days_unfolding

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bella peed outside!!!! Apparently she didn’t like being on the leash when I took her outside previously. I was doing that because I didn’t know how else to get her off of the bed. I had to lift her this time.

This morning, she told me that she wanted to go out, and she pooped. Good girl! She’s getting settled. She knew that she was a good girl too. That was a little before 7 AM. Now she’s going back to sleep.

The snow has started but it’s only a light dusting so far.

Because I’m up, I’ll feed the cats and eat breakfast. Fed the cats. Zara was sleeping in but got up to eat. Ate breakfast. Now I’m going back to sleep with Bella.

Bella is the perfect dog for us. I can see why the shelter person said that my application was the best for her. She’s very laid-back. And she’s good with cats. She lay down in the dog bed! Then she jumped back on the people bed.

I’ve been petting Bella. She likes having her stomach scratched. I’m learning her language. I already spoke cat, but not dog.

Napped. Woke up a little after 11. Bella is eating breakfast.

Hmm, I need to get heartworm meds for her. I need to get her to the vet for her first checkup.

It’s snowing larger flakes now.

I moved my Italian lesson to next week because I have the vet appointment for Oliver and Lily at the same time. Oops.

I’m getting a headache, so I think that I need to eat lunch. Lily smelled the food and wanted it. I told her that I get to eat too. Bella wanted to go out. She did some sniffing and running around (she likes the snow) but needed to do her business again.

My car key is missing. Crap. I think that my spare is in my purse.

I heard a funny noise and went to investigate. Bella was in the cold bathroom. She was crawling along because she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to be there. I told her that it’s her house and she can go wherever she wants. Oliver went nose to nose with her! Now she’s with me in the kitchen.

I’m trying to get my energy up to shower. I’m tired. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been taking my vitamin D in the mornings. Which reminds me that I need to take my meds.

Bella is finding all the scattered cat food and eating it. The canine vacuum cleaner. I told her that she had food in the bedroom! And she had a pee accident in the kitchen. That’s okay. At least it was in the kitchen. I need to wash the floor anyway. I took her outside but she wasn’t interested. She went back up to the door, and I didn’t need to speak dog to interpret that! Bella likes her “bone” chews. I’ll have to get more. I’ll put in a grocery order next week and get some more. I also want to get her some rawhide bones because she’s a chewer.

Bella needed to go out again, and this time I got her cue. I missed it last time. She whined, but I thought that was because she was in the bathroom. She also likes bounding through the snow.

Had my singing lesson. Oliver had been walking on the digital piano keys, so I shut it off. He also lay on the laptop and minimized all the windows. I shut Bella in the bedroom because Zara knows how to deal with Oliver, but I don’t know how she’d feel about having Bella in her room. We practiced sight singing again. Then she asked me to pick a song to practice, so I chose “The Carol Of the Bells”. I told her about Dial-A-Carol.

Took Bella out, but she turned around and went back up the stairs. It’s getting kind of miserable out.

Oy. Fed the cats, but Lily is a slow eater. Oliver kept on coming after her food, and I kept pushing him away. Then Bella swooped in and ate it.

Tried to nap with Bella but I was cold. I thought about bringing out my electric blanket, but Bella likes to chew. I have a weighted blanket that I could try. I also haven’t put up the thermal curtains yet also. I put the weighted blanket and a velour blanket on the bed. I have them resting on my knee and it seems warmer.

I’m trying to convince myself to cook. Okay, I made Sage Brown Butter Chicken Piccata, after corralling Oliver in the bathroom. He doesn’t have the sense to stay off a hot stove. It was good. Lily and Bella were highly interested in the chicken, but Lily tried to get it only while I was eating it. (I thwarted her.)

Now I think that I’ll finish cleaning up, take Bella out, post, feed the cats and the dog, and go to bed. I’ll get up early to work on the kitchen. Oh no, I need to get up early to use the snow blower.

Bella was eating the dry cat food. I said, “No” and gave her her food. She didn’t want HER food. Then she wanted to go out. Now she’s eating her food. Oliver, on the other hand, wants to eat her food. It’s a zoo around here. Like herding cats and a dog.

Oliver has to “help” me scoop the litter boxes. Yeah, he’s a big help. Not. I’ve fed the cats and peace is reigning across the land.

It just occurred to me that I could bring a litter box upstairs for Mimi and put the gate at the top of the stairs to keep Oliver out while I’m working. I also could get another gate for the library room (or move the upstairs gate) to keep Oliver out.

Got laundry in the dryer and washer. Started charging my new electric toothbrush (which I got a while ago, but I’ve been busy). I need to order more toothbrush heads for it (done).

Got up at 7:30 AM after staying up late. Put the cat dishes on to soak. Lily and Oliver are squabbling. Fed all of them, and there is peace.

Napped until 12:30. Dreamed that I was lost on a cruise ship and had lost my card key. I’m trying to wake up enough to take a shower and get dressed. I should probably eat lunch.

The little cat toy balls are apparently in the mailbox. I’ll have to go get them for Lily and Oliver.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 25 years since the turn of the century. Woah. And people being born now might see the next one!

Oliver is looking for trouble to get into. No, now he’s snoozing on the table. I don’t know where Lily is. It’s nice and quiet.

Showered and dressed. The new electric toothbrush is great. My teeth and gums have never felt so clean. I need to get the WaterPik set up too. And the Gold Bond is doing a good job healing my hands.

Lily knocked down the lid to the toilet and ran away. I forgot to tuck in the string to my hoodie, and Oliver grabbed it. (I got it away from him and tucked it in.) Oliver gave me a little kiss. Aww.

Crap. It’s supposed to get really cold. I’ll order the coat and boots for Bella as soon as I get her, but it probably will take a couple of days to get here. I’ll delay taking her for a long walk until they get here.

Lunchtime. I had a broccoli-and-cheese potato for lunch. Lily really wanted it. I felt like a big meany telling her no. She has me wrapped around her tiny paws.

I feel like taking a short nap, but I’ll feed the cats and get the cat toy balls for them to play with first.

I’ve got to get the new heater set up upstairs.

Hmm. I was going to make the Barramundi with Lemon Chive Butter, but it comes with a salad, so I can’t freeze it. I’ll make it tomorrow night and eat the leftovers on Friday before I leave to go get Bella. I think that I’ll make Sage Brown Butter Chicken Piccata today. Hmm, I need to wait to take out the garbage until after I cook.

Lily told me that she wanted to eat. I started to soak their dishes, but I gave Oliver and her some dry food. Oliver kept on going after her food, but I finally got it sorted. (It’s going to be tough to get her in the carrier on Tuesday because she’s still leery of me. I need to find out what Churus she likes.) Zara and Mimi are used to eating later, so I’m going to nap first. I’m getting a headache.

I got the balls for Lily and Oliver. The first one that I dropped on the floor split in half. I put them down more carefully after that. Oliver is a little shit. Lily wants to play, but when she plays with a ball, Oliver drops the one that he’s playing with and grabs hers. I have no way to fix that. (He has a new nickname: FOMO-cat.) Maybe he’ll get bored with them. I want to get more, but I think that little rubber balls would last longer. Well, Amazon has foam ones (ordered).

Had a little quality time with Zara. Lily came in the bedroom! (Probably to get away from the Orange Menace.) Crud, Oliver just came in too. I want to nap!

Zara wanted food, so I fed them. I had to stand guard while Zara was eating, and then when Lily and Oliver were eating.

Napped for an hour. Lily jumped up on the bed! I lay very still so as to not spook her.

Hmm. I’m hungry now. Maybe I’ll have some frozen food.

I gave Lily a Tuna-and-Chicken Churu. She loved it. Oliver licked up the drips.

Ack! Lots of snow coming Sunday. I’ll get to try the snow blower. I have to charge it up on Saturday.

Ate. Lily ignored my Chicken-and-Shrimp Quinoa, but wanted my Louisiana Crunch Cake. (I didn’t give it to her.)

Started washing a litter box for Mimi. Oliver had to be involved. I thought that he was going to jump in the water, but he didn’t.

Put Oliver in the bathroom. Got the garbage and recycling out. I’m not sure when they’ll pick up because of the holiday, but it’s out there. Now I’m resting for a few minutes. Put clothes in the dryer and washer.

I was doing the dishes, and the cats, including Zara, thought that they were going to get fed. So I’m soaking their dishes.

Hmm. I’m thinking of getting up really early to set things up upstairs, and going to bed after I feed the beasties and scoop their litter boxes.

Lily sniffed my nose! And she’s showing me her belly.

I'm going to bed.

Costco isn't sending me a card. I need to go over there and visit the membership desk to get my photo ID. Meanwhile, I have a digital membership card on my phone.

Hey, I don’t need to set an alarm tomorrow! So I woke up at 5:30 AM. Sigh. Fed myself and the girls and won’t set an alarm while I nap. Slept until 10:30. That’s better.

Yikes, American Airlines had a ground stop. I’m glad that I’m not traveling.

I’m trying to figure out what to do. This is a “working” vacation for me (plus I have nothing to do for Christmas). I think that I’ll chop the stuff for the chowder tonight and put it in the slow cooker tomorrow. I need to finish cleaning the aquarium and get it upstairs. I guess that the rest of the time will be spent in the library room. I’ll bring a boom box and play Christmas carols.

Hmm. My chopping knife is missing. I came up with a Walmart order for delivery, but the earliest that it will come is Thursday. So I guess that I need to shower and get dressed and go over there. I checked Costco, but they’re all about expensive knife sets. Meijer didn’t have much of anything.

I played a fun game of “where are my bras hiding” but finally found them. (The house cleaner/organizer reorganized my clothes.) It’s great to go into my drawers and pull stuff out though.

I decided to take another short nap. Walmart is open until 6 PM.

I want to see A Complete Unknown, but I’m not sure when I’ll go.

On my way to Walmart, I passed a Domino’s Pizza and thought that pizza would be good. I told myself to buy a frozen pizza at Walmart because it would be a lot cheaper. I found an Uno’s pizza there, and I love Uno’s. Got the chopping knife, some food storage containers, and some frozen food. Oh, and some caffeinated soda because I’m going through it quickly. Now I’m preheating the oven for the pizza. Zara wants food.

I can’t eat a deep dish pizza without thinking of Jon Stewart saying, “What is this, a casserole?” :)

I got my musical notes clock! That’s a great Christmas present to myself. The only thing is that I want to move the piano under the stairs, so I need to wait to put it up.

I’m getting lots of aquarium supplies from Amazon. And some of my plants should get here this weekend. I hope that I get the substrate, which has also been shipped, before I get the plants.

The pizza was delicious. Food coma now though. I’m lying down, and Zara has happily flopped down next to me. Love my girl.

I’m in my sleep dilemma again. Instead of taking a nap, I should just go to bed. I need to pay my piano teacher for some music and print some music out, but then I’ll go to bed.

I’m flagging a bunch of meals in my Meal Prep book. Yum!

I overslept, but it’s okay. It just means that I can’t take a nap after breakfast.

Will wonders never cease! Zara and Mimi went nose to nose with no hissing!

I booked the walk in the cloud forest in Costa Rica. I plan to go back to Costa Rica, so maybe I can see sloths then. Though hmm, Road Scholar’s trips do not include sloths, so maybe I should switch. Yeah, okay, I switched.

I need to go get cash to tip the massage person before I go to the memorial service.

Yeah, it looks like the Urbana Park District isn’t continuing the yoga program that I like. Champaign has one on Thursdays that I could do. I tried to register but was having issues on my phone. I need to go upstairs. Though hmm, the one at the yoga center is closer. I need to think about this. I enrolled in Pilates in Urbana. Oh, but the class that I want at the yoga center is online. I think that I need a face-to-face class. I'll enroll in Champaign's class (done). I'm going to have to leave early to get there. I’m not sure about Zumba (in Urbana). I think that they let you try the first class for free?

I chugged down a protein shake because I won’t have time for lunch.

I wonder when they’re going to send the Dial-A-Carol instructions. It starts tomorrow.

I got to the Funeral Home for the memorial service early. We (the choir) wound up sitting in the back. Our first song went well. The second song was a singalong to “Amazing Grace,” and everyone got lost at the beginning of the third verse. However, I thought the memorial service was an hour, but they were still going strong at 1.5 hours, so I left. I think that I stepped on someone’s foot on the way out though :( Then when I parked the car, I pulled in too close and scratched my mom’s car. What a sucky day.

The massage was pretty good, not awesome. I wound up leaving a fairly large tip because I didn’t have change.

I thought about going to Lowe’s to get extra keys made and a lockbox, but the rain is COLD (39F/4C) and yucky. I think that I’ll feed the cats and myself and take a nap.

Sucky day is continuing to suck. I had a Walmart order delivered, and over half the order was missing. And they left the stuff that I did get out in the rain. They're giving me a refund for the missing items, but meanwhile, I need the missing items. I'm going to try Meijer later. Well, maybe I should do it now and then go to sleep so that I'll get up early. I have a singing lesson at 11 AM tomorrow. And the recital at 5 PM. And Dial-A-Carol at 8. (I need to go to one of the dorms for Dial-A-Carol. It's going to be kind of a pain.)

Overslept a little but made it into the shower. Got the recycling out. I'm so sleepy. Scrambled at lunchtime to put makeup on because I needed to be on camera for a meeting. (I'll have to do so tomorrow too.)

Mimi is giving me the cat pep talk (“Get your shit together and feed me.”)

I’m having IBS symptoms. Not a fun day.

I found a Panama Canal cruise in 2026 that I like. It starts from Panama, transits the Canal, and then goes to the "ABC" islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao). It ends in Miami, which I'd also like to see. Maybe I should book it. Oh, apparently I didn't check the singles rate, and it's going to be too expensive. Maybe I do need to take Celebrity again. Sigh. It is much more reasonable. I'm also looking at Holland America. Oh wow. Holland America has a reduced fare one for March of next year. It's quite reasonable. It also stops in Puerto Vallarta, which I'd like to see. I'd have to skip the St. Lucia trip though. There also is a Bermuda cruise in 2026. It ends in San Juan, so I'd get a chance to see what I missed there. But do I want to book two cruises in one year?

Maybe next year I should go to St. Lucia and Italy? (No, see above.) I asked the St. Lucia guide if there would be time to go shopping in Castries (I think that there is a large market there), and she said, "Yes, there is free time". So I just need to decide whether to book it or not. Hmm. I'm looking at flights to St. Lucia and they have either short connections or very long connections. Chicago to St. Lucia is not a popular route for the airlines :) I’ll sleep on deciding but I think that I’m going to do it.

Okay, now I'm thinking: 2025: Panama Canal cruise and Italy (Amalfi Coast). 2026: St. Lucia and Italy (The Lake District). Or do I want to go to Paris in 2026?

Urgh. I need to get my Christmas cards out.

Some serious snow is coming down. Okay, it stopped with some accumulation, but not enough to have to dig out. Good. I have some errands to run, but I think that I will wait until daylight tomorrow.

I received a really cool-looking and cozy set of pajamas (you could wear them with people over). I can't link to it because it seems to have been taken down off the Web site. Here they are.

I also received a ton of my new diet cookbooks. I just realized that I don't have tape flags to mark recipes, but I have some Post-It notes. Well, I just found tape flags. There are some interesting recipes. I'm kind of looking forward to cooking and "eating clean". There are some dessert-types of food too, such as chia pudding and rice pudding and yogurt with toppings. And the recipes that I've looked at so far emphasize protein. (It's Prevention's 28-Day Get Lean Diet for Women Over 40. The Skinny Taste Cookbook looks less interesting. Oh well, I can sell any cookbooks that I'm not thrilled with.)

I have to go get cash so that I can buy things off of Facebook Marketplace.

Hmm. I didn’t find a sparkly top for caroling, but I found a black top with gold, blue, and purple splotches plus a black velvet blazer that I would wear with black pants. It’ll do.

Lay down and dozed for a few minutes, then woke up. I need to practice piano and work on the kitchen. Now I’m thinking eat something, practice piano, go to bed, and get up early to clean.

I was convinced that today was Friday. Nope. Only Thursday. I want to get a lot done this weekend.

Mimi keeps settling on my lap. Apparently, I make a good heater.

Apparently, you can return ThredUp items. They charge a fee for the return mail, but okay. Worth it. My problem is that I was a size 18 top but 16 pants. I’m not sure what I fit into now. Poshmark does not take returns. So I'll get dresses from Nordstrom Rack and ThredUp once I get my check from the trust.

I got the sticker off of Zara’s tail! She was a little annoyed but still cuddled up to me.

I kept on forgetting to take my morning meds. The doctor said to set a reminder on my phone. I’m slightly annoyed but it’s also good that it’s working.

I'm looking at OSF's healthy recipes. I'd like to cook on weekends to have stuff prepared to heat up during the week. I've made their Basil Tomato Corn Bake before, and it's good. And I'm thinking of making Butternut Squash and Black Bean Burritos for lunches.

Ugh. I have a headache. Decided to take 1/2 a sick day and lie down. Overslept.

I kind of don’t want to go to the store now. It’s dark and cold out. On the other hand, I’m living on soup. Filled my med organizer. It enabled me to notice that I’m almost out of one of my meds. Sent a message to my doctor about refilling the meds. Put the bottles of meds in a cabinet on a lazy susan. They look nice and organized.

Hmm. It’s the time of year that I should think about putting moisturizer on my body. I’ll have to see what I’ve got.

Got my new scale set up, but I’m having problems getting it to pair with Bluetooth. Okay, I got it paired.

I pulled out the vote by mail ballot. I was hoping to find an analysis of the "advisory questions" (in California, they'd be referendums) online, but I just found a list of them. Thanks, I can read. I'll look for the League of Women Voters site. They came through for me and I created my ballot choices. Now I need to find a black pen. But Mimi is on my lap. So fine, I'll post while she's on my lap.

Oh cool. I found a place that sells custom frames (for my maps) that isn't too terribly expensive.

I had my appointment with the physician's assistant. She took a thorough medical history. She's going to submit the prescriptions for my meds, but she wants me to see a psychiatrist to manage my meds. She wants me to have a fasting blood test tomorrow morning. I'll get called to set up a mammogram and something else that I've forgotten. She's giving me a referral to a dermatologist about some of my moles. She'll do a pap smear during my appointment in September. She wants me to make an appointment with an eye doctor, which is on my list. It was a lot :) I just booked an eye doctor appointment for after I get back from Michigan. The hospital called to set a time for the mammogram.

Ugh, there is some sort of delay for the prescription I need. I hope that it gets straightened out soon.

yshaloo gave me a taste for chili. I found a slow cooker recipe that I'd like to try. Maybe I'll cook it this weekend. I should stop by Aldi. I have a bunch of money from my Amazon returns, so I’ll get spices there. (The organizers threw out a bunch of expired spices.)

I now know why the cats love the window in the guest room; there's a cardinal who lives in the tree there!

I received the rake. Wow, it’s humongous! Maybe I’ll start raking tonight on my dinner break.

I had my meeting with the life coach and discussed my plan for this weekend into next week.

My flaming headache is back. I think that I’ll watch the class recording and lie down (done).

I raked the NE corner of my front yard. It’s a start. I’m thinking of planting wildflowers between my fence and the sidewalk.

My meds are finally ready, but CVS is closed. And it opens at 9 AM, but I have a meeting at 9. Bother. I guess that I'll go at lunchtime.

I have a meeting at 9 AM tomorrow, so I'll have the fasting blood test done on Monday.

I did as much of the homework as I was able to do. I was stumped by a few problems. I have a lot of studying to do this weekend.

I skipped piano class on Tuesday because I was really tired. Took a nap and slept through until morning. Was confused about what day it was when I woke up. Overslept my alarm, but got to work on time. Gave Zara less food because she's eating less, and she ate it with gusto. Now she wants more food. Yay. She ate it!

Mower guy has responded now, and I'm on his list. It says something about how my mind works that I thought that I offended him somehow and that's why he wasn't responding. Nope, he's just swamped. He mowed this afternoon.

I attended a good webinar about invisible disabilities. It was sponsored by the University of Central Florida, which has a good speaker series. It's making me think more about accommodations. Also, how I can get to sleep earlier and get up earlier. I'm going to take my nighttime meds earlier, and I bought a new "Sonic Boom" alarm with a bed shaker.

Now it's raining, so I'm glad that mower guy finished the lawn.

Zara chowed down on her dinner and ate about half of it. It looks like she should get a half-can of food morning, noon, and night. That's a little less than she had been getting, but still a decent amount.

Swapped out my work laptop for my personal laptop for my therapy meeting. Kind of a pain, but I have it set up for my language lessons as well. I think that I'm going to store it in my travel backpack for the time being instead of setting it up on the piano. I can set it up on the piano for piano class only. Life will be much simpler when I have my new laptop, monitor, and desk. Oh! My first therapy appointment is August 3rd, not today! Oops! Better to be too early than too late. And I have things set up.

I was playing the Joni Mitchell YouTube videos, and I discovered Brandi Carlile. I hadn't heard her before. I just bought her latest two CDs.

I had a revelation the other day. My hot water is out, and I need to clean up before I contact the complex management about it. So I'm been taking cold showers. It's unpleasant, but survivable. And it occurred to me that if I can do that, I can do the unpleasant work of getting this place together (although that would take more work than a 10-minute shower :)). Speaking of which, I need to go make a salad and clean.

I read an article about the Mega Millions lottery drawing and bought a ticket. I'm not holding my breath that I'll win, but what the hey. I think that's the first lottery ticket that I ever bought. A large enough prize to pay for my move would be nice.

The salad is made and in the fridge. I took my nighttime meds, a little later than I intended, but still a lot earlier than usual. I think that I'll start my nighttime tasks (done) and reading the news to get myself in bed earlier.

I ordered an anxiety workbook. Because boy, do I need it.

My potential therapist got back to me, and apparently it's going to cost me twice as much for therapy as I thought. Bummer. I could afford a few months (around six) though. Sometimes I feel like a bottomless money pit.

I was looking for a recipe to use up more basil, and found Basil-Lemon Chicken. That will enable me to use up more chicken too! And it sounds good. I've got chicken breasts thawing in the refrigerator. And I've added ingredients to my shopping list.

I want to make banana bread in my bread maker. I've got butter and eggs warming to room temperature.

I have a real taste for a Garlic Burger from Steak and Shake. I want to stay here while the banana bread bakes though, so I'm going to Door Dash it.

Got the banana bread going. Well, hell, Steak and Shake is closed. So I ordered a Frisco Burger from Hardee's. The Door Dash person had some problems with finding the place. The burger was pretty good.

The banana bread didn't work out so well. The bread mixer didn't mix it up very well. When I took it out, I first put it on a plate. Then I tried to flip it over onto a wire rack, and it completely fell apart. The part that I ate tasted pretty good, however.

Now I'm waiting for my laundry to finish. I need to clean up the kitchen too.