laundry this weekend and go to a laundromat to start with clean clothes, although I really want to fix the washer this weekend. Note to self: The Courtesy Cleaning Center in Urbana is open until 10:30 PM every night.

My clothes are soaking. After I post, I'll issue sell orders for the money market (ETFs?) for some of the money in my investment account to prepare to buy actual stocks.

Oh, how stupid do people think that we are? I got a phishing email about a "Microsoft upgrade"--from an AOL email address. Right.

Overslept until 7:30 AM. Gracie did not want to come inside. I finally filled her bowl with breakfast and shook it, and she eventually came in.

I rescheduled my blood test for next week. I can’t cope with it this week. Now I can jump-start my car tonight and not have to get up early. I really want to nap over lunch, so I guess that I'll shower after work. Fed us all.

Someone (Bella?) is stealing the special unscented dish detergent that I got for the cats' dishes. One vanished, so I brought out the other one, and that vanished. She likes to hide things under the bed, so I need to get a broom to clean it out. I'm a little afraid as to what I'll find. And I need to get more and keep it under the sink. I bought a magnetic white board for the refrigerator to note down stuff for the next grocery order.

Ugh. I have a lot of work to get done but I'm soooooo tired. Well, one thing down.

Overslept my nap at lunchtime. I really conked out.

Oliver is being a "lover boy". This will last just a few minutes until he's off doing something else. Actually, he started digging his claws in and biting me, so I dumped him off of my lap.

Finally remembered to call to get my physical therapy for my knee set up. They're scheduled out to late February. My list of health care visits is scary. I have visits on 2/20, 2/23, 2/24, 3/2, two on 3/3, 3/9, 4/14, 4/23, 4/28, and 6/9. Sheesh. I know that you have more doctor's visits as you get older, but yikes.

This weekend is going to be a zoo. I need to catch up on work, plus I have an added incentive to work on the house. That reminds me to check on the status of the steam cleaner. Still sitting.

Blasted through some stuff at work. I still have a bunch to do, but it seems more manageable now.

Okay, I found a t-shirt that I want. It has pictures of Bach, Gluck, Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart with the caption "I listen to dead people".

I’m going to stay in my pajamas and deal with the car in the morning. If I get up early enough, I could have the Kia jump-started or get the Honda to the DMV. But I don’t want to go out now.

Spent some time talking to Zara and Lily. I told them that I know that Oliver is a little shit. But he’s MY little shit.

Ooooh. Costco has some interesting groceries. I should defrost my chest freezer and order some.

Crappity crap. Oliver jumped down from the ledge over the bedroom door onto my face, claws outstretched, and cut my lip. It’s bleeding a lot, but I don’t think that it needs stitches or anything like that. I’ll have to make sure that it doesn’t get infected. I told Oliver that I was unbelievably mad at him. The plus side is that I impressed him enough that he didn’t eat Lily’s food (though he tried). Damn cat.

All the critters are fed. I need to eat, but I’m waiting for my lip to stop bleeding to eat. Maybe I’ll post first. Well, it seems to have stopped, so I’ll make some food. I ordered some Neosporin (and some other stuff) rush delivery from Walmart. At least, I’ll get the unscented dish soap for the cat dishes that either Bella or Gracie is stealing too. I got the rest of my stuff, but when I canceled the first order because I used the wrong card and pressed "reorder," it didn't copy over the dish soap.

Anyway, I'm going to post, brush my teeth, put on some Neosporin, and go to bed.

Email to my dad: Do you think that we are heading into a recession? Yahoo! Finance divides stock sectors into subsectors. I was looking at Internet retail because it said that subsector is up. but it looks like the "top" companies are all going down. I have a bad feeling about that. I did my dad's "stoplight' thing, and the markets are borked right now.

I was reading about a medieval museum in Paris, and it talked about how tapestries served for warmth as well as decoration. It occurred to me that I should get a quilt for the wall on the side of my bed to keep it warmer plus it would look cool. I haven't found the right quilt yet. I'll keep looking. (My bedroom is on two outside walls and is cold. That reminds me that I need to get the thermal curtains up.) I think that I might have found one. It's a Hawaiian quilt, made in Maui, with dark green leaves and yellow flowers. I printed a picture of it to put by my bed to see what I think of it in there. It looked good so I bought it. Now to bed.

Picture of the quilt:

I canceled Planet Fitness because they moved out of Urbana. They’re trying to make me feel guilty.

Whole lotta munching going on. (I fed Oliver and Lily and Bella and Gracie their dry food late-night meal.)

I kind of want to adopt a senior cat, so I’m using that as incentive to clean the place up. I’m trying to stack the deck to get it done.

I ordered a steam cleaner off of an ad on Facebook, only to find that it’s coming from China. I want to use it now! Sigh. It has a shipping label now.

Okay, NOW I’m going to sleep!

Urgh. The dogs came in the bedroom, and I closed the door. Apparently, it didn’t latch all the way, and Oliver pushed it in and jumped to the ledge above the door. I don’t want to go to sleep with him in here because he’ll come down, and either the dogs will chase him or he will bug me. I’m trying to wait him out. But he knows that I’m trying to wait him out. Who will win? I did!

I had a rare bout of insomnia, so I got up and made oatmeal.

Finished my book about Britain’s Royal Family. It’s a new book, and I learned some things about what has happened recently. It seemed like a balanced account, including a chapter about money.

Now to bed. Woke up at 7 AM. The dogs are back in. Oliver is loving me up because he wants food. Fed us all. Nap time.

Napped. Oliver is knocking stuff down and being annoying. I’m reading a decluttering book. The book is kicking my butt. Good.

It’s going to be freaking cold again tonight.

I found a recipe for Raspberry Lemon Bars in my Clean Eating cookbook. I want to make some to wean me off of larger desserts.

Started cleaning the kitchen. Go me. Now I’m taking a break because my grocery order is coming. Got the groceries inside. I think that I want to take a nap. Ordered two new cat collars with my number on them. I want some ID on Oliver and Lily.

I bought Bella a new crinkle chicken because she trashed the old one. I hadn’t taken it out of the package yet, but she knew that it was hers and took it out herself. She’s happy.

I seem to be talking myself into the weight-loss drugs. I need to find a gym though so that I won’t lose muscle. There’s one in Urbana that has personal training included. I looked into it and it’s open only until 7 PM. Not great. Personal training is $60 an hour. The Urbana Health and Wellness Center has free personal training and longer hours. And cheaper. I think that we have a winner. I need to get my gym clothes together this weekend.

Couldn’t sleep. Good. I’m caught up on my sleep.

An article on Facebook recommended Lynchburg, VA for reasonable housing prices. And you can take the train up and down the East Coast from there. Liberty University is there though on the down side. Still, I should check the place out.

Back to cleaning the kitchen. Gracie is getting in the way, sigh. Cleaning is hard enough without getting blocked.

Ordered an electric kettle and mug warmer on Mercari so that I can drink more tea to get water in me. I’ll have to check out my tea collection. Need to order more herb tea (ordered mint, hibiscus, and passion fruit teas).

I landed on the edge of my chair and it tipped over. I fell on the floor. Both dogs climbed on me and started licking my face. Bella bonked my hand with her snout. I said, “Really? I fell on the floor and you want me to pet you?” Sheesh. They made it hard to get up.

Yaaaaay. I’m getting my last payment for the app that I canceled back. Persistence pays off.

I was Web surfing and wound up at the Web site of India Hicks. She’s a designer who was a bridesmaid at Princess Diana’s wedding. She has some tablecloths that I like, but sheesh, expensive. And I don’t know when I’d use a tablecloth anyway. Maybe I could use it as a bribe for getting the place together? I like that. I found a palm tree pendant of hers on eBay that wasn’t too expensive, and I liked it, so I bought it and a gold-colored chain to go with it. She has some nice scarves, but I already have a ton of scarves from Mom.

Fed us all. It’s gotten late. (I’ve changed my internal clock because 7:45 is now “late”.) I have some stuff to do online and then I’ll go to bed.

I looked into Moody's for stock sector analysis, but they didn't have what I wanted. It turned out Yahoo! Finance does have what I want, and it's free. I need to start researching stocks for my self-managed fund, but I think that I'll save it for during the week when I'm too tired to clean. (That means that I'll spend all day on a computer, but that can't be helped.)

Scanned my music and sent it to my singing teacher. Printed off some music to work on on the ship. Grabbed my passport. I can’t find my Global Entry card. I don’t need it for the cruise, but I’ll need it for my trip to Europe next fall.

I’m going to have to run to the vet to get flea meds for Gracie. I did, but they gave me HeartGard instead, so I used one of Bella's flea meds and just didn't give her all of it.

Cleaned out the car and put dog and cat food in it. I don’t have enough cat food, so I ordered an express order from Walmart. I couldn’t find my order of bulbs. Did someone take it?

Things that you say only if you have pets: “Oliver, stop sticking your head down my pants!” ( I was in the bathroom.) “Gracie, don’t put your nose there either!”

Hmm. Maybe I should have lunch before I shower (done).

Oliver knocked down my laptop and the I key fell off. This is a new laptop! Thanks a lot, Oliver. I wonder if I could get it fixed.

Operation Cat- and Dog-Nap went off without a hitch, although Zara was hissing at me and tried to hide. They’re settled in at the boarding place. This is the part of the trip that I worried about the most.

Ran my errands. Got my meds. I was able to get everything else that I needed at Schnucks. Contacted my singing teacher and told her that I wasn't going to make the lesson. Got the new filters for my hearing aids and she changed them and the dome for me. I saw a display of Dubai chocolates and grabbed them.

Got home. Put clothes in the dryer. Checked into my flight. Now I think that I'll pop a couple of Dubai chocolates and go pack.

Well, hell. I went to email my dad my cruise details, when I discovered that I had also booked a flight on American Airlines to and from Miami! I used a different email address than I usually do for some reason. I want to use the airfare for a trip to New York a year from December, but I couldn't book that far out, so I booked it for March and will change it in January.

I can't stop yawning. This is not a good sign because I want to pull an all-nighter to make sure that I don't miss my 7 AM bus. Maybe I will take a nap after I finish packing.

Well, everything is piled up on my suitcase, but I couldn't find the shampoo and conditioner bottles. So off I went to Meijer to get some bottles. I also found a nice shave cream in travel size. I'm taking a break now to eat something.

I'm packed. Now I'm going to do some tidying up. I think that I'll post now though.

Woke up at 7:30 AM. No sign of Oliver, but Bella kept on going under the porch, so he’s probably there. I’ll try calling him after the cat dishes soak.

I tried calling him a few times. This last time, Bella and Gracie burst outside, and then I was trying to get a leash on Gracie. A Munchie Bone did the trick. Both Bella and Gracie went under the porch, and I thought that I heard Oliver meowing, so that’s probably where he is. I’m probably going to have to go under the porch. I hope that he hasn’t gone somewhere where I can’t get him out of.

Had lunch. Printed off my docs for the cruise. Packed them, and swapped some books in my travel backpack for new ones. Ordered a "values deck" to work on on the ship.

I know where Oliver is, but I'm no closer to getting him out. He's under the porch behind some stairs that used to lead into the house. I can't move the stairs; I tried. He could get out if he put his head down and crawled, but he isn't trying that. I just ordered a loop to put around his head to see if I can pull him out. It won't come before tomorrow though. I guess that I need to save these clothes for crawling under the porch. I should bring Oliver some food and water (done). I also ordered a sledgehammer in case I need to chip out some of the concrete.

Tackled the kitchen. Had a dizzy spell and lay down for a little while. Okay, I’m up. I’m feeding the critters and making dinner (done).

Oliver is back. I was out with the dogs, and they ran after a cat that I thought was Oliver. (It was dark.) I yelled at the dogs to get inside. Then I sat outside and talked to Oliver. Eventually he approached me, and I picked him up. Now he’s chowing down. I’ll take the dogs back out a little later. Gracie is barking at him nonstop, and I’m trying to get her to stop. Now he’s giving himself a thorough bath.

I think that I’ll get into my pajamas and post. I think that I want to get to bed early because I’ve been worried about Oliver and am not in the right frame of mind to clean. Well, maybe I’ll do a little packing.

Woke up at 5 AM, decided that it was too early to get up, and woke up at 7:30 AM. Much better.

Took the dogs out and fed us all. Took my meds. Nap time. Woke up early from my nap. Good. Had lunch. Decided to take another short nap.

I was curious if there was a discord for Champaign-Urbana, but they’re all associated with the university.

I wanted to sit for a moment, so I sorted the mail. A lot had piled up. Oliver was in the middle of it, of course, and he scratched me. I enjoyed pitching holiday catalogs into the recycling bin.

Drat. A coffee place called 7Brew has a mango-pineapple smoothie that I’d like to try, but they’re aren’t on DoorDash or Uber Eats. Hmm, they’re open until 11 and are sort of on my way home from choir, so maybe I’ll get one tomorrow night.

Started working on the kitchen. Checked on whether I’ll have enough meds for the trip. Emailed the travel agent about my boarding passes. I went to check whether I had a drinks and WiFi package for the cruise, but I already got it. All I need to do is clean and pack.

Had some dizzy spells. I think that I’ll go to bed and get up early to clean. Well, maybe I might pack a little. I'm trying to decide whether to take a beach towel with me. I do have three beach days planned. (This is my "R&R" trip.) I guess that I'll pack everything else and see if my beach towel fits. I'm taking the big suitcase though and checking it.

I woke up an hour after my alarm went off. I wasn’t going to take a nap this morning, but I think that I want one after I feed us. Okay, we’re all fed except for Oliver, who is refusing to come up from the basement.

Ate lunch. Fed Oliver. I’m still feeling tired, so I need to lie back down for a while (done).

I can’t find my scissors. And I’m feeling boiling hot (76F/24C). I guess that I’ll shower and put cooler clothes on. Actually, I think that I’ll just put on clothes from yesterday. No point in showering to clean my kitchen.

I’m cleaning the kitchen floor. My toes are hurting when I bend over. Fed us all.

Re-read Dominick Dunne's article about the trial of his daughter's killer. I don't remember how that came up.

My knee and back hurts, so I'm going to lie down and get up early.

It took me five minutes to clean off the stairs. Funny how something that seemed daunting last night was so easy. And Bella’s diarrhea seems to be gone, so I’ll call and cancel the appointment. Someone at work wanted to meet with me this morning, so that will work out well. I’m going to lie down for a half-hour.

I spoke too soon about Bella’s diarrhea. I got a sample. Tried to lie down, but the dogs were restless, until I got up, and then they closed their eyes. Snots :)

Oliver and Lily are chasing each other. A quiet, peaceful workplace. NOT!

I took Bella to the vet. They said that the fecal sample that I provided was too small, so they would do a rectal exam—and found normal poop. It had to have been Bella with the diarrhea though because she was the only one in the room with me. They’re running tests out of an abundance of caution. Bella put her front paws at the front desk to say, “Good-bye”. Everyone ooohed at her.

I signed Bella up for an obedience class at PetSmart on Sundays.

I had my appointment with my psychiatrist. We're just going to keep on keeping on with my meds, etc. She still will be available despite the changes at OSF.

Bella is still Giardia- and other parasites-free.

I moved my COVID and flu shot to next week because I'm not going anywhere soon. I really want a nap after work. Slept until 11 PM. I had a face full of dog kisses. The cats are like, “What’s with you? Feed us!” Fed the critters and gave Gracie her meds. Now I need to eat. Gracie: "I really want your food." Me: "Forget it, Gracie. I get to eat too." Gracie: "But I REALLY want your food." Etc.

I'm going back to bed.

I'm looking at hotels in New York City, and fuuuuck, they're expensive. I'm leaning towards the Hilton Garden Inn because it has a refrigerator. Okay, the Hotel Indigo has a minifridge and seems a little cheaper. I’d like to take the train there if I can spare the time. There would be an eight-hour layover in Chicago, but I would have a roomette, so I could use the lounge. I’m not booking anything until we get the “all clear“ from the vet.

I’m thinking of what I’d want to do in NYC:

Ground Zero
Go to the top of One World Trade Center (same day)
Go up to Central Park and pay my respects to John Lennon across from the Dakota Building
Cruise (boat) around Manhattan
Hang out in the Village
Go to a terrific bookstore
See the High Line
Go to Katz’s deli
Eat great cheesecake
???

I need to buy a guidebook (ordered).

Oh crap. My singing teacher is stopping online lessons, so I need to find a new teacher. That explains why her availability has been limited. I found someone that I would like to try.

I tried to put Bella’s food in a cat dish, so it’s time to go to bed. I took Bella and Gracie out, but I’ve been having problems with my front door, so I’ve been leaving the door a little ajar with the screen door closed. Oliver usually goes in the doorway but backs off when Gracie comes in. This time, he got out. Luckily, I was able to grab him. I guess that I’ll have to go in through the back door.

Woke up a little after 9 AM. (I wound up staying up late.) Dogs (to the tune of “Baby I Love Your Way”): “Mommy, I want your food. Want to tell you I want your food….” Fed us all.

It rained last night, so I don’t need to water the outdoor plants. I need to check on the big fern on the porch though. It needs water.

Drat. Bonnie Raitt is going to be in Chicago in early September, but it’s in the middle of the week, so I can’t go.

I bought a nice wallet that includes a passport holder for my next trip.

Napped and dreamed that my father was being an asshole. He was pretty bad when I was a kid, but has improved with age. Took the dogs out, and Oliver tried to get out when I was bringing them back in. He’s being a pain. This is why he has an AirTag collar.

I want to stay home today and clean off the porch and work on the kitchen.

I think that Gracie is annoying Bella. I heard a small yelp from Gracie, but now they’re happily chewing stuff side by side. I bought them some tug-of-war toys because they like to play tug, usually with something of mine that they shouldn’t be into!

The New York Times suggested traveling with a small carbon monoxide detector, which sounded like a good idea so I ordered one.

I’m feeling tired but I hope that my shower will help. It helped a little. Now it’s feeding time at the zoo.

I’m experimenting with visualizing how the house will look when it’s organized so motivate me to work on it.

Started cleaning off the porch until my back started killing me. Now I’m drinking some flavored carbonated water.

Hmm. A massage. That’s what I need to calm down. And try out the sauna. Okay, I booked one on the 30th.

Got my old stoneware downstairs. (I’m hanging onto it until I find the small plates and bowls.) Now I need to eat something (done). Got my new stoneware put away with help (NOT!) from Oliver. I need a white sugar bowl and creamer to go with it (ordered).

Crud. The dining chairs that I liked have been sold. Need to look for others. Okay, I found a set on Overstock that I like. I need to finish cleaning up the kitchen before getting them.

The cats are starting to tell me that they’re hungry. I'm going to feed the beasties and crash. At least I got some stuff done today.

I stayed up later than I intended, but we’re all fed now. Had problems falling asleep because I forgot to take my meds at first.

Woke up with my alarm at 9 AM. Fed us all.

I need to go out and get soda today, so I might go to Costco and return the stoneware. I need to pick up meds too.

I can pick up my meds tomorrow. Much as I hate to use Walmart delivery, I really want to stay home. I just made some food but don’t feel like eating it. I could put it in the fridge.

Showered and am feeling a bit better. I’m cleaning the kitchen, and Bella is sneaking stuff out of the trash to put in her stash. Sigh.

Took a break to eat dinner. Now it’s critter feeding time. Headache. Fed us all. Got my new sheets, duvet, and duvet cover on the bed. Lectured the dogs on how these are nice sheets, and they shouldn’t chew them. Received my Walmart order.

Now I’m going to lie down for a little while. Bella doesn’t want Gracie to lick me. Gracie is trying to chew the sheets :( I booted her out of here. Took a nap and slept through until 6:30 AM.

Made some progress on the kitchen.

Oliver wants something but I’m not sure what.

Woke up a little after 8 AM. Bella was whining at the door. When we went outside, Bella was digging (my garage people aren’t going to be happy, but I can’t keep her out of there), so I brought her in early.

Oliver and Lily were in the basement. I opened the door, and Oliver came up, but Lily was hesitating, and Oliver went back down. They’ll come up when I feed them.

I saw a video about flooding in downtown Champaign. Yikes.

I’m going to stay in today. The forecasters are predicting more rain, plus I have a lot of stuff to do in here.

Well, that didn’t go well. I took Gracie out, and Bella came outside too, and was trying to play with Gracie while I worried about Gracie’s stitches. I’ll take her out the back way in a while. But I’ll have to move the recycling bin.

Crudola. The cone collar for Gracie was too small. I ordered two more cones, but they won't get here until tomorrow. Bella wanted in the bedroom and Gracie wanted in the rest of the house. All is chaos over here :)

Very thirsty. Probably dehydrated. My BistroMD order is stuck in Chicago—it is frozen food, FedEx—so I need to order some food (done). Ate lunch.

I couldn’t find Gracie. She’s upstairs. Bella is in the bedroom. So, okay. I’m going to take a short nap. Bella is napping and is very happy.

Tom Lehrer died. Bummer.

If you visit American city,
You will find it very pretty.
Just two things of which you must beware:
Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air!

-- Tom Lehrer, “Pollution”, one of the few songs that I remember from the time period

My friend Deirdre’s parents had Tom Lehrer’s albums, and she used to play them. I suspect a lot of the songs went over my head. I also remember reciting the lyrics to “Smut” with Erik from memory. RIP.

Got the food that I ordered from Walmart. Now it’s feeding time at the zoo, and believe me, it is a zoo. Okay, everyone is fed. Bella and Gracie don’t understand that Gracie can’t play dog play because she has stitches. It’s going to be a long two weeks until she gets her stitches out.

Okay. I brought in a recycling bin and found my broom and dustpan. My back hurts. I need to get cracking. Bella is making it hard to clean. She highly disapproves of my cleaning crap off of the floor because it’s her toys in her mind. Made some progress. I need a break, so maybe I'll do some packing. I'd go to sleep, but I'm not feeling remotely tired. I could take my nighttime meds though.

Need more water.

I woke up after an hour of sleep. Got up and ate some cereal and went back to sleep. Overslept and woke up at 7:30 AM. I’ll take my shower at lunch.

Forgot to mention that I ordered chargers and a charger case for the trip. One plug has multiple USB ports, which will work well. I ordered a travel “pillow” that has noise-canceling headphones and a massager. I want to get good sleep on the plane! I might need a tote bag to carry it in. I found one that I like, but want to see how big it is. I'm checking luggage, so I'll have two carryon items for the flight. Hmm, I should get a larger tote bag because I'll be carrying a CPAP eventually. I might shell out for a travel CPAP machine so that I don't have to carry a big one with me. I found one that I like. But I need the prescription first.

That reminds me that I want WiFi access on the flight to update LJ. I'm flying Lufthansa, and they charge for WiFi but you can buy it aboard the plane. I'm flying Premium Economy to Munich (I looked into Business Class but winced at the prices, so this split the difference) and the page about Premium Economy on Lufthansa's site looks nice. I'm flying Economy from Munich to Sardinia.

I'll have no room for souvenirs in my suitcase. If need be, I could buy a small suitcase to put stuff in. Or mail stuff to myself. I did find a collapsible duffel bag with wheels. Or wait a minute; does Roam have a bag that will fit on top of the rolling suitcase? Yes, it does. And it's carry-on size. Oh wait, but I can have only two pieces of luggage on the train. I think that I want to contact Trentalia and ask them about it. Note to self: Roam duffel. Okay, they will ship luggage within 24/48 hours for a fee. I'll get the Roam duffel in that case (done). Do I want a travel blanket? I could take a beach towel.

I'm in the stage of dieting where I'm hungry all the time. I want some freaking food! And I ate breakfast. Had some yogurt. When I crave doughnuts, I eat some whole grain cereal, which is better for me. The whole purpose of this is first to eat well for energy and maybe lose weight.

Damn, I'm feeling tired. But I need to take a shower at lunchtime so that I can work on the fence after work. I did take a nap. I’ll jump into the shower after work.

Almost done with our Annual Statistics at work: just one more small task. Yay.

Maybe I should take Bella and Gracie for a walk because they are so interested in what’s outside the yard. They walk pretty well on two leashes, although the leashes tend to get wrapped around each other. I'm so lucky that they like each other.

Excellent. My ballet flat shoes have shipped.

I read an interesting article in the New Yorker about autoimmune psychosis. My psychosis came out of the blue when I was 39, which is late to develop a psychotic disorder, so I'm wondering if that could be the case. I like my psychiatrist, so I might bounce it past her.

"Showers in the vicinity". Well, that settles whether I'll work on the fence or not. The critters will want to eat after my shower anyway.

I forgot to mention that I got my new purse mentioned in the “How Not to Look Like a Tourist in Italy” article. It’s very nice, and my tablet fits into it.

I got the collars with the spot for the AirTag and my phone number on it. Oliver and Lily are very upset that I put a collar on them. (Bella and Gracie are taking it in stride.)

Oceania has a Bali to Hong Kong cruise. They’re a little expensive for me, but wow, does that sound cool.

I guess that I must be in Sharper Image’s target market because their catalog had some stuff that interested me.

Cleaned off the table.

Lily has already gotten her collar off. Sigh.

I'm going to eat, feed the critters, and go to bed.

Oliver's been helping me sweep the bathroom floor. Yeah, he's a big help. Not.

Got up at 5 AM. I stepped in dog poop outside. Terrific. Washed the bathroom floor with Bella, Oliver, and Lily "helping".

It’s definitely cooler today.

Got the puppy paraphernalia in and the back seat of the Honda set up for the puppy (place to click her into a seatbelt and a waterproof covering for the back seat). The critters are curious about the goings on.

I need to treat Zara’s ears in a minute. Zara was hiding in the hope that I wouldn’t squirt stuff in her ears. Sorry, Zara.

Lily is bonking me. Oops. I forgot to feed them. I'll do so after my meeting.

Okay, I found a refrigerator that would work for me. But it's $2500!

It's a very quiet day at work. A lot of people are out of the office.

I have a meeting set up with one garage person and left a message at another place. Left a message with the lawyers. The lawyer got back to me and he's sending me some documents. (He was very confused by my last name :)) He sent me the documents.

The second garage guy came out. It was a little bit of a hard sell, but it sounded like he knew what he was talking about. He’ll give me a quote on Monday.

Fed us all. Washed my face before putting makeup on. My skin is looking really good.

I’m sitting here waiting for the storm to pass.

Oliver really likes the puppy bed that I bought. I’ll have to get one for him and one for Lily.

I’m in Normal now waiting for the puppy to arrive.

Back home with Gracie. Bella was checking her out and already tried to play with her. I think that she’s a hit! Oliver is a little dubious. Lily is nowhere to be found. Gracie inhaled her food.

I think that it’s bedtime soon. I’m tired. I need to order a proper collar for Gracie. I just have a leash with a slip knot. I need to order more puppy food too.

I’m planning to get up in the middle of the night to take Gracie (and Bella) out.

Lily is staring at Gracie.

Woke up at 6:30 AM. Gave Zara her ear med. It’s kind of shocking to see a cooperative Zara, or at least a stoic one.

I was wondering if I’d drink more water if I had a refrigerator with a water spigot, but I can’t get everything. I’ll just drink what comes out of the tap. I’m watching for sales on refrigerators though. I wonder if there's a way to set something to automatically watch prices? I tried Google Shopping and found an open box refrigerator for a really good price. If it fits my kitchen and is still there tonight, I'll get it. Oh wait, they're in Missouri. I signed up for Discount Appliances' mailing list. It looks like Lowe's, Home Depot, and Best Buy have the best prices though.

The critters can trash the large bathroom in no time flat. Even when I get on a cleaning schedule, I need to clean it on the off weeks. Cat litter everywhere!

Bella and Oliver are attending my shower. I asked Bella if she was going to be a good girl and not chew the bath mat. Oliver is literally on my back.

The transport tomorrow is on for the puppy!

I got an answer on the sheet colors, so I'll order it (done). I read an article that highly recommended the sheets and comforter, but I don't know if it was sponsored. They give a 7-day free trial before charging your card.

I finally understood something that was confusing me at work. The person with whom I was working is brilliant and assumes that everyone can follow his logic. But now I get it. Next week, starting on the 2nd, it'll be really busy with our "annual statistics". (Our fiscal year starts on July 1.)

I have the dog and cat dishes soaking, but I want to finish what I'm working on. Fed us all and watered the outside plants.

Hmm. I’m wondering if I should go to bed early and get up early to clean the bathroom. But it’s still early. I think that I’ll take my nighttime meds and start cleaning, go to bed after my meds kick in, and get up early to finish and bring in puppy stuff. I just realized that I need to wash rags before cleaning the floor, so I’ll need to stay up for an hour. Gave Zara her ear medicine.

Scrubbed the sink, toilet, and tub. I'm going to wait a minute and post before sweeping the floor.

Now there’s a heat advisory through Thursday. Ugh. I guess that it gives me a lot of time to work on the house.

Ack! Bella was digging in the cats’ litter box and got litter on the clean floor. I need to dig out my stick vacuum to clean up the floor.

Okay, it’s 7:30 AM. Where are the tree guys? They’re here now.

I contacted some garage builders. I'll call them back tomorrow. I don't feel like talking to them today. So tired....

The guys are still working. I’m lying down during lunch.

I gave up and brought my laptop downstairs after my meeting. It's much more comfortable, but the tree guys are louder. I wonder when they'll be done because I need to take Bella out soon. I took Bella out on a leash, and the tree is gone! Amazing! The tree guys removed the unwanted trees from both sides of the house! That saved me a lot of work.

The yard looks totally different without the tree. It got me wondering if I wanted a small pool to take dips in. I found one on Wayfair that I like, but I’m not doing anything until the garage is built. I also want a crabapple tree, but the white ones are sold out, so I guess that I'll get one next year.

I think that I'm too tired to clean tonight. I can’t stop yawning. I’m going to go to bed after I eat dinner.

Someone knocked on the door trying to sell an alarm system. I don't want an alarm system. They do have better cameras, but it's not worth it. She's coming back on Saturday to give me a quote though. Sigh.

Well, I went to bed, only to feel a cat jump on the bed. Oliver had been hiding. Then Bella jumped on the bed. I turned the light on and removed Oliver.

Woke up at 7:30 AM. Bella is watching Squirrel TV. Aww. Lily grabbed my hand and rubbed her head against it.

My back hurts. Fed us all. Now I’m going to lie down for a little while.

Had my singing lesson. It went well. I’m working on the song “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac and it’s hard. She thought that it would help me with jumps in sight reading because the song jumps around.

It occurred to me that I haven’t gotten the new web cam for piano, so I need to check on it. Also, my mom’s computer is running Windows 10, so I need to update it. I found the web cam, but I’m missing an Amazon box or bag with the leashes from yesterday. Okay, found them based on the picture that they took. We’re good. Bella is playing with the boxes and packing paper.

Had lunch. I’m going to take a nap because I didn’t have a full one this morning. Couldn’t sleep. It’s actually a little cold in here. I need to turn down the a/c.

It’s going to be an expensive week for me. Monday, the tree guy is coming. Tuesday is Zara’s dental appointment. I’ll have to get up early both days too.

I bought a bunch of compression bags for my Italy trip because I’ll need to get 12 days of clothes in my medium suitcase. I will hand-wash clothes, but still….

Started cleaning. I told Bella her new name was MessMaker. (She pulled a paper napkin off of the table and was shredding it.) Ow. One of my arthritic toes is complaining. It occurred to me to go upstairs to order a white bath mat while the acetaminophen kicked in. Fuuuuuck, it's hot upstairs. It's like a sauna. I bought the mat though and a swimsuit that was on clearance. There was something else that I wanted, but I don't remember what. Oh, I think that it was to transfer money. I can do that down here.

I was wondering where the toilet bowl brush was when Bella trotted by with it in her mouth. It took a bit of a struggle to get it away from her.

Fed us all. Watered the outside plants. My back hurts.

The large bathroom is clean except for scrubbing the floor. I’ll post, pay a bill (done), get ready for bed, start laundry, and scrub the floor so that it can dry overnight. Then I’ll go to bed. Oh, and submit a grocery order (done).

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Entries tagged with cleaning

Fixed My Phone

A Little Accomplished

A Little Cleaning, A Little Watching Ice Skating

Mental Hardship

Damn It, Oliver. You Hurt Me.

Late Sunday

I Actually Started Cleaning the Kitchen. Go Me.

Mad Scramble Day

Oliver Is Back, Thank Goodness

Plugging Along....

Tired Day/Cleaning Day

Medical Day

Bouncing Back a Little

Sunday

Tom Lehrer

Some Progress

Mission Accomplished

Busy Day

If You Can't Stand the Heat...Get Out of Central Illinois

Still Hot