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Crap. I forgot to check my dad’s “stoplight system” for whether to invest or not. (It’s based on some Wall Street Journal stats.) I don’t want to go back upstairs and log on though. I need to put a note on my computer to do that. Hmm, it just occurred to me to note the stoplight readings on my email calendar. That would be a good way to view trends. I did remember to do it tonight. (It's a yellow light - hold.)

Woke up at 6:30 AM. Discovered that my phone didn’t charge and my Apple Watch needed charging too. Got the good charger. Took Bella out, but it was raining pretty hard, and she noped out. I’m going to go back to sleep for a while. Hmm, the Dynamic Duo (Oliver and Lily) are in here now. Good, they just left. Had a nice nap.

At work now. The Dynamic Duo are being very dynamic and are running around.

ChatGPT can be useful. I want a paragraph in my will stating that my friends can take one personal item each to remember me by, and it gave me a nice paragraph in legalese.

Speaking of my will and my trust, the big question is whether I include the house in the trust or not. I want the proceeds of the sale of the house to go into the trust, which makes me think that it should be included in the trust, but I'll probably sell the house before I pass away to go into a retirement community, which makes me think that it should not be in the trust. Dad said in a roundabout way to put the house in the trust because it keeps someone from suing me and getting the house. He said that if I’m the trustee, I can sell it whenever.

I somehow wound up with not one but two doctor's appointments on Friday afternoon (psychiatrist and eye doctor). My boss said that I could take the afternoon as sick time. Have I mentioned lately that I work with great people?

I forgot to feed the critters this morning. I suck.

I put the YMCA's "Gentle Yoga" class on my calendar, starting next week. That'll give me time to find my yoga clothes, mat, etc. Their Pilates classes are at an inconvenient time. And their Aqua Fit evening classes are at the same time as yoga. (I don't do exercise in the morning. If I get up on time and shower, I'm ahead of the game. Though hmm, the Deep Water Total Body Workout on Wednesday mornings sounds like a good class. Maybe I should try it and see if I can get up. They have the class on Fridays and Mondays too.)

I've been weeding a little while I'm out with Bella. Some weeds are going to need the weeding tool, but I've been able to knock off some easy weeds to pull up. I've got the bed for the tickseed cleared, but need to pull up the landscaping cloth underneath before I plant them. I want to order some begonias for the back of the house, which gets part sun and part shade. Hard to find plants for that exposure that are also dog-safe. Pulled up the landscaping cloth and planted tickseeds. I’m wondering if I should leave the sunflowers in their pots. They would require a big hole to plant them. Now I’m thinking about putting them on the patio. Maybe I could plant Black-Eyed Susans where I was going to plant them. Prairie Gardens has them. I also want to go to another big garden shop in the area this weekend. The ASPCA Web site says that begonias are toxic for dogs. The search continues….

Bella played tug of war with the landscaping cloth that I pulled up. I finally gave up on throwing it out. I’ll have to go outside without her to get it. (I got it when I took out the recycling.)

I read an article on places to retire in if you want to travel, but I think that I'm pretty well located. I can hop on a bus (or train) to Chicago and fly out of O'Hare Airport, which has nonstop flights to a lot of places. But Urbana is cheaper to live in than Chicago.

I've decided to replace the living room furniture (loveseat and chair) with new washable pieces. And I'll put my mom’s white chair, which is in good shape, in the library room and buy a cheap footstool for it. Though actually, I have a rattan footstool, I think. And I found a small trunk table on Wayfair to use as an end table. I can put a throw in it for cozy reading. I’ve thought again about getting a grandfather clock for the library room. The trick is finding a nice used one for not a lot of money and getting it over here.

The Swedish Death Cleaning book was talking about “curating” your stuff. That’s an interesting way to look at it.

I’m resting for a moment before taking out the recycling (done). I can’t rest long because I have Italian homework to do and I need to order some fencing from Lowe’s (done) and groceries.

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A guy from my hometown whom I know on Facebook wants to meet with me. I don’t want to go. I’m going to tell him that my mower guy is coming by tonight to mow and give me an estimate on cleaning my gutters (true). Oh okay, he's asking about the 21st.

Arthritis is bothering me. It's not excruciating, just mildly annoying. My concern is more about my fingers instead of my toes because that could impact working on the computer and piano.

I'm falling asleep at my desk. Crashed hard at lunch and overslept my nap.

I'm looking into BistroMD again. I got tired of their food, but I did lose weight on it.

83F/28C. It's hot upstairs. It feels like 10 degrees cooler downstairs, so I won't turn on the a/c yet. You can feel the heat as you walk upstairs. I'm wondering if I should get an air conditioner or bite the bullet and buy a heat pump for upstairs. I spend a lot of time in my home office upstairs. I'm running a fan by my desk. It's hotter in Urbana than it is in Miami. And a lot hotter than Chicago.

It's kind of giving me the creeps that people with whom I worked at the beginning of my tech writing career have passed away. But they were a lot older than me, so it shouldn't be surprising.

I got the strawberry pot. And the Japanese Spirea.

Hum. I'm wondering if I should go to bed really early and get up early to work on the upstairs. It's too hot to work on it during the evening unless I stay up really late.

Oliver went over to see what Lily was doing. She was flat out because of the heat, and swatted at him. He walked away to lie down on the floor too.

Mower guy said that the lawn was too wet to mow. It was foggy this morning.

For my guest room, I was looking at the 8-drawer Van Gogh dresser that [personal profile] susandennis bought. But eight drawers is really more than I need. I found a 3-drawer version. If someone has more clothes, they can put them in the closet. Though if I got the 8-drawer one, I could keep colored pencils and such in some of the drawers. And some travel stuff.

Speaking of travel stuff, I looked at the linen outfit that I wanted to wear on the plane, and the color that I wanted is sold out. I could do a black-and-white top and white pants and a white blazer. I bought a “flax” top and pants and a “driftwood” blazer. That should look okay with my brown shoes.

Done with work. I have a cat (Oliver) in my face and a dog being manic. Fed us all. I was going to take a nap, but it’s late enough that I should probably go to bed for the night.

I started reading a new biography of Jennie Churchill. It’s interesting.

I’m feeling kind of dizzy.

Bella is out cold on her bed. She got up when I did though.

Cold Snap

Apr. 7th, 2025 08:16 pm
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Hmm, if I want to go to La Maddalena (an island off of Sardinia), I'd have to take an expensive one-hour cab ride to the ferry each way. But I'd really like to go there. I need to create a Sardinia document with my findings in one place.

I was outside, and Zara was sitting with her back in the window. I tapped on it, and she kept on meowing at me. So now I’m sitting with her in her room. She heard Oliver and went away and hid. So I’m keeping her door closed at night. (I was keeping it open in case she wanted to wander around.)

Overslept this morning and got up at 7. I went to the car repair place and signed the paperwork. Now I wait. The Honda is still running smoothly though.

Man, I'm tired. I'm wondering if I'll be up for raking tonight. It's a beautiful day for it though. (I dropped out of choir for this semester because I've missed a lot and I'm worn out. I'll pick it up in the fall.)

I was wondering where Oliver and Lily went, but now they're upstairs with me. They seem to have a napping spot of which I'm not aware.

Ow. The toes on my left foot are aching. Arthritis? Now the joints in my hands are hurting too. I had something like this happen several years ago. Aargh.

Ugh. It’s cold out and windy. The forecasters are predicting a freeze tonight, so I need to cover the plants. No raking today. After I eat dinner, I’ll do some dishes, take my nighttime meds, maybe watch an episode of The Big Bang Theory, and get to bed early. I have Italian tomorrow morning.

There was a discussion on Facebook about what clothes are made in the USA. I’m actually glad that I have too many clothes. Speaking of which, I went into the library room (Zara’s room) to visit with Zara, but Oliver and Lily busted in a couple of times, so Zara wouldn’t come out. I started sorting clothes and filled a bag to go to the thrift store. And I found my white jeans that I had been looking for. I’ll try to sit with Zara again before I go to sleep, when I feed her again. Practiced piano. I need to get more money from the trust before I can schedule more lessons, but I should practice anyway. There’s going to be a recital, and I want to do “Danny Boy”. I’m slowly picking up the threads of my life.

Watched an episode of The Big Bang Theory. Now I'm going to post, feed the cats, take Bella out, and go to bed. Oh, and cover my plants while I'm outside. I should let Bella in first because I could just see her grabbing the dropcloth with which to cover the plants and running with it.

Tuesday

Mar. 26th, 2025 05:56 am
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No Italian. We got snarled up in the time changes. We rescheduled for next week. I guess that I'll start work early after I feed the critters.

I'm feeling kind of chilled. And tired.

I saved the links to some exercise classes (yoga, weight training, pilates). Now I just need to do them.

I overslept my nap, dreaming that I was staying at my mom's house, but my dad was taking me to the airport.

It won't stop raining.

Called Holland America to get my bookings straightened out on their app. I had two IDs, and they are in the process of merging them. I hope that it will be fixed tomorrow.

Oliver and Lily are best buds, except when they're eating. Then it's every cat for himself or herself.

Ordered more canned dog food for delivery.

I have a little over a month to get things in order for a new pet sitter when I go to a conference in May. I need to set goals for myself. I should meet with the life coach to set goals, but I don't want to spend the money right now. Hmm.

I tried some Dubai chocolates from Costco with pistachio and knafeh. Oh, are they ever good. I tend to be picky about chocolate because I don't like chocolate unless it's cut with something, but these are great!

Lily is crashed out on the guest room futon. Not sure where Oliver went. Now she's loving me up because she's hungry.

Bella seems to recognize dogs as dogs, but she is nervous around them. One guy who walks his dogs on our street is trying to get her to say “Hello” to his dogs or him, but she hasn’t quite gotten the nerve up yet.

Hmm. There are some Corgi mixes that like cats and other dogs and are 73 miles away. Their adoption fees are reasonable too.

Huh. I was looking at a Lucid Air, but sheesh. Expensive. I don’t think so.

Got us all fed. I need to clean up the kitchen because Bella shredded toilet paper in here, but I think that I need a nap first. I got up early today. Slept through until 5:30 AM.

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Overslept my alarm. I had three cats in the bedroom. Now Zara is in the kitchen with the youngsters. Good girl. Managed to take a shower without Oliver in the bathroom.

I looked at Little Free Library kits because that would be a way to get rid of my extra books, but sheesh. Expensive. I'll have to think about that.

Mimi is on my lap, quacking. I told her that she's awfully furry for a duck. All's right with her world. I heard a loud crash from downstairs. Do I want to know what that was? Oliver is at the gate, and Mimi is annoyed. He's insisting on staying up here because I'm doing something! And he wants to know what!

If we got snow last night, it's melted. No, there's a dusting on the ground that I couldn't see from my desk.

Mimi is on window patrol. She's not going to like it when I have that tree taken down when I have the garage built.

Got the dog stuff set up, part of which is cat stuff. I wanted to move a litter box in with Zara because she might not want to come in the bedroom if the dog is there. Oliver and Lily checked out the dog bed. Tried to nap but didn’t quite fall asleep. I’ve been cuddling with Lily the Love Bug.

I looked into a board to go over the aquarium. It looks like I'd need manufactured wood, which comes in 4 feet by 8 feet, and a saw (I'd probably have to buy a used circular saw) to cut it to size. Does anyone know of a way to get someone to cut the board for you? I'd rather not get a saw that I won't usually use. And I don't have a workbench. I did find a used folding workbench that I could buy. Or plexiglass? I need something that would hold the weight of a cat. (The lid that it has does not.) Hmm, maybe I should ask Erik (my ex) what he recommends. (Sent an email.)

Hmm. My nose runs all winter long. I figured that it was something that I had to put up with, but maybe I should ask the doctor about it? Which reminds me, I need to make an appointment with my primary, but I don't like her, so I'm procrastinating. I need to find someone else. Okay, I scheduled an appointment. I like being able to schedule one online. And I checked Dr. Google, and runny noses during winter are normal, if annoying.

I looked up info about the Urbana Dog Park. I think that I should train Bella to come when called before I take her there. I need to look into training classes. Dog treats. I didn't get dog treats. Ordered some from Amazon. Oh, I also could pick some up at the Walmart where I'm meeting the dog shelter person.

I received another Green Chef box, and I'm not done with the last one. I need to do mass amounts of cooking this weekend.

Just remembered to stick a pen in my purse because I'm sure that I'll have to sign things when I pick Bella up. Although I did fill out some forms online, so maybe not?

Poor Lily is not happy that I'm upstairs without her. I explained to her that it's because of her brother, but she misses me.

I was about to leave to go pick up Bella (I’m meeting the shelter person at the Walmart on Bloomington, about an hour from here, and I want to pick up dog treats there) when the shelter person texted me that they were running about an hour late. It worked out well because I needed to heat up the car to get rid of some ice, so I did that and ran an errand. Now I’m having some quality time with Lily and Oliver.

I got there in plenty of time before the shelter person got there and bought four different kinds of dog treats for Bella (and some human treats too). I waited inside the Walmart for them to text me because it was cold outside. Finally they did, and I drove over too them, and they gave me Talley/Bella. She was crawling along the ground, poor scared girl, but she jumped in the car.

I forgot to wear my night vision glasses on the way back. (They did help on the way out.) Bella came out of the car willingly and went into the yard. She did not pee. She really didn't want to come in the house, but she finally did. I brought her into the bedroom because it was quiet. She saw my bed and promptly jumped on it. (So much for the dog bed that I bought. I wonder if I can return it?) Oliver and Lily came in and met Bella and seemed a little cautious (which is to say, Oliver didn't get in her face) but were mostly unfazed.

bella.jpg

I gave Bella some food and water, but she didn't touch it. She ate treats from my hand though, so I hand-fed her some food. Then I gave her the bowl on the bed, and she ate a lot. I gave her water on the bed, and she drank. I took her outside, and she didn't pee. I fed the cats.

Now she's in the bedroom. I'm going to try taking her out one more time and then get ready for bed. I'm going to set my alarm for 5 AM to take her out again. Then I'll feed her and the cats, and then go back to sleep.

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I took a short nap because it’s a holiday and Zara wanted snuggle time. Mimi came downstairs to complain at me.

I’ve been reading Jim Hutton’s book about Freddy Mercury. It's interesting. Finished it.

Got the aquarium upstairs. Took the backing off because I want to be able to see the tank from my desk. Ordered a new filter pad.

Started washing litter boxes. Most of them need to be cleaned.

I ate dinner, took a nap, and ran out of steam. I'm going to get up early to work on the library room.

Mimi is on my lap, purring and making it difficult to type.

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Got the flannel sheets and flannel duvet cover on the bed. They’re so soft! Zara came in partway through but decided that she didn’t like what was going on. Later, I came in to go to bed, and she was happily curled up on top of the comforter with the flannel cover. Now she's glued to it except when she wants food :)

I had problems falling asleep. I got up once because I realized that I scheduled my piano lesson at the same time as Dial-A-Carol. I ate oatmeal and finally fell asleep. And overslept, sigh. I have to find the box with the "Sonic Boom" alarm.

Yeah, I think that staying home over Winter Break is a good idea. Hard to believe that I work Monday, and then I'll be off!

Very quiet at work. My boss told me to "feel better" when I went out sick yesterday, which was nice.

I'm about done with Walmart delivery. They dumped my groceries by the gate, and I had to go across my lawn with slippers on. How hard is it to put them on my porch?

I just emailed the real estate guy about the closing date on Mom's house. He said "sometime this week".

Ugh. My back and shoulder hurt. I shouldn’t be this sore shortly after a massage. Showered, so at least I'm clean.

Went down to get the mail and found a Jenny Craig order. I need to cancel them, but at least I'll have a stash. I'm now thinking of doing a bunch of cooking and freezing stuff next week, when I'll have time. I'm getting a bunch of emails from Costco, but no card yet. I plan to bring the cars up to Costco for gas because, why not? And maybe I could get new windshield wipers for the Honda there. And investigate moving my prescriptions, although it's convenient having them down the street. Maybe not.

I think that getting a used aquarium is the right idea. I priced new ones and geesh. Expensive. And I'm getting only a 20-gallon tank! Though I also want a 55-gallon tank for the library room. Actually, I found a used 50-gallon tank that I like, but I'd need movers to move it. And I need someone to check that the floor is stressed for it.

I've decided that I don't like the prescription face cream that I've been using. (It was making my skin flake.) I'm trying something new from Dermstore, and we'll see how I like it. But the shipment is delayed.

I forgot to say that I'm proud of myself. I had been having problems with the sound on the laptop that I had on the digital piano. I bought two computer speakers to try to fix it, but they didn't help. Eventually, I got rid of the laptop and swapped in my mom's laptop. So I still had the speakers, but didn't need them, so I gave them away on Buy Nothing! It's a drop in the bucket, but still, I'm pleased with myself.

Hmm. I had been thinking of getting a used grandfather clock for the library room, but now I'm thinking that I should move the Buddha in there and put a wall clock (with chimes) above it. Also cheaper. Though I wanted a "Namaste" hanging above the Buddha. And maybe, above the aquarium-to-be, I want one of those maps where you can rub off the paper on the country if you have visited it.

I got my Beaches calendar for by my computer. December is Maui. Excellent. I just need a nail with which to hang it. I need to make a list of things to get done over break.

I was eyeing the treadmill. I think that the first errand on my list is to get the small Smart TV for in front of my treadmill. I'll watch The Golden Girls and The Big Bang Theory while exercising!

I found the “Sonic Boom” clock! Good because I need to get up early tomorrow because the house cleaner is coming tomorrow morning. I also found my hatchet, which should go in the basement.

Now I’m eating dinner and putting the Jenny Craig meals away (done).

Hmm. Holland America is trying to upsell me on dining. They have a steakhouse and an Italian restaurant. I need to think about it.

I'm back from Dial-A-Carol. This apparently was Pros night. There was a group that was singing in four-part harmony and sounded fantastic! (One of looked embarrassed when she saw me listening, but I don't know why.) And there was a young woman who must have been a singing major. (In fact, I think that she might have been at the carols concert?) I was somewhere in the middle. I'm usually on tune if I know the song, but I don't sound as polished. I just bought the sheet music and a couple of CDs of "traditional" Christmas music. I'll work on them during break. Driving home, I felt full of love for Champaign-Urbana because there are so many fun things to do here.

I'm sitting for a moment with Mimi, and then I need to tidy up the kitchen and bathrooms for the house cleaner. Oh, I think that I'll post because I'm here. No one needs the blow-by-blow of my tidying :)

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Okay, I found a South Beach, Miami, hotel that I like, because there's no way that I'll go to Miami (for the cruise) and not see South Beach. However, the cruise is 15 days, so I’m not going to have a lot of time to take in South Beach. It turns out that I have enough time off now for the cruise, so I should be able to accumulate vacation time and tag on a couple of days. I think that I'll do a walking tour of South Beach and, if I like it, take another, longer trip there.

Yikes. Mimi slipped on the stairs upstairs and started to slide down. I broke her fall as she slid into me. I hope that was a one-off.

My boss okayed the March cruise, so I'll book it. I looks like I'll have to overnight in Chicago again (coming from San Diego) and take the bus back on Sunday. I'm really anxious to do my bookings, but patience, Adrienne. I'll book it after work.

My neck and back are bugging me. I'm looking forward to the massage tomorrow.

Delivered my gifts to the Children's Home. Yay. I parked halfway across the complex from the dropoff point, but now I know.

I found a musical notes clock that I want to get (ordered) and put...somewhere near the piano. (Speaking of pianos, the one that I really like is now being given away free, but I have a lot of work that I need to do before I could move it in here.)

I'm looking at slow cooker recipes because that's my type of cooking. Dump stuff in the slow cooker and walk away and then have food later! I want to put in another grocery order, so I need to figure out what to cook. I think that I want to try a slow cooker recipe for Steak Diane. Also, Salmon-Veggie Chowder. (That probably would be better for me.) I also have a "food prep" cookbook that I need to look at. It has meal plans for weight loss, muscle-building, etc. Excellent. And it contains instructions on how to prep the meals in one day.

I’ve got the thermal curtains for the bedroom. I’ll put them up tomorrow. There’s a local “Swap Meet” on Sunday, and I need some stuff to donate. I’ll include the current curtains. Oh, and I got a larger space heater, so I’ll get rid of the little one.

Hmm. I’m wondering if I should get a betta fish and some tetras for upstairs. They can tolerate a smaller tank (although people keep them in too small tanks, but maybe a 20 gallon one?) That would be an easy way to get into aquarium keeping. But it's too cold to get one now.

I booked the cruise. Yay. It was a little cheaper than the price on their Web site. (I had to pay in full, but I expected that.) And he got me a good cabin. Now I need to look at flights (booked). I got the Holland America app. I'm trying to book a massage, which you can do on the app, but it lost my booking. I'll try again later. I decided to book a massage but not a facial because I don't enjoy facials that much. Why spend the money? Okay, I got a massage booked and paid for and also decided to get a peel facial. My skin has been dry and rough. I booked the South Beach hotel and the O'Hare motel. I've booked everything that I can book now; I have to wait until 30 days before to book the bus. Well, I need to book Shore Excursions but I'll probably wait until tomorrow.

Holland America seems more organized than Celebrity so far.

Now I need to make and submit my grocery list. Okay, done. I'm making the Salmon-Veggie Chowder, Apple Salad, Chia Pudding, and Yogurt Parfait. It's a start.

Now I think that I'm going to bed. I have to sing at the memorial service in the afternoon.

Added: I'm looking at Shore Excursions. I'm hung up on Costa Rica. Do I want to go to a sloth sanctuary, or do I want to do a walk in the cloud forest?

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Hmm. Someone on Facebook is organizing a trip to St. Lucia in April.

Went to bed early. Got hungry because I hadn’t eaten dinner, so I got up and ate. Woke up at 5:45 AM. Fed myself and the girls and took a nap. Woke up with my alarm at 9:30, rolled over, and slept until a little before 11. Oops. Zara is sleeping on my foot.

Aaargh! I’m having problems copying files off of the laptop that I want to get rid of. I guess that I won’t drop it off today. Actually, most of the files are on OneDrive, so I guess that I don’t need to copy them.

Also aargh: I received my swimsuits that I ordered a long time ago, and I emailed the company asking to return them. They said that they don’t take returns but will offer $21. I guess that I’ll go through PayPal to try to get my money back.

I’m trying to convince myself to go to the Carol Concert. I’m sure that I’ll enjoy it when I get there, but I’m feeling unmotivated. Well, I managed to get my lazy butt into the shower. Loaded the car for my errands.

Mimi is complaining loudly. I think that it’s because I haven’t gone upstairs yet.

I did go to the Carol Concert. They mostly did obscure ones, but they had singalongs of more common ones. I’m not a big fan of Christmas—It’s kind of the Godzilla of a holiday—but I like the carols and the lights.

I ran errands afterwards. I bought some black folders to use for the music at our concert tomorrow. Bought some “puppy pads”. (Mimi pees on them.) Dropped off the clothes and blankets at the thrift store. Ran into the thrift store and bought a basket for my charging stuff plus a binder and sheet protectors for a binder of instruction manuals. Ran to Best Buy and dropped off the laptop to be recycled.

Now the girls are telling me that I need to feed them NOW! It’s LATE! (Done. Now I’m eating.)

I’m feeling really tired, but I need to get my clothes together for the concert tomorrow (done) and put the music in order. I came upstairs to print off the order of the music. Mimi is all over me. I decided to post and then go downstairs to get the music together.

Quiet Day

Dec. 7th, 2024 08:21 pm
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Mimi has been lying just outside my bedroom. I thought, “How sweet. She’s waiting for me.” She might have been doing so, but she also was getting the benefit of the heat vent :)

I set my usual sleep schedule into Apple, and it has an alarm that goes off at 7:30 AM each day. It woke me up. The cats want food and are restless.

People on Facebook say yes, I should join Costco.

The check hasn’t cleared yet (although it was a cashier’s check). That’s okay. I have some money yet.

Zara ate most of her food! Yay!

Napped.

Hmm. I really don't want to go out today. I was looking into the time for the concert tomorrow, and I could run errands afterward. But that got me wondering how I could get to the concert. An Uber back and forth would cost a lot of money. I could take the bus, but I'll have to do a fair amount of walking. Oh! Parking! They have free parking! Excellent. (I'm used to there being no parking on campus.)

Okay. Printed off the recipe for the smoothie. Well, I know the "dump everything into the blender and blend" part, but I needed the amounts of things.

I just remembered to schedule my singing lesson. With the concerts that I'm going to, choir, and my piano lesson, it was tough to find a time that worked. I finally scheduled for a week from tomorrow.

I had to add an extra cup of soy milk to the smoothie to make it liquid. But it’s really good. The Ninja blender works really well.

Notre Dame in Paris is open again. That’s quite an achievement. I remember feeling heartache when the fire happened. I gave some money for the restoration. (The New York Times said that Americans were the largest group of donators after the French.)

Well, I’ve got my "catch up on my sleep" part of the day done. The last time that I lay down, I called Zara, and she came and jumped on me after a delay. Aww.

I’m trying to gather the energy to get the recycling out. I was thinking that I didn’t want to go out in the cold, but it’s 40 F/4C. Not bad at all. Mimi is telling me how tough it is, being a cat. That wasn’t just general-purpose complaining; she wants food. She’s right. It’s feeding time at the zoo.

I’m thinking of going to bed really early. Took my nighttime meds. I think that I’ll just go through some paper in the kitchen and do dishes (done). I went through an enormous pile of paper in the kitchen. One step closer to having it organized. Posted a wallet on Buy Nothing.

I'm now upstairs to post. Mimi is on my lap and is happy.

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Mimi was having problems jumping on my lap, so I picked her up. Surprisingly, she didn’t mind.

I found a recipe for a mixed berry smoothie. They suggest adding 1/2 a frozen banana to it, so I need to pick up some bananas and freeze them.

Ow. My right arm was hurting when I pulled up the comforter. Don’t know what’s up with that. Getting older is the pits!

I signed up for BlueSky: adriennerad.bsky.social.

Ugh. I woke up at 7, decided that I'll take my shower at lunchtime, and went back to sleep for a little while. And overslept. So much for getting the recycling out.

Holy cow. 7.0 earthquake in Northern (way Northern) California. I hope that people are okay. The "pretty big one," the Loma Prieta Quake that I experienced, was a 6.9 or 7.0. Personally, I don't want to experience a quake again over 5.5. Funny, a person that CNN interviewed said that he got "seasick" because of the quake. I described the movement of the cruise ship as "being like an earthquake".

My dad is annoying me. I had sent him an email saying that I wanted to take a Panama Canal tour in a couple of years. He sent a response that the most important things are 1) finding a life partner and 2) getting your financial house in order. He said that travel, while satisfying, was less important than 1 and 2.

Well, I’m not certain that I want a life partner (most men remarry after a divorce, but women are more dubious), although I’d like to date, and that was the reason I was losing weight, although I’ve fallen off that wagon. Plus, I need to declutter my house, both to make it look nice for dating and also I don’t want to leave as much of a mess as Mom did.

As for finances, I have retirement money. And I’m working to get a pension from the uni. (Honestly, that’s the thing that is keeping me from retiring right now.) I’m working on getting the rest of my finances in order.

As for travel, I know that there will always be “one more place,” but when I die, if I haven’t been to a majority of the places to which I want to go, I will be pissed. Plus, I belong to a Facebook group of retired women, and they consistently say, travel while you can. I’m aware that my traveling time has a limit. And it makes sense to me to travel as much as I can while I'm still working. And I'm consciously doing the things that are important to me: travel, singing, piano, and Italian.

My therapist agreed that I need to live my life my way. She thought that my dad was out of line and doesn't know how to parent an adult child.

I’m waiting to cool down before responding.

Had my piano lesson. She commented that I had did a lot of work on my recital piece. In fact, I had played it so much before the lesson and at the lesson that I got really tired and stopped being able to play. That never has happened before. And I never have been so aware of my ability to concentrate as a limiting factor.

I'm need to go to bed early because I need to get up on time and take a shower and put on my makeup because we will be introducing ourselves to the governance board at work. I know I keep saying that but staying up late, but I need to stick to it this time. Posting is a start.

No Coffee

Nov. 30th, 2024 11:25 pm
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Remembered to get my St. Lucia magnet out of my backpack and put it on the refrigerator. I like seeing it.

I had some problems falling asleep because my legs were cramping. I got up and had some oatmeal. It worked; I fell asleep. Woke up this morning briefly around 9 AM but fell back asleep. Woke up at noon!

I found a good bargain-hunting Web site. It’s called Unclaimed Baggage. It’s the contents of lost luggage that never was claimed. I’m eyeing a Kate Spade crossbody purse.

The problem with making the coffee is that I need to be awake enough to make the coffee. (Yes, there is a timer, but one thing at a time.) Suckage. The coffee maker is missing the water reservoir. I can order a new one, but I’m SOL for now. I have another coffee maker…somewhere. More incentive to go through boxes. Oh! I have enough cash to get a few bottles of caffeinated soda. I found a half-bottle of caffeinated soda. It’ll get me going. Hmm, I think that the water reservoir might be in another plastic box? Maybe? I’ll look for it. Haven’t found it so far.

Lay down for a nap. Zara took a whiff of me and ran away. I don’t think that I smell THAT bad :) Napped.

I’m out of lunch food, so I made some soup.

Finally dragged my lazy butt to the shower. It was cold in the cold bathroom. I’m now reverting to my childhood and am lying under the covers with my clothes on to warm them up.

Next Door keeps warning of broken water mains in various places yesterday and today. Given how cold it is (25F, -4 C /18F, -8C wind chill), that could be a problem. Man, I wish that I was in Italy right now. Or the Caribbean.

I don’t want to go out in the cold darkness. Somehow cold seems colder at night. (Well, technically, usually it is.) I’ll drink Earl Grey tea in the morning and go to Walmart earlier.

I’m working on the library room. I’m getting overwhelmed with all my clothes. I started on clothes and went to practice piano. Finished a box of clothes and blankets. My count now is four bags of stuff to donate and some stuff to throw out. I still think that I have too many clothes though. Posted some dumbbells on Buy Nothing.

I think that I’m going to eat dinner (my day is all turned around because I slept so late), post, and wend my way towards bed.

Mimi sez, "Mommy, you haven't been spending enough time upstairs with me on your lap." I said, "Yes, Mimi, it's a holiday." She doesn't like holidays. She wants me to work so she can sit on my lap!

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Woke up at 7 AM. Went back to sleep. Woke up at 9:30 AM. Dreamed that I moved to San Francisco.

Someone (Zara?) ate Mimi’s piece of turkey. Fed the cats and myself. Watered the spider plants because they were looking a little unhappy. Nap time. I woke up after only one hour. I guess that I’m caught up on my sleep.

Um. It’s snowing! It’s a good day to stay home. The snow didn’t stick.

I forgot to put clothes in the dryer. I need to dig out my cordless drill and charge it so that I can hang the pots for the spider plants. But first, I need to shower and try on some jeans that I bought in Michigan.

Um, I’m trying to decide whether to take one more nap. I’m a little sleepy after lunch. I did decide to lie down. Zara is snuggling. And I did put clothes in the dryer. Slept for another hour.

I’ve been scrolling through the Black Friday deals although I’m not buying anything. I like the flannel sheets from L.L. Bean. They also have a flannel comforter cover, but would it lock to the sheets? I might need to call them.

I need to go get coffee filters later today. I might go to Meijer late.

I read the weather report. It’s good that I’m not in Michigan this weekend because it’s slick up there.

Finally got my lazy butt into the shower. Afterwards, tried on my Ann Taylor LOFT jeans, and they were too big. I like the cut though, so I might look for some in my size. I think that I’ll sell the two pairs that I have on Mercari because they’re new with tags and nice jeans. I also tried on the corduroy blazer and don’t want it. Into the donation bag it goes.

Zara wants food. I think that my full-time job is being a chef and waitress to cats :) Fed myself and them.

Got my new stand mixer.

stand_mixer.jpg

I need to get the ingredients for Snickerdoodles when I have more money. Got my mom's coffee maker out (Ninja) and found the model number. I got a PDF of the instructions for it. I'm trying to print out the PDF, but for some reason, it's not printing. There we go. The printer wanted more paper but didn't tell me that.

Hmm. I'm trying to decide whether to go to Meijer now. I'd like a few donuts as well as the coffee filters, and I'm afraid that they'll sell out.

Mimi is being pushy about lap time though. I tipped her off when I was dealing with the printer, and she jumped back. Multiple times.

I have a headache, so I’m going to lie down for a little while with Zara. Rested for a half-hour. Mimi has taken to lying just inside the bedroom door when I’m in here. She ate Zara’s leftover food.

Went to Meijer and got the coffee filters, donuts, and a baguette. It was freaking cold out (currently 20F/-6C with a wind chill of 9F/-12C). Ack! It’s nice and toasty in the house though. I’m thinking of hibernating soon. Ran downstairs and turned off the outside water because it might freeze.

My mom’s Zig Zag plant is really happy and is putting out shoots like crazy.

zig_zag_plant.jpg

I'm now upstairs with a loudly meowing Mimi. It's surprisingly warm up here. Maybe I'll just get by with a small space heater.

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I was petting Mimi, who was on my lap, at the base of her tail. She twisted around and fell off my lap. I cracked up.

Fed the cats. I thought that they might not eat because it’s still close to when I fed them last, but they are eating.

Woke up around 9:15 AM. Rewatched the WKRP Turkey Drop. I was sitting, scrolling through my phone, when Zara told me that she wanted to be fed NOW! She’s the boss, so I got up and fed them. Zara said “Hello” to me when I lay down on the bed, but she isn’t snuggling. Nap time.

Overslept my nap a tiny bit. Had lunch. I’m reading about how to handle Thanksgiving travel and am thankful that I’m not traveling.

It’s cold out (36F/2C), so I’m going to take a shower soon to give my hair a chance to dry. ( I do have a blow dryer, but I hate drying my hair.) I think that I’ll go to the Thanksgiving dinner around 5 PM.

Mimi: Mom mom mom, I want attention!

Showered and I did blow-dry my hair until it was damp. I’m letting it air-dry the rest of the way. Called Zara Miss Wigglesworth because she was wiggling on the bed. Fed the cats.

Now they’re not predicting snow on Saturday, so I think that I’ll run errands then. I need to accumulate more stuff to go to the thrift store.

I went to the Thanksgiving dinner. It was in the cafeteria of a local high school. You had a choice of turkey or ham, choices of side dishes, and choices of pie. The food was good. They gave me a ton of turkey though. I wound up bringing some of it home for the cats. I started out sitting by myself but then another woman eating alone joined me. This was the first Thanksgiving dinner that I’ve had in years!

Now I’m in a little bit of a food coma and want a nap (done- overslept a little).

I decided that my neighbors would rather that I take out the recycling in the morning. Mimi told me to come upstairs. I said, “Don’t you want food?” Mimi: “Well…yeah.” (Done. Zara ate the turkey and a little of her cat food. Mimi did not eat the turkey but ate the cat food.) Now Mimi wants me to come upstairs.

I think that I’m going to go back to bed so that I can get the recycling out in the morning.

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Started a load of laundry when I went to bed. The front-loading washer holds less clothes than a top-loader. I needed to wash some clothes to donate too.

I have a singing lesson at 3, so I’m going to stay home today and bring my stuff for donation/recycling next weekend. Put clothes in the dryer and washer. I need to decide whether to keep a corduroy jacket. I guess that I’ll try it on.

Zara likes to lean against me in bed. It’s very cute.

My singing lesson went well. My teacher is very helpful. I need to practice singing intervals. I'm looking for interval singing exercises. I just remembered that I had a bel canto book that had me singing intervals. Who knows where it went though. I thought that I had boxes of music books by the piano, but they weren’t music books. Oh well.

Fed myself and the catlings. Mimi wants me to go upstairs, and she will be happy because I need to print some music out for piano (done).

I got some arthritis stuff (extended relief Tylenol and a rub) and the charging cube for my bedroom. I need to set up my charging station (done). Oh, and I got my Christmas cards.

My spider plants are growing so big that they’re trailing in the sink. I need to repot them in the hanging pots over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Zara wants food. I’m telling her that it’s too early. I was in the kitchen, so she was hopeful. Now I had both of them. I told them that their dishes were soaking.

I'm feeling wiped out. I think that I'll go to bed and get up early to do my Italian homework and practice piano. I have an Italian lesson over lunch tomorrow.

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Woke up at 7 AM. Fed the girls and myself. Now I’m going to nap.

Crud. Someone else bought the mixer. I should have bought it. I’ll keep combing eBay for another one. I bought another one. It was a little more expensive but had free shipping, so it’s about the same.

Got some Zara snuggles, which is good for what ails me. Had a nice nap.

Suckage. I haven’t gotten the Zoom link for the writing webinar. I guess that I’ll take a shower in a few minutes. I’m going to work on the clothes in the library room and might need to try on clothes. My plan is to go drop off the broken laptop tomorrow, so I want to have some bags of stuff to drop off at the thrift store too.

Our choir is going to sing at a memorial service for a former choir member in December. I read his obituary and he sounds like someone I would have liked. I need to get to know more people in the area, but I’m purposefully waiting until I get the house more together.

I had a bite to eat and decided to take one more nap. Zara is snuggling with me.

It just occurred to me that I need to get Christmas cards. I bought some UNICEF cards that say “Peace on earth”.

Oceania called me again. They aren’t getting the hint that I don’t want to talk to them.

Took a shower and listened to “Alice’s Restaurant” in honor of Alice Brock, the Alice of the song, who passed away. Plus, it's almost Thanksgiving.

One bag of clothes to donate and a part of a bag of garbage done. It’s a start.

Took a nap and slept through until 1AM. Fed the cats. I’m waiting for Mimi to finish eating to go up and post. Then I’ll go to back to sleep. I hope that I’ll get up early to work on the library room.

Ack! It’s predicted to go down to 15F/-9.5C next weekend! It’ll be a good weekend to work on decluttering.

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Woke up on time. Getting to bed early helps. It's dark and gloomy again today. It's going to be a long winter.

I love it when Zara comes running up to snuggle when I lie down on the bed. She curls up and naps.

I'm feeling like crying for no good reason. Here is the winter Seasonal Affective Disorder. I'm wondering if I should try a light box again, but I experienced racing thoughts the last time that I used one, which isn't good either. I should look into other methods of dealing with it. I'm already on two antidepressants, so I don't think that I need more. A Web site said to get outside even if it's gloomy to get all the sunlight that you can. Maybe now that my foot is better, I should go for a walk outside. Though it’s light for so short a time that it makes it difficult to find a time.

Got a grocery order from Walmart. I'm now well stocked. I need to check out Aldi for some Thanksgiving-type things. They're supposed to have great pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes. (My work group has a "watercooler" Zoom meeting where we discuss stuff like that!) I checked, and pumpkin pie can be frozen, so I might pick up a couple.

I need to get rid of my old laptop that I had been using for my music lessons. The sound wasn’t working. I can recycle it at Best Buy. And note to self: Do get rid of it instead of keeping it hanging around.

I was looking for a place where I could donate Christmas gifts because I don't have anyone to shop for. I found a couple of possibilities. I want to get a local children's home some craft supplies and a Lego set. Crud, I wanted to get a Harry Potter Lego set, but it’s $135! Yikes!

I need a stand mixer to make Snickerdoodles with Almond Flour (and other baking). I'm looking for a cheaper alternative. I should check out Facebook Marketplace. Hmm, most of those are KitchenAid. I'd love a KitchenAid mixer, but I was hoping to spend less. Hmm. I was thinking of getting a new Hamliton Beach one, but I can get a used KitchenAid for only $40 more. Actually, I can get a used Hamilton Beach one for $64. That's better. Actually, there is an open box one on eBay for $50.

I was investigating a Panama Canal cruise for next year on Oceania. I'd have to go in the spring or fall; there are no cruises in the summer. It would cost a chunk of money to get a balcony too. Bermuda cruises are in the summer and are drastically cheaper. And I really, really want to go on this Japan, China, and Hong Kong cruise. Maybe I should wait until I retire and look for a "last minute" fare. But the airfare is a consideration too.

Mimi comes downstairs for food but then calls me to go back upstairs. I told her that I bought a two-story house to use both stories. She doesn’t think that’s a good reason to stay downstairs. Cats! I’m sitting in bed, and Zara is snuggled in my lap. Aww.

I got my extension cord for the light on my bedside table, but it has only one outlet. I didn’t know that they made extension cords with only one outlet. I have my lamp plugged in and like it (it’s very cozy with the dimmest setting) but I want to charge other items on my bedside table, so I bought an extension cord with a cube of outlets and USB ports. I’ll give this one away on Buy Nothing. I also looked at trays on Etsy to put my charging items on to make it neater.

Tried to nap but couldn’t sleep.

The temps this coming week are all over the map. It’s winter! It’s fall! It’s winter!

weather_end_of_november.png

I’m tempted to go to bed early and get up early to practice singing and piano and Italian. I feel like a slug now. Plus I have the writing webinar at 11 AM.

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I got up in time for my Italian lesson. We did some listening exercises that were really hard. She also asked where I liked the culture on my cruise, and I said "Puerto Rico because the people are really nice".

Mimi is still being clingy. I had a nice nap with Zara. She comes trotting up when I lie down on the bed.

I found out how to get a brochure from Oceania Cruises, and they called me. Don't call me if you want to sell a cruise! I also requested a Cunard (QEII, Queen Mary, etc.) brochure. I also found a resort in Puerto Rico that's near the beach and Old San Juan. Expensive though.

I'd like to get icicle Christmas lights for my porch, but I don't have an outdoor outlet. I guess that I'll put lights in my windows then. And ask an electrician to put in an outdoor outlet. No, I found battery-operated lights on Amazon. Hmm. I want to put white lights around my windows, but most of them are 100 lights, and I need a smaller string.

There's a place that advertises on Facebook that has really cozy-looking pajamas. I might splurge for a pair or two for Christmas.

I've been feeling hungry earlier. I just realized that's because of the time change to the cruise. Plus having lots of food at my disposal. Hmm, I have enough money to get a pizza for dinner. Although I really didn't like the way that I looked on the cruise and need to lose weight.

I'm looking forward to the long weekend next week to get stuff done around here. I'm working in the first half of the week. (I drained my vacation days and need to build them up again.)

I want the Skinny Taste Fast and Slow cookbook.

I'm so tired of plowing through my email from when I was gone at work.

Perkins is offering Thanksgiving dinner. I might go there next week.

The pizza was delicious.

We now have tons of cat food (very important!) I also bought a cheaper electric razor because I'm tired of replacing my more expensive one. We'll see how it works.

Got the garbage out. My pet sitter threw out stuff that I needed. Sigh. She keeps on rearranging my stuff. She said that she’s OCD and needs to organize stuff, but she’d understand if I want another pet sitter. I don’t know. She’s really expensive too. I’m planning on getting the place more organized next week and over winter break.

Snuggled with Zara. I’m going to take a nap. Couldn’t sleep. I think that I’ll transfer my coats to the closet in my bedroom. Most of my hanging clothes are in the larger closet in the library room.

Got my bedside lamp set up, but I need an extension cord for it.

bedside_lamp.jpg

Hmm, maybe I could also plug my phone charger into it too. I can’t find my scarf hanger, so I ordered one.

I think that I’ll feed the cats and go to bed soon. I need to figure out what to do with my two carry-on bags. I only need one. And I should repot the trees this weekend because my pots are in my bedroom.

Oh, and I need to throw another load in the wash.

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Woke up at 9 AM. Did my morning routine and napped.

I rescheduled my RSV vaccine because I couldn’t find a sleeveless shirt. That gives me a couple more days to find one. Realized that if I’m not getting my vaccine, I have time to go to the post office, so I grabbed my ThredUp return.

Now I’m at Urgent Care. It’s not where I thought it was going to be at all. They weren’t able to get the wax out of my ear, and said to use Debrox at home.

Stopped at Walgreens to get some packing tape and cosmetics. Also bought a protein bar because I was hungry. Ran to the post office. I was kicking myself because I didn’t have the items to return at Kohl’s, but this gives me time to have lunch and get the Halloween decorations down.

I was looking for the jacket that I inherited from my aunt. I haven’t found it yet. I found a bunch of pairs of jeans that are too big for me though.

Had my songwriting class. He wants me to do the work next week, so I need to come up with something.

Had dinner and fed the cats. Now I’m going to take a nap. Overslept, so I’m not going to make it to Kohl’s. I don’t want to go to Meijer right now. It’s dark and cold out.

Gathered up pairs of size 18 jeans (two sizes up) to donate, but one of the pairs smelled funny, so they’re in the wash.

The cats wanted to be fed (done). I had two pairs of eyes staring at me.

Emailed the company from which I ordered swimsuits. I haven't heard anything from them.

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Overslept and didn't get a chance to take a shower.

The trust said that they are sending my check overnight mail today. I'll get up earlish tomorrow to see if the check is here, and, if so, to deposit it at the bank.

The real estate agent for Mom's house sent me an invitation to a real estate listing site, which is promising, but the listing isn't up yet.

Mimi is refusing to leave my lap today, which is making work difficult. The perils of working from home....Wacky things are happening with the system at work; the system is giving a due date that is earlier than today's date with a checkout date of today.

I need to go to the grocery store tonight because I'm out of oatmeal. I think that I'll clear off the kitchen table afterward. I'm thinking about the weekend. I need to clean the house because I didn't have money for the cleaner this week. I also want to clean the upstairs. I need to wash towels and sheets. And I need to bring down the suitcase to start packing for the cruise. (I also need to pack for the Michigan trip, but it's shorter.)

Hmm. I looked into the company that manages [personal profile] susandennis's senior living center, and they have places in or near Illinois only in the Chicago and St. Louis areas. Also, none near Madison. The one in Wheaton sounds nice though.

Hmm. My back hurts when I bend over boxes sorting stuff. Someone on a Facebook group suggested a rolling stool. That might help. I wishlisted a stool on Amazon.

I brought some blankets upstairs into the guest room, and Mimi is taking them over. She has made a little nest in them. The guest room is HER room, according to her.

I decided to just get a few things at the local grocery store, and make a larger shopping trip to Walmart tomorrow. I almost forgot the oatmeal, but luckily, I was still in the parking lot when I remembered it.

I’m tired. I think that I’m going to go to bed. I have a lot to do tomorrow.

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