days_unfolding

Woke up at 7:45 AM.

Read about the flooding in Washington state. I hope that man_of_snows is okay.

Gracie doesn’t want to come in. Sigh. Now Bella ran back out.

My grandboss was cool about the fact that I won't make it to her place tonight.

Finally got the dogs in. I ordered more donuts--for the dogs. My life is getting terminally weird :)

Well that sucks. One of our member libraries laid people off right before Christmas. And it's a Catholic school too!

Why am I tired again? I got a ton of sleep last night! (It's dark and gloomy again though.)

Nap time for Gracie. The futon in the guest bedroom is now hers. (It's next to my home office, so she can also keep an eye on what I'm doing.) This house is secretly run by dogs, much to the cats' chagrin.

I took myself off of Dial-A-Carol for Saturday because snow. I'm not sure what to do about Sunday. It'll be really cold, but I do have a warm coat. And it's big so I can layer a sweater. Nylons under my pants? Do I have long underwear? Need to check. I think so.

I'm seeing ads on Facebook for thermal pants and leggings, and none of them are for petites. Sigh. Found some on Amazon. Got some in navy blue to go with the "Snow Day" sweater. I should wear the sweater on Saturday!

I have a taste for a steak and mashed potatoes (and a vegetable. Brussels sprouts?) Maybe order them tomorrow? I hate to make someone go out in the snow tonight. I'd have to get three or four steaks, but I could freeze the rest. I'll get extra mashed potatoes (instant) and veggies so that I can have a steak when the spirit moves me. That makes me think of my mom because she liked to make steak.

Bella is tired too. We’re the Sleepy Family. And yes, it’s very gray out. Had a nice nap with the dogs snuggled up to me.

Got my groceries, including the all-important dog bribe of donuts.

Need to wash my cardigan. The jeans, black-and-white striped top, and cardigan are a nice "I want to look decent but not fancy" outfit.

Got my wool socks. They would be good for the cold on Sunday.

My mom's trust contacted me about the final distribution of the funds. Hello, I don't want a check coming when I'm out of town. It'll be a big check. God, I hate those people. Their communication skills are abysmal.

I saw Chanel Coco body oil. I love the scent of Coco, and checked the price. $136. No. Anyone know where I could get cheaper body oil? I’ll check Amazon. I found one much cheaper with a rose, jasmine, and sandalwood scent. That sounds lovely. They also had a sandalwood and vanilla one that I also ordered. I love that combination.

Got the dogs back in. The snow is coming down at a good clip.

I clipped a recipe for lentil meatloaf that I want to try. You can make it ahead of time too and freeze it. I’m in the mood for cooking. Which means that I need to clean the kitchen.

I want to find the music for “All I Want for Christmas Is You” because that’s a common request for Dial-A-Carol. I’ll send it to my singing teacher for my lesson tomorrow (done).

Yeah, they’re saying a -28F/-33C wind chill at 7 AM on Sunday. Hmm, that’s when the dogs go out. I don’t want “pupsicles”.

I want to get into bed early and read. I'm still reading the bio of James I of the UK.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fed us all. It’s starting to get light. I need to clean up some poop in the bedroom. (I can’t blame Gracie because I was asleep for a long time.) Then I’ll go back to sleep for a while. The dogs promptly crashed out.

Woke up at 9 AM with Gracie licking my face. I caught Bella in the act of moving a cat dish around. Me to Oliver: “You got fed earlier.” Oliver to me: “That was then; this is meow.”

My stomach is upset, so I’m going to lie down. Bella snoozes until the last possible minute before I get up. I told her that she doesn’t have to get up when I get up, but she thinks that it’s her duty as The Dog to follow me around. Gracie is more independent.

I was trying to figure out where to put my new drying rack for clothes. I’d rather put it on the shaded side away from the street. The sunny side is right along the sidewalk. I’ll try it on the shadier side and see what happens. Also, the garage-to-be will clear the clothesline posts in the back yard.

Bella and Gracie were playing tug of war with a stick. Bella won twice. A neighbor said “Hi” to the dogs. Gracie was upset and barking because the guy left, and I told her that the world didn’t revolve around her. She is not convinced. Gracie: “My water dish is empty.” Me: “Your water dish would stay full longer if you didn’t play in the water.” Gracie: “This does not compute.”

Ugh. My stomach is still upset. I would stay in, but have a grocery pickup at Meijer at 4. Hmm, I really need to go to Costco today because I’m planning on staying up late working on the kitchen. But I’ve been feeling dizzy.

I was thinking that I had an easy choice to euthanize Mimi. A brain tumor is serious stuff. I have a feeling that I’ll have a tougher choice with Zara. She keeps losing weight, but her kidney numbers are good so far.

I received my InstaPot. I’m looking forward to learning how to use it.

Lily is fussing over me. I think that she’s hungry.

I took a shower and dressed, but I feel shaky. Ate a BistroMD cookie to try to help the shakes.

Went and got the pickup order. I ran in to get some diet root beer, only to find that they were out of bottles, so I got some cans. I found some good food prep containers and a muffin pan. Came home to find that the new pots and pans are here.

Bought a dog fountain for Bella and Gracie, although Gracie doesn’t like running water. (I read a sob story about a dog who got dehydrated, and that worried me.)

Cats: we’re hungry! Feed us! Nothing subtle about Oliver. He gets in my face when he’s hungry. Fed us all.

The new copper pots look great! I want to clean the stove before taking a picture of them though. I think that I want a copper kettle too (ordered). I need to take apart the boxes that they came in.

I’m feeling dizzy. I was going to stay up all night cleaning, but I think that I need to lie down soon. I really wish that I’d stop being sick. I want to do dishes before I go to sleep though (done). I need to feed the beasts again, but then I'll go to sleep. I'm setting an alarm though.

I stumbled across the Good and Cheap cookbook. It's recipes for people who are on SNAP, but it also is good for anyone who wants to save money. There are some interesting recipes in it. It would be even cheaper if you have a garden!

I want to make Overnight Oats for breakfast. I had some in Hawaii and it was awesome! And fairly cheap, depending on what you put in them for flavoring. I found the cafe to which I went in Hawaii, but couldn’t find their menu. I wonder if I could email them to find out?

I’m trying to be more intentional about how I spend money. One of the frugal living books that I have said that pedicures are a waste of money. But I have problems clipping my toenails, and it’s only going to get worse as I get older. So for me, it’s worth the money. I could give myself a manicure, though I usually give myself one only when I’m going somewhere.

Small but mighty: I was feeding Oliver and Lily. Lily knocked her bowl over, and of course, any food that hits the floor belongs to the dogs. (Gracie is learning to leave the cats alone while they’re eating though.) I was getting her more food, but meanwhile, she was taking bites of Oliver’s food! She’s a tough cookie.

Larger but mighty: When Gracie finishes her food, she comes over and eats Bella’s dry food. And Bella would let her! But not tonight. Bella knocked Gracie’s snout away, clearly saying, “Get your nose out of my bowl.” And Gracie respected that.

I did the math, and I’ll have 1/2 a year’s salary in cash saved up by the time that I retire, unless I can step up my savings. Hmm. I think that I want to bump up my retirement contributions after I get rid of the storage spaces. I could save up enough for the rest of the year.

Well, hell. The Walmart guy delivered my food, but he didn’t close the gate. I was yelling at him to close the gate, and the dogs got out and took off across the street. Luckily, a couple of people caught them, and I put leashes on them and brought them back. In the yard, Bella found a dead squirrel that she didn’t want to give up. Now they’re finally in (although Bella slipped her collar). I’m trying to calm down and cool off, and then I’ll feed the escape artists.

I emailed in sick this afternoon too. I’ll go back to sleep after I feed the dogs.

I need a small step ladder to hang my hanging plants. I have one in the basement, but it bent. I’ll look at Home Depot. I want a fiberglass one instead of metal. I think that they’re more sturdy. I found one that I like, but I need to figure out how tall a one to get. 6 feet?

I’m trying to break myself of home delivery, although I got the food today because I’m home sick. I have some prescriptions to pick up, and I need to go get them.

Gracie spit out her antibiotic twice, but the third time, it went down. I’m glad that I bought more hot dogs.

I found a soup recipe that sounds good, and you can make it in the slow cooker. Excellent.

I have over $50 and counting in my Acorn’s travel fund.

Bella is crawling under the bed. She sleeps there sometimes. Slept until 8:30 PM. I need to feed the critters and get the garbage out. Oh wait. It’s Monday, not Tuesday, so I don’t need to get the garbage out. I’m feeling shaky and ill.

Oliver knocked his dish over twice. The dogs got a bonanza.

I checked if you can freeze food in glass containers, and yes, if you leave room for expansion and thaw it slowly. I want to freeze soup and stew.

Fed the doggos and took them out. Bella’s collar is loose, so I ordered a leather hole punch to fix it. Now I’m making my food. Done.

I want to get up early to get the garbage so that I can just roll the can out tomorrow night.

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.