days_unfolding

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).

I forgot to mention that I got my camping mattress from REI. My sleeping bag should arrive on Monday. Then I'll have to test them out. I second-guessed my choice of sleeping bag, but it has an outer polyester shell and a removable inner down bag. So I could take the down bag out for summer camping.

Lily is lying flat on the floor upstairs, stretched out. I don’t know why she is up here when it’s cooler downstairs. Hmm, Oliver was upstairs too. Keeping an eye on me?

Crud. I forgot to put clothes in the dryer, including my summer pajamas. I dug out some shorts and an “A Woman’s Place Is in the White House“ t-shirt (so much for that) to sleep in, which I can also wear for cleaning tomorrow.

Hmm. A CNN article about beating the heat suggested sleeping in the basement. Maybe I should test my camping mattress down there.

Oliver discovered the package of little cat ball toys, and he’s trying to open it.

I’m in bed, and Bella is zonked out cold in her bed.

Woke up at 8 AM. It’s already 80F/27C out. Sigh. Fed us all. Now it’s nap time. Napped, and now I feel groggy. Had lunch. A box of donuts fell down and Bella snatched one.

91F/32C now.

I’m going to nap for an hour and then get cleaning. Boy, did I zonk out. I dreamed that I was looking for a place to be buried in Urbana. Hmm. Bella is still asleep.

Oh fuck. I forgot about the garden walk today. Oh well. But it’s too hot anyway.

It is oppressively hot out (94F/34C). Crazy Bella wanted to lie in the sun. I convinced her to come in quickly though.

I’ve got the sleeping bag and the tent! The sleeping bag seems nice and cushy. I’m assuming that next weekend will be cooler so that I can practice pitching the tent. (The forecasters are predicting the high 80sF.) Maybe I’ll test the camping mattress and sleeping bag later. Oh, and I got the cooler. Bella is playing with the box that the sleeping bag came in. Now she’s bugging Oliver.

Okay, I’ve cooled off. I should get cracking on cleaning the house. I was petting Lily, and Bella was jealous. Critters :) Oliver is trying to tell me something, but I’m not sure what.

Oliver was climbing in the dishwasher. Fun with cleaning with pets. Got the clothes in the dryer.

I’m feeling shaky, so I’m making something to eat.

Hmm. Sling is advertising Queer As Folk for Pride. I always meant to see that, so maybe I’ll watch later if it’s on demand.

Bella is playing with a tug-of-war rope. She’s twirling it around.

I asked ChatGPT for women’s hiking sandals with wide widths. It recommended hiking sandals without wide widths. Sigh. Okay, the last one that they had did have a wide width, so I bought it.

Hmm. The BBC had an article about a "death cafe" in Bangkok, which asks, “Who would you talk to if it was your last night?” I don’t know the answer to that. I need to make more friends.

I have a headache. I need to feed the critters , but then I’ll lie down for a little while. Watered the outside plants while I was out with Bella. It occurred to me that I need to pull out the stake from the camping supplies because I’ll need to stake the puppy out while I work in the yard. I could put the dog pool out for her. Bella is flaked out on the kitchen floor. I’ll feed the cats and start cleaning the bathroom. Then I think that I’ll shower before bed.

I found a pair of waterproof Columbia hiking boots on sale. I checked, and I don’t have hiking boots, so I bought them. I need a taller shoe rack (ordered).

I’m feeling headachy and tired. I think that I’ll take my nighttime meds, post, and go to bed. I can clean in the morning when it’s cooler. Wow, it's hot upstairs. Work is going to suck on Monday. Maybe I'll bring my work laptop downstairs, where it's cooler. I need to get a workman to install my new air conditioner.

I bought a tent and a sleeping bag on eBay. I would like to do some camping. I bought a two-person tent, so I could take Bella camping! I looked into some HipCamp sites.

I found a campground that I like. It’s near Starved Rock, so I could take Bella hiking (although she probably wouldn’t like the metal stairs). I wouldn’t take the puppy until she gets older. Though Starved Rock is wall-to-wall people in the summer. The fall would be better. I found the one trail that doesn’t have stairs (Illinois Canyon).

Starved Rock has dog-friendly cabins, but I can’t find out how much they cost.

I should test out the tent and sleeping bag in the back yard.

Got up at 8 AM. Fed us all. Did laundry. (My white towels came out looking good!) Now it’s nap time.

Napped. Moved around some stuff that’s by the front stairs outside. Now I’m boiling. I turned the ceiling fan on in the kitchen, although Bella doesn’t like it.

I’ve been working hard on the kitchen and packing on breaks. I still need to figure out one more outfit for the trip. Hmm, if I hand wash the clothes that I’m wearing on the plane, I’ll be okay.

I kind of want it to be dinner time because I need a break. I’m soaking the dog and cat dishes and am cooling off from being outside. I’m going to take a shower (done) and see if I perk up. It’s been almost 24 hours since I had my brows done.

I have an impulse to say that I can’t go on the business trip, but I should go. Getting ready to go is a hassle.

Started more loads of laundry. Finished packing my suitcase. The linen clothes will be nice and cool. Remembered my swimsuit. (The hotel has two pools.)

Now I’m going to take a SHORT nap. Bella is zonking out.

Ugh. Bella found a dead possum and wouldn’t let it go. I finally got her to come in with a food bribe. I need to go out and get rid of it.

I’ve decided not to go. I just can’t. I’ll tell the people at work I’m sick. Not a lie because my stomach is really upset. I just canceled everything and will email them about it in a few hours.

I woke up at 2 AM to clean. Told the housecleaner that I was sick, and went back to sleep until 8:30 AM. I'm still having IBS issues.

I'm going to be super busy this weekend because I'll need to clean and pack. I'm going to try to get the house cleaned by Saturday night. I need to go get money for the pet sitter tonight. The forecasters are predicting rain at 5 PM. Note to self: go to the library to pick up books on Saturday. And my brow appointment is at 4:20 PM at Ulta.

I could get a pallet of white stepping stones from Home Depot, but I need to figure out how many I'd need.

Oh, I made a major screwup at work. I'm ready to retire now. Sigh. I'm feeling at the end of my rope.

I talked to the trust person in the bank. They said that all my assets outside of the trust, including the car, must be under $100,000 to avoid probate. Otherwise, all assets must be in the name of the trust. I will need to file a trustee's deed for the house. She recommended that I consult with an attorney.

I'm stymied at work because the statistics that I've been posting to the Web pages have errors. I'm glad that I don't have to fix the errors.

I keep forgetting to mention that I want a sprinkler system put in outside because I want to overseed the whole lawn in the fall, and that will be a lot of watering.

I received my blueberry bushes!

Just remembered that I need a laptop sleeve for my work computer because I'm going to try to bring it with me as well as my personal laptop. (My backpack will be heavy, but oh well.) It's too late to order from Amazon before my trip, so I placed an order with Best Buy for pickup. It's ready for pickup, but I'll go tomorrow because my appointment at Ulta is nearby.

I feel like crying, but I think that I forgot to take my meds this morning. Sigh.

It's freaking humid out. I wish that it would rain and clear the air. Oh, the forecasters say that it's raining, but it isn't raining hard.

Now it’s pouring. We ran into a neighbor. She said that someone else also lives with the neighbor whom I talked to yesterday, but I’ve never seen her. She asked when I’m getting the puppy. Bella noped out over the rain. I put the plants on the porch outside to benefit from the rain. I’m going to put them out back this weekend so that they can benefit from any rain next week.

I don’t really feel like running errands in the heavy rain, so plan B is to go to bed really early and get up early to go to the bank tomorrow before it closes.

I need to feed the cats and myself (done). I fed Bella before I took her outside.

Bella is very wet.

I was going to work on the kitchen a little until it got a little later to go to sleep, but my stomach is upset. I did find out how to add bleach to my washer for the white towels, but I want to wait until I'm nude after a shower to add bleach in case it splashes. (I don't particularly want bleach on me, but I could wash it off.) I need a measuring cup for the bleach though, so I'll order one from Walmart along with more pads for my spin mopper (done).

Now I'm going to post and go to bed.

Added: The orientation for the dog training class is next week, while I'll be out of town. I just emailed the registrar about it. I'm getting the feeling that my taking the class is jinxed. (I had to drop out of the one in the spring because my car was broken into.)

I had my Italian lesson today. It went well. We spent half of the time talking about my Sardinia trip. My teacher wants me to go to Sicily!

I made a stupid mistake at work. And I keep making stupid mistakes today. With it, I'm not. I didn't get a lot of sleep. I installed a "countdown to retirement" app on my phone. Currently 2 years, 7 months, and 2 days (assuming that I retire December 31, 2027) :)

Hmm. I found an Amalfi Coast and Tuscany tour that's more what I had in mind. I want to go to Ravello though. On the day in Florence, I could go to the Uffizi Gallery that I missed when I was sick in Florence. I emailed them for more info.

I have a boatload of stuff to do this weekend. I want to go to the garden shops. Plant plants in the garden. Tidy and clean the kitchen and bathrooms. Work on my will and trust documents. (Maybe I should work on them after work because I'll have limited energy.) Oh, and tidy up the upstairs so that I can get someone to clean the carpet. Set up my security cameras.

I’m about to take a nap and am sharing my bed with a dog and a Munchie Bone. I pretended to eat the Munchie Bone, but Bella was unfazed. She knows that they’re for dogs. Had a short nap, but I'm going to be tired tonight. I need to make it an early night, especially because I need to log onto work early to get my half-day in the morning and still leave for my doctor's appointment on time.

I almost got scammed by the best phishing email yet. The login looked believable, but then it asked for my credit card number, and I said, "Wait a minute," closed the Web page, and used Xfinity's Web site to check. I did not owe any money. I should change my password on the site (done, but it has two-factor identification also). I also changed my email password out of an abundance of caution.

Oh man. I have hit the wall with 1.5 hours of work to go. I was going to try to stay up tonight until an early bedtime, but I might need to take a nap. Or go to bed REALLY REALLY early.

I've decided not to go to the island La Maddalena on my Sardinia trip because 1) the cab fare to the ferry is really, really expensive and 2) I will be jet-lagged, so two days at the beach sounds about right. Maybe next time, I could stay closer to the ferry.

I’m redesigning the area next to the garage-to-be. I had thought red buds, soft holly, and lavender. But now I’m thinking red buds, willow shrubs, and creeping thyme. Realistically, I won’t be able to landscape the area until next spring, which will give me a lot of time to clean it up.

sunshine_two, I hope that the fires in Manitoba aren’t near you.

Swapped a clean litter box for one to soak. Started laundry.

Intuit sucks. I used part of my tax refund to get Will and Trust Maker, but I never got a login for it. I called Intuit customer service, and it gave me a bunch of info about my tax refund and hung up on me. Will and Trust Maker doesn't seem to have a customer service number. So I'm screwed.

I guess that I'll use the free Will and Trust tool. I started working on my will, but realized that I need to add all my bank accounts, and I'm too annoyed to have the patience for it. I think that I'll go to bed early and work on it tomorrow. Actually, I might be in the right mood to work on the kitchen. Cleaning is always better when you're pissed off.

I checked into the premiums for Obamacare if I retired before I'm eligible for Medicare, and holy cow. Expensive. I think that my proposed retirement date is solid.

I bought bleach because my new towels are white. I'll have to learn how to use it.

I forgot to mention yesterday that I had the impulse to clean house, which is good. But I forgot to take my morning meds yesterday. I need to keep up with them to keep my energy up.

I had gotten Bella a couple of tug-of-war ropes that I had put away because she has no one with whom to play tug. She loves them. She tosses them around.

Woke up a little before 8 AM. Fed us all. Napped and overslept. Had a dream about my mom. We were looking for a particular type of bread for an event, and couldn’t find it, and she was crying. Mom is always upset in my dreams. I don’t know why. Now it’s around 11:30.

I was wondering if I had an appointment with my psychiatrist, and I did make one for next week. I want to stay on my current dose of meds. They’re working.

The “Oliver knocks everything off of the counters and Bella chews it” routine is active.

Got my Lowe’s order, including the garden fencing. I’ll have to put it up this weekend to see if it really keeps Bella out. If it works, I’ll get more.

Ate lunch. Now I’m waiting for my Walmart order.

Hmm. I’m thinking of going back to Michigan to pick up my stuff in the July 4th weekend.

Oliver was on my lap and Bella was trying to bite him. Play bites, but they still hurt. I kept on pushing her away, so she was biting me. This is why I want another dog for her to wrestle and play with.

Got my groceries in. I’m going to sit for a moment because my back hurts. Then I’ll shower. Booked a haircut appointment.

Bella came to see what I was doing. “Oh, you’re being boring [looking at my phone].” My arm was dangling. “Oh, you should be petting me.”

I was looking for a tote bag for my book and notebook, but I didn’t find one. I know that I have a bunch of them somewhere.

Showered and put on my makeup. Brought the garbage and recycling cans by the house. I have a half-hour to kill, and I don’t want to get dirty, so I guess that I’ll read my trust book.

Bella started out gently chewing my hands, but then she got overexcited and started biting down hard. I went “Aaaaah!” very loudly, and she backed off, to my surprise. She ignores when Oliver cries out, but I feed her.

I read an article about self-hypnosis. I want to try an app, but they haven’t sent me my login info yet.

At the nail salon. I read the “Trusts” part of my will and trusts book. I have an idea of what I want. Finding witnesses for the documents will be challenging.

My toenails look nice. My feet are sandal-ready!

Went to Home Depot. They didn’t have pansies; I think that it’s a little late in the year for them. They did have a dill plant and petunias. Gerber daisies might be a substitute for the pansies. They also have sunflowers, but I was planning to put berry plants where I originally wanted to plant sunflowers. They didn’t have coneflowers.

Ate at Steak and Shake, which knocked me out.

Now I’m home and need to feed the critters. Then I want to go to bed. So. Freaking. Tired.

Woke up at 6:30 AM. I was out with Bella when I realized that I hadn’t put my clothes in the dryer. Came in and did so, but it’ll take a while, so I’ll have to take my shower at lunchtime. Decided to go back to sleep for a half hour. It's a rainy, dreary day.

The recycling people didn't take my boxes, probably because it was raining. They left a mess, so I'll need to go out and drag the boxes back into the yard. Bah.

Forgot to mention that I bought a book on Medicare that I need to read. And my trust books.

I've got a paper trading account set up on Schwab, although they don't make it easy to find. I'll start following my dad's system next week.

I had an appointment to take Zara to the vet. When I went in her room, Oliver tried to come in and then Oliver and Bella were fighting outside the door. That freaked Zara out, and she retreated to the closet whenever I went near her. I called the vet, and have a new appointment for next Tuesday. Next time, I'll corral Oliver, Lily, and Bella before I try to get Zara.

I read an article in the BBC about the health benefits of saunas, including reducing the severity of tension headaches, which I get a lot. I’m looking for a sauna in the area but am having no luck. The big gym at the university has one, but I just read a comment about how they don’t keep the gym clean, which doesn’t make me want to go there. The YMCA has one. Maybe when my required membership at the university gym is up, I’ll try there. The membership at the uni gym was a minimum of four months, so it should be over soon if not already. I guess that my next step is to check the date and visit the YMCA to see if I want to switch there. Oh! It has a lap pool! And they have swim lessons! And a "gentle yoga" class! And an indoor walking track! And "learn to play pickleball" in the fall! Okay, I want to join the YMCA (joined). I need to cancel my uni gym membership.

I'm thinking of looking for a part-time job at one of the local public libraries when I retire. It would be fun and bring in a little money.

I've been bouncing back and forth from my work area upstairs to the kitchen. I'm processing videos at work, so I set one off for processing, went downstairs and worked on the kitchen, came back up to process videos, etc. I did get some cleaning done on the kitchen. The boxes are flattened.

Cleaned up the boxes outside. I have a video processing. If it's done after I post, I'll move it to the next step. Otherwise, I'll finish up tomorrow. Okay, I got the second video uploaded. I don't have the energy to start video 3. I'll work on it tomorrow.

I also bought an oatmeal-and-black linen blazer with a black top and black pants. I'll be stylish :) Which reminds me that I need to start going to the Unitarian Church, but I'm waiting until I feel better. The meds do seem to be helping, slowly. I can watch their YouTube video in the meanwhile.

Woke up at 7 AM. I'm at my wit's end with Bella. I was out with her for 45 minutes, and she peed, but she waited until she went inside to poop. I don't know what's going on in her little doggy brain.

I think that I want to buy coneflowers instead of growing them from seed. Maybe I should check out the local garden stores. Though Breck's has a set of coneflower plants that I like. I just need to figure out how many to get.

The WWF (Oliver and Lily) is now in session. Damn, they're fast.

I'm looking at plumbers to fix the leaky faucet and leaky toilet. I also want a bidet installed, but I might need an electrician to put an outlet in near the toilet first.

It looks like I got my herb plants.

Oliver and Lily are sleeping downstairs, where it's cooler. Smart cats. It's 91F/33C out, so no wonder. I need to turn on the a/c downstairs. I think that it's time to shave my legs to wear shorts.

Yay. Work is almost over, and I can go downstairs in the cool part of the house.

I'm looking at linen dresses for my Sardinia trip (and summer here). The problem is that most of them are low cut, and because I'm petite, they're super low cut. I did save a linen and cotton one that looks like it might work, and they have pretty colors. And they have pockets! Ordered a pink one and purple one.

The guys came and mowed the lawn. They did a good job, but they used a riding mower even though I asked them not to. One of the bungee cords on the back gate is broken. They recommended that I have the lawn mowed weekly. I said that I’d think about it.

It’s gotten very dark quickly. I think that it’s going to storm. (Yep. Tornado watch.)

I’m trying to get the energy to work on the kitchen.

What do you call the things that you can put on either side of an air conditioner to block the open window?

I started cleaning up the kitchen. I’m running the dishwasher. I want to do laundry tonight, so I’m hoping that the dishwasher will stop soon. (It doesn’t have a delayed start.) I did lay out shorts to wear though and changed the blades on my razor to shave my legs tomorrow morning. Maybe I’ll start laundry tomorrow morning instead.

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