days_unfolding

Woke up at 8 AM. Had breakfast. Packed up my stuff. Now I wait until checkout time. At the bus terminal. Shutting my phone down to conserve the battery. On the bus. I’m planning to nap. Slept all the way there. I’m home now.

Had dinner. I’m trying to figure out what to do now. I need to make sure that I have clothes for tomorrow (done). I want to get to bed early because I need to go pick up the fur faces. I'm feeling too tired to start anything, so I guess that I'll go to bed after I put fresh sheets on the bed (without having to wrestle the dogs!)

Woke up at 7 AM. Oliver wants food. Fed us all. Nap time.

Had a nice nap. Overslept a little. I’m trying to wake up to get my clothes in the dryer. Oliver is fussing over me, purring. You were fed this morning. No, you’re not getting more food.

Looked at the Chicago Red Line maps. I need to write down the stops before my stops so that I know when to get ready to get off.

I really want to go back to sleep, but I can’t because I need to go to the post office. Maybe I could nap for a half hour while my clothes dry.

Gracie is barking at Oliver. A quiet morning at home.

Hmm. The Mattis post office is open until 5 PM. I’m thinking of going back to sleep for an hour. Or maybe I’ll stay awake and just sit for a while. The dogs are barking loudly. Maybe I’ll stop at Staples and pick up some printer ink. I’m having some shipped to me, but it’s delayed. And I need to go to Walmart.

Cat (Oliver) in my face. He is not shy about getting attention. Lily tends to go off on her own except when she wants food.

No, I’m going back to bed. Oooh, I’m dizzy. I’ll stop at the (closed) post office later to mail letters. Then I’ll go to Walmart. Slept well until Gracie started pushing me off the bed.

Solstice. I had the lights on at 4:30.

The dogs are outside. I’ll feed them and myself and then shower. Got my hat and gloves and a necklace. I’m waiting anxiously for rings. Oh, that reminds me that I need to stop the mail for when I’m gone.

Maybe I’ll submit a Walmart order for tomorrow. I could mail the cards then too; they won’t get there any faster. And I’ll stay home.

Gracie got my new glasses. The dogs are holy terrors. Got them back. Gracie was like, Oh, you’re upset. Yeaaaaah, I am!

Fed us all. Started reading the book about the making of The Princess Bride. It’s interesting.

Got a recycling bin into the hallway to the basement. I kind of want to go back to sleep, but it’s too early. I’m feeling too tired to do much though. I could submit my Walmart order. I should do some packing. Maybe I’ll post.

Ordered stuff from Walmart, including a wireless trackball to use with my new travel laptop. I should go to sleep early and get up early because I'll have to get up at the crack of dawn on Tuesday to drop the pets off. But I'll go pack some stuff.

Canceled a bunch of subscriptions on PayPal. I think that all I have left is Netflix, which I want to keep. Oh, and I should resubscribe to Hulu.

I checked into my cruise, but the boarding documents won't be available for a few days. I also bought the Have It All package, which includes WiFi, drinks, and one specialty dining meal.

Bought a ring that looks like hugging arms, and it'll have "Mom" engraved on the inside.

Now I really need to go to bed. I have a boatload (so to speak) of stuff to get done this weekend.

Gracie is trying to play dog play with me on the bed, and I told her to go play with Bella. That’s why I have two dogs. Now she’s snoozing with her head on my leg.

Woke up a little before 6 AM. I explained to the dogs that the cats get fed first. They don’t think that’s fair. Fed us all. My stomach hurts. I’m going back to bed. The dogs are wrestling on the bed and not leaving me any room. The snow has started.

Woke up a little before 11 AM. I’m feeling cold. It’s 15F/-10C out. So yeah, cold. I’ll take a shower in a few minutes. After lunch.

BuddhaStoneShop had a bracelet that I liked for only the shipping cost, so I got it. They also had a ring in the shape of a cat for shipping cost, so I got that too. And a Tree of Life bracelet. And a Yin-Yang necklace. They’re probably getting money from part of the shipping cost, but still, it’s cheap.

Oliver was warming my lap and purring.

I’m IBSing. But I’m staying home today so I guess that it’s okay.

Ate lunch.

Finished the book on James I. I just ordered a book on Charles I to continue my investigation into the Stuarts.

Oliver is knocking stuff down and being annoying.

The Precip app says 3.3 inches of snow so far, to make a total of 6.5. It’s like living in a snow globe. I saw a map on Facebook with the words “Stay home” over our band of snow. Will do.

I think that I’ll have one more nap. Slept for about an hour. I’m feeling cold and trying to warm up before my shower. It seems like the dogs and cats are sleeping. At least, they aren’t in the kitchen.

Opened packages while I and my clothes were warming up. I got the file folder wall holders for sheet music. I need to dig out my drill.

Hmm. UNICEF Market has a lot of rings that I like.

The dogs are barking at who-knows-what.

I think that I’ll have some soup.

Final snow total: 5.7, for a total of 8.4. Now we’re into the cold part of the weekend (currently 0F/-18C). I'm going to pull out another blanket and go to sleep. I hope that Gracie won't chew holes in the blanket. Oh, and I need to set the faucets to dripping.

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.

Finally got the Walmart order. I did get the light hooks, so yay. Let the dogs out afterwards. Gave the cats their late-night snack, and Gracie too. (Bella doesn’t get one because she’s chunky.)

The scooter now says “Was expected by Saturday”. So not tonight. I hope that I catch it fast because of the porch pirate.

I’m trying an app that lists your subscriptions so that you can cancel them. I plan to use it and then cancel it. But it didn’t find any subscriptions on my primary account, which isn’t true. I found out how to list subscriptions on my iPhone and canceled a bunch. I tried to cancel the app and it crashed. I’m going to have words with them.

Oliver snuck into the bedroom after I came in. I removed him because not only do the dogs try to “play” with him, but he has been known to bite my legs. He is NOT a good bedfellow. Speaking of such, staying up late makes the dogs tired. They are flaked out on the bed instead of wrestling. I don’t know what Bella is dreaming, but she’s twitching.

Woke up a little after 7 AM. Fresh snow out. Zara ate most of her dry food. Good job, Z!

Ordered some address labels for my Christmas cards.

Fed us all. At first, Oliver didn’t eat his food (did he fill up on dry food last night?) but now he’s eaten.

Nap time. Convinced Oliver to leave the bedroom after him threatening to bite and swat me.

Stuff to add to the to-do list:
—Get clothes together for the concert tomorrow (done). Put my music in the black binder
— Brush off the KIA. Get AAA to jump-start the Kia.
—Put up bird feeder.
—Put up lights, wreaths, and bows.

Bella: “Why can’t you pet me forever?”

Napped. Gracie curled up in the crook of my legs. Apparently I have a purpose in life and it’s to be a dog warmer.

Trying to wake up. I need to eat lunch too (done). I kind of want to go back to sleep for an hour.

Put my cruise clothes in the dryer. Went into the bedroom to find that Gracie was chewing on the box for my new travel alarm clock. The clock looks okay though.

Overslept an hour. I got the knee scooter. Damn, that thing is heavy.

Let the dogs out. Got Bella in. Gracie wasn’t ready to come in. Waited a while and went to get her in. Bella ran out. Sigh.

Apparently my dad has a small aneurysm in his brain. He said that it’s unlikely to burst in his lifetime, so they’re leaving it alone. I hope that he’s right.

Finally got the fuzzbutts in. Shower in a few minutes. Hmm. I’m getting hungry. But I should shower first to let my hair dry while I eat.

I’ve been wanting to go to a Christmas market, probably in Strasbourg. But Chicago has a big one, and it’s a lot closer :) I’ll get there one of these years. It’s funny that two different places on Facebook mentioned it now.

Got my black clothes together for the concert and they’re in the wash. Also pulled out black jeans and a hoodie for daytime wear.

Hmm. I’m wondering if I should get up really early tomorrow and get the Kia jump-started. It’s kind of late to do it tonight. I’ll think about it while I feed the beasts and myself. Sunrise is at 7:01. I think that’s the way to go. I’ll just throw myself together because I took a shower late and then shower again at lunchtime.

Ate. Fed the beasts.

Oliver is the only critter that lets me kiss him (on the head, not on the nose). Sometimes he’s a lover boy, and sometimes he’s a little shit.

Sigh. Gracie ate the cats’ fecal sample for tomorrow. I should have taken it out of the litter box. I hope that they’ll give me another sample.

Let the dogs out, and I’m going to post and then put the cruise clothes away and put the concert clothes in the dryer. Then I'll get to bed early.

Hmm. I've been mulling over adopting another older cat. There is one at the local Humane Society who is four years old, 18 pounds (!), and a lap cat. And he's lived with dogs. I kind of miss having a lap cat. Mimi was one, but Oliver, Lily, and Zara are not. But I wouldn't adopt one until after my trip if at all. NO MORE DOGS!!! I have my hands full with the two of them!

Woke up a little before 7 AM. I want to go back to sleep, but I have to wait until the dogs come in. The dogs came in earlier than I expected, although Gracie stood near the doorway for a while with the warm air coming out, so I’ll get an hour nap. I had a Munchie Bone out to try to get Gracie to come in, and Bella snatched it!

Overslept my nap a little.

My grandboss is having an Open House on Thursday, so I won't go to the Wind concert. The question is whether I go to the choral concert on Sunday.

I need to get my new heater set up in my home office. It's supposed to be a high of 18F/-8C tomorrow!

I gave Bella and Gracie some old food that Bella was refusing to eat because I'm low on the puppy food that they've been eating. (Bella has gained weight, so I need to get her on other food.) Gracie started to eat it, so Bella pushed her way in and started eating it! Jealousy!

Cranky cats. Oliver and Lily are squabbling.

I really want to take a nap, but I have 1) piano class, 2) litter box cleaning so that I can get a stool sample from the cats, and 3) getting the recycling out. And my sleep doctor told me not to take naps in the evening, but to go to bed early instead. And I do need to get up early to get the stool samples. Oh, and 4) get the clothes together for the Open House tomorrow.

Piano went well. My fingers are getting used to the keys again. I worried about Zara because she wasn’t checking out what I was doing, only to find that she was sleeping behind me while I was playing! She came over at the end of the class.

I got my Land’s End sweats (hmm, I could wear them until I change for the Open House tomorrow) and Zara’s heated bed.

I need to figure out how I can get the recycling bin out because I’ll have to drag it through 10 inches of snow. And the pickup people want us to shovel a spot for the bins. Ugh. I don’t know how I can dig out a spot for the recycling in the dark, so I’m going to give up for tonight. I can dig out a path and spot on the weekend when I can get out during the day.

OY. I let Bella and Gracie out, and Gracie was barking non-stop at a recycling bin (or at least, that was my only guess as to what she was barking at. So I got Bella in, and started trying to bribe Gracie with a hot dog so that I could grab her. She was too wily. I kept at it for a long time, but eventually went in and ate dinner. Then I opened the door, and she was almost ready to come in, and Bella burst out! I got Bella in with a hot dog (she'll do anything for a hot dog), and tempted Gracie with a donut. She was interested, and I got her to come on the porch. I opened the door and threw the donut in. It worked; Gracie came in. Whew. (Some neighbors across the street go to bed at 9 PM, and it was almost 9, so I was really stressing.)

Other people on the street got their recycling bin out, so I could have done so, but I was busy chasing Gracie.

Then I looked for the bag with the fecal sample vials, only to find that they fell out of the pocket of my purse, and the dogs did something with them. I was about ready to cry at this point. But then it occurred to me that I could use plastic baggies for the samples. Bella had left a nice sample outside, so I went out with a baggie, got hers, and put it in the refrigerator (ick). Now all I need to do is clean litter boxes to make it easy to get samples from the cats. I decided to sit and post and calm down a little first. Oh, and I need to sort out clothes for the shindig tomorrow.

Submitted a grocery order for tomorrow. Ordered more dry dog food. Ordered a new all-season jacket, this time in 2X to give me plenty of room to put a hoodie underneath. I'll give the other one away. Hmm, I wonder if there's a women's shelter that would take it? None of them want clothes, so I'll give it to Salt and Light, a thrift store that specializes in helping the poor.

I think that I'll sleep in my clothes so that I can jump outside and put the lights up. But oops, I need to find the lights!

Land’s End has a ton of clothes that I like. I need to think about this. Their clothes are half-off for Black Friday, so I need to think fast.

Found the lights (I’ll probably need more), bows (I’ll wait until after the storm to put them up) and Munchie Bones.

Took the dogs out and they didn’t want to come in, but I was freezing. Gracie is wily. I finally got her to come close with a Munchie Bone and grabbed her collar and got her in. (Yes, I gave her the Munchie Bone.)

Turned the outside water off and set faucets to dripping. It’s currently 25F/-4C and dropping. Ordered more lights. Hmm, do I want to put the lights up when they’ll get covered with snow? I need to think about this.

Woke up at 6 AM to pee. The dogs rightly decided that I’m not getting up for the morning and stayed in bed. Gracie decided that I needed to get up at 7:30.

Gracie is refusing to come in, not even for a hot dog. I’m going to warm up and try again. She was ready to come in, and I opened the door, and Bella ran out! Sheesh. They finally decided to come in. Whew.

Great. They’re predicting “heart-attack snow” (wet snow). That’s going to be a bitch to shovel, even with my power shovel. I need to charge the power shovel.

Fed us all. Nap time. Bella is under the bed. Gracie wants to play with her, but she’s growling. Gracie barked. These are the conditions in which I have to nap :) I did nap.

Everyone seems to be having a Black Friday sale, but I’m trying to ignore most of them. I just need to figure out Land’s End. I’m glad that I’m not in the stores today.

I’ve decided not to put up the lights before the storm. I’ll just work on the house.

I want to have lunch, but I’m waiting for my Walmart order. Got it. Ate lunch. I think that I want another nap.

I was looking at used Land’s End down coats on eBay, but I checked back on the sale, and I was able to get a new coat for the same price. I bought a lavender one to make me visible in traffic. They were sold out of the sweats that I wanted, but I got a sweater that says “Snow Day” and a ribbed sweater-blazer.

Crud. I forgot to get toilet paper. I ordered some from Walmart for delivery along with paper towels and garbage bags.

NOW I want a nap!

The vet didn’t have room for boarding. I called another place, but they won’t take Gracie if she at all tests positive for Giardia. I have another place to call on Monday. This is not looking good. I called another place, and they can’t take big dogs. I left a message at a dog boarding place.

I guess that I’m up. I’ll take a shower in a few minutes.

Alleluia! I found a place that will take the dogs. I'll call the vet back about the cats in a minute. I emailed them the shot records and made an appointment to have Oliver and Lily's shots renewed and fecal tests for them and Zara. Whew. This looks like it might work out after all.

Snow forecast: Snow begins falling between 3-6 AM Saturday morning and falls though the day on Saturday becoming heavy at times. Strong winds out of the south 15-25 mph, gusting to 35 mph will lead to blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility/hazardous travel especially in rural areas. Snow may mix with or change over to rain at times on Saturday evening before changing back over to snow Saturday night. Snow will taper off early Sunday morning. (Andrew Pritchard, Facebook) What a mess.

I just texted a guy about snow removal. He’s interested in doing so for me.

I was petting Gracie and Bella came running over. Jealousy! I told her that I can pet Gracie if I want, but she doesn’t think that is the case. Dogs!

Showered. I had Lily, Bella, Gracie, and Oliver watching me put on my makeup. I told Lily that she was “Up above the world so high/Like a fuzzbutt in the sky”.

I bought a new pair of snow boots.

I told Zara that her new bed will be “Kitty Nirvana”. Had my singing lesson. My voice gave out a few times, but otherwise, it was a good lesson.

Fed the critters. Brought in the groceries. Gracie did not want to come in from outside. I think that I’ll take her out on a leash next time to get her in in a timely manner.

Brought the recycling bins and garbage cans near the back door, and brought one recycling bin inside. Ate dinner finally. I really want to go to bed soon.

I woke up at 5 AM. I lay there dozing to 5:45 and then got up.

Hmm. Someone local is offering a used set of dining chairs for $35. They're okay but not great. But they might do for a while.

The fence guys are here, and the dogs are going nuts. I had thought about going back to sleep after my shower, but not with all the barking. I talked to the guys, and apparently it'll take three days to put the fence up, which I didn't know.

Just remembered to tell them not to take my neighbor's fence down.

I looked at volunteering for a food bank, but most of them are during the week. I did find one on Sunday. Hmm. The food bank is sponsored by a mosque. It would be one way to get to know people of the Muslim faith, but would they want me there? The food bank is open to anyone.

The fence guys asked for an electrical outlet, but I don't have one next to the door. (I should have one put in.) They'd have to run an extension cord into my kitchen, but then the doors wouldn't close, and the dogs would get out. So no. They can figure it out. Actually, once I have the electrical work done on the garage, workmen could use an outlet there.

I bought some solar Christmas lights and solar spotlights. I'll do some decorating over the long weekend. I also ordered a wreath (battery-operated). I need to clean off the porch. I bought some bows to put on the new fence. Hmm. Maybe I want a wreath for the garage door? Bought more bows for the fence.

Tried to sleep but Bella kept barking and both dogs kept wrestling. Maybe I can grab a nap after work.

I’m craving bread. Maybe I’ll go out later and pick some up. No, I submitted a Schnucks' delivery order with some Amy’s frozen food and a half-pie as well as bread. They substituted something that I didn't want, so I contacted them.

I ordered a bird feeder and bird seed/suet for a Christmas present for the birds--and the cats. I'm going to get a cat hammock for the front window so that they can look out and watch the birds. I need to measure the window first. Ordered--I got a faux fur one because they like to lie on the faux fur rug.

I took the dogs out on leashes. They really, really wanted to go outside of the yard (only fence posts are up) and I had to haul hard on their leashes. I brought them in early because I’d rather they pee or poop inside than stay a long time hauling them on their leashes (plus I don’t know if they’ll do their business with both on a leash). Tomorrow they’ll put the chain-link up, which should help.

Someone recommended Princess Cruises as attracting an older crowd and less of a party ship. They certainly are cheap. I might take a Southern Caribbean cruise with them. I saw a Japan one that has the ports that I want and isn’t very expensive!

Fed us all. I want to go to bed early because the fence guys will be here early tomorrow morning (and the dogs will no doubt go nuts again).

I woke up at 6, hit Snooze for a while until Gracie thought that was enough, and took the dogs out. I decided to go back to sleep for a while. Woke up at 7:45. Checked my calendar, and I have meetings before and after lunch, so I need to take my shower now.

I asked my boss if I could take Wednesday off because I have a hair appointment in the afternoon, and she said, "Yes".

Things are heating up at work. I hope that I get everything done. Somehow I wound up with the most slides for a Zoom meeting that we're having next week.

I was NOT amused that someone (probably Gracie) chewed through the strap of my purse! I knotted it up and left, but I'll need a new purse.

Choir went well. I stayed late to try out for a solo part. There were two people who were really, really good, so they should get parts. As for me, I'll see.

I decided that I needed Ben Gay or equivalent more than I needed my smoothie, so I went straight to the grocery store after choir. I got Icy Hot with lidocaine, which should cover all the bases. My arm is driving me crazy. The result of the massage didn't last long. I also decided that I wanted bagels for breakfast. I might get the smoothie on Wednesday, when I'll be off.

I'm feeling stronger though than I did last week. Nothing from the doctor, although someone called from her office on Friday but didn't leave a message.

Anyway, I need to feed the beasts and crash.

I was looking at Coldwater Creek's All-Season Jacket because I could use something like that, but holy cow, it's over $200! Maybe I could find one on eBay. Yep, took 5 minutes and found it for half-price. I also bought some navy pants to wear with my navy-and-white striped top and a white linen blazer to wear while boarding the ship.

I joined Bumble’s BFF site. I sent a like to someone named Melissa who has some of the same interests that I have, but I couldn’t figure out how to send a message. There’s someone in Bloomington, but she wants retired friends. Oh well.

Whoa. Dizzy spell. Maybe I should lie down. I emailed in sick for the morning, but I’ll make it in for the afternoon. I’m up, but I think that I need a shower before I take the dogs out. Feeling shaky. Finally got myself together and got the dogs out.

Crud. I have stuff to do at work, but I'm feeling lethargic. I really want to go back to bed, but I have a singing lesson after work and I skipped last week, so I better not skip this week. Okay, got my act together. I keep needing to go downstairs and pee though. Getting older is the pits.

Oliver is sleeping on the chair upstairs like a little angel. Appearances can be deceiving!

Oh shit. I peed a little going down to the bathroom. Arthritis in my hands. I hate getting older.

I’m going to go to bed after my singing lesson and feeding the beasts again.

Gracie pulled me down the front stairs and I fell hard. I gave up and told my singing teacher that I won’t make it. This week really sucks. I’m going to eat, post, feed the beasts, and go to bed.