days_unfolding

I watched a couple more episodes of The Golden Girls. The dog is fast asleep, so I’m going to get in my pajamas and join her.

Got up at 7. Bella defended the yard against a squirrel. She ate Lily’s food. Bad dog! She was trotting around with one of my bras that she found.

I was looking for pictures of Mimi because I think that I want the painted urn. Found some.

Oh shit! I just realized that a book that Bella destroyed was a library book! Guess that I need to go over and pay for it.

Tried to nap but couldn’t sleep.

I’m trying to decide what to do. I need to run over to Walmart to get Mrs. Meyers cleaner and Munchie Bones. I need to plant the new plants, which requires cleaning out the garden bed. And I need to clean the bedroom, kitchen, and upstairs.

It’s a little early for lunch, so I guess that I’ll get in the shower. Well, I needed to do laundry, so I guess that I’ll have lunch.

I’m looking for a new housekeeper because mine is moving out of town in June. I found someone who wants to support herself as a new grad student. I’ll contact her later in May.

My towels didn’t dry, so I threw on the clothes that I had on yesterday. I found my shovel and will go out and plant the ferns (done). Then the alarm on the Honda started going off. I shut it off twice, but apparently it had been going off since last night, but I didn’t hear it. I contacted an online Honda mechanic, and he said that the alarm system was built in. He said to bring it to a dealer to read the messages why the alarm was going off, but next week is problematic because of my off-site meetings. He told me how to disconnect the battery, but I didn’t have a small enough wrench. My neighbor came over and disconnected it.

I'm supposed to give someone a ride tomorrow, but that isn't going to work.

The pup is tired from being outside so long. Napped with her.

It’s a little late to go to Walmart. I’ll go tomorrow.

I started reading Judy Collins’ book. It’s interesting.

I don't feel up to starting anything new, so I'm going to crash.

I’ve decided to go run errands on Sunday because I have to get myself together for my singing lesson at 11AM. I can pop out afterwards.

Overslept a couple of hours. It’s colder this morning. Started laundry. Bella grabbed a pair of my underwear, and I had a tough time getting it away from her.

I probably shouldn’t take a nap but I’m going to anyway.

Okay, the boycott is over. Ordered cat food and protein bars from Amazon, although I’m not thrilled with giving Bezos more money. I need to think about it when I get back.

Overslept my nap. I think that I needed the sleep though.

I’m going through Amazon boxes, most of which will be going on the trip. I’m getting a headache though, so I need to eat something.

Now I think that I need to take a shower to try some clothes on. Oops, I need to put clothes in the dryer first.

Bella is whining because Oliver went out of reach. Now she got some Amazon packing paper and is trailing it behind her.

I decided that I wanted one more box of cat food, so I submitted a Walmart order. (I’ll figure out the ethics of my spending when I get back.)

Got the clothes in the dryer with “help” from Oliver. Now I’m going to lie down for a while to get rid of the headache. Bella takes any opportunity for a nap. I read somewhere that dogs sleep more than humans, but she feels obligated to stay up when I’m up.

Overslept my nap slightly. Showered. Had my meeting with the life coach, which was just a quick check-in.

Huh. I need to eat dinner and feed the beasties. But I'm tired. Maybe I'll do some packing and crash early. Oh! I have a cleaner for Tuesday, which takes some work off of me. Awesome.

I need to scan some music for my lesson tomorrow and go to bed.

Overslept, but got the recycling out. I’ll take my shower at lunchtime.

Busy at work, but that's okay. I like being busy. I have a list of things to get done before I leave.

Got my RSV shot. I had pounds of clothes on because it was 19F/-7C out, and I had to pull them off to get down to my t-shirt underneath. The pharmacist joked, “Oh, there is a person under there.” Then I got my library books.

Bella went outside while I was bringing stuff in. There was a possum on the other side of the fence, and she wanted to spend the night looking for where it went. I had to bring out the squeaky ball, which she loves, to get her to come in. Zen and the Art of Manipulation :)

Everyone’s fed except me. I’m planning to remedy this.

Bella pulled down one of my spider plants, so I need to repot it. And hang the pots in the kitchen soon.

I'm exhausted. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, plus I might be feeling some side effects of the shot. I'm going to go to bed and get up early to do things.

Hmm. I have library books to pick up, but I need a way to keep them away from Bella. Maybe the bottom drawer of my nightstand.

Overslept this morning. I'll need to take my shower during lunch.

My showers are endlessly fascinating to the fur kids. I think that it's the sound of the water. Today, I had Bella and Lily observing.

Having the aquarium next to my work desk is very relaxing even without fish. The hum of the filter and water sounds are very meditative. And I like looking at the plants. Hmm, I had thought that I wanted plants up here, but maybe the aquarium plants are enough. Though maybe I'll get some African Violets for my desk. Lowe's has African Violets.

Had some really good Orange Chicken for lunch. The frozen dish was kind of pricey, but oh, so good. (It blows my mind what food costs these days!)

I was on the way back from the library, using Mom’s car, when it slowed down to a crawl even when I hit the gas, and the Check Engine light went on. I managed to get it home using my flashers. Unless it’s something like transmission fluid, it probably isn’t worth fixing. Any ideas on what might cause it?

I got the garbage out. Well, most of it, anyway.

I took my car to Walmart for soda and some food. I’m set for the snow.

Hmm. I wound up staying up late, but tomorrow probably will be a pajama day. Though I will have to get the recycling out in the snow. I need to email the trust, feed the cats, and go to sleep.

I bought Bella and Oliver "Roam tags," which are like an Apple Air Tag, so that I can track their location. (Oliver shows great interest in the outside, and he’ll probably get out sometime. He already went out once, but I grabbed him.) Hmm, I could go to PetSmart and get collars for Oliver and Lily after my massage. Oh, I’ve got to remember to get a wet food bowl for Bella. I’ve been using a mixing bowl! Another cat litter scoop would be good too—one for upstairs and one for downstairs. And cat litter.

Woke up at 6 AM. Decided that was too early, and woke up at 8:30. That’s better. Took the dog out. The cats are like, “Why haven’t you fed us yet?” Okay, everyone’s fed.

Napped. Turned off my alarm and napped some more. Petted Bella, my nap partner. Took her out. The snow has melted and refrozen, so it’s kind of treacherous out.

Oliver was meowing, so I gave him some dry food. Lily wants it too, but Oliver growled. I usually leave those two to work things out. Well, I convinced Oliver’s to come over to me and let Lily have some food. One of the cats flipped over the wet cat food dishes as if to emphasize that they were empty.

The Washington Post ran a tribute to R.E.M., “the rock band that knew when to quit”.

I kind of want to go back to sleep, but I should take a shower. I have my massage at 5, and it’s 2 now.

I’m now thinking that my final trip to Michigan will be in April. The weather should be decent.

I was taking my meds when oops, I dropped a pill. Couldn’t find it right away. Grabbed the recycling bin and a garbage bag and started cleaning the area. Oliver, of course, had to lie in the garbage bag. Found it.

Hmm. Costco is open only until 6 PM, so I won’t make it there. And I have a singing lesson tomorrow, though maybe I could bug out afterwards? Oh! Monday is a holiday! I could go then!

Crud. Bella chewed the shoelace off one of my Kisik shoes. I need to order new shoelaces (done). And I need to wipe the mud off the shoes that I was wearing to take Bella out.

Bella met the neighbor’s cat. She barked at it. I told her to cut it out and that she lives with four cats and knows what a cat is. But she was transfixed. I did get her to come inside though, using only my voice!

Most. Relaxing. Massage. We have a winner. And the face and scalp massage were worth it. And she offers a subscription with discounts.

Shopped until I dropped in PetSmart. Got collars for Oliver and Lily, some toys and chews and a bowl for Bella, plastic containers for dry food, live plants and a heater for the aquarium, dry food for the cats, and cat litter and a cat litter scoop. Oh, and a contraption to restrain a dog in the car.

I wanted to eat at Culver’s, but I had the live plants in the car, so I went through the drive thru.

Ate. Took Bella out. She shot down the stairs and peed. Good to know that she can hold it, though, because I’ll have two-hour rehearsals for choir. That’s the longest that I’ll have to leave her alone though. Now we’re into the feeding routine. Everyone’s fed and the litter boxes are scooped.

I’m tired. I really want a nap, but it’s already 10 PM, so I should just go to sleep.

Bella is walking around with one of my socks in her mouth. Sigh.

Renewed my AARP membership.

I had major problems falling asleep last night. I got up and ate oatmeal. Got up again and did some dishes. I finally fell asleep around 3:30 AM?

Got up with my alarm at 7:30 AM. It’s cold out with a wind chill of -2 F/-19C. The puppy didn’t spend as much time sniffing outside as she usually does.

Lily discovered the kitty highway above the kitchen cabinets. Both Lily and Oliver were up there.

Hmm. Got my check. I should take it to the bank today, but it's cold and I'm tired. I guess that I'll shower over lunch and go from there. It'll be just as cold tomorrow. Oliver was meowing while I was in the shower. I don’t know if he was afraid that I’d drown myself or just that I was doing something that he wasn’t involved with.

I want to see A Real Pain when it comes out. It’s about two cousins who go to Poland when their grandmother, who was a Holocaust survivor, dies. It’s getting rave reviews. It would be kind of fun to see a movie in a theater. Hum, Fandango offers it in streaming.

That little stinker Oliver got upstairs and cornered Mimi, who was screaming. I finally picked him up and put him in the bathroom so that I can come and go without having to deal with him wanting to come upstairs.

Bella is getting better at entertaining herself while I'm working. Bella barked at a dog across the street today. I guess that she has adopted this house as her home.

I'm feeling wiped out, so I'll go to the bank tomorrow. I need to brush off the car though, so I'll do that tonight.

Ugh. My cough is worse when I lie down. (Is that why I couldn’t sleep last night?) I lay down for a nap, but couldn’t sleep. I’m going to throw myself together and go to Walmart for soda and duct tape.

The weighted blanket fell down, and Bella is chewing holes in it. Sigh.

It’s too damn cold to go run errands. I’ll go tomorrow. And I need to get up early because I have Italian tomorrow. Worked on the kitchen.

Hmm. I need to have the faucets dripping to keep the pipes from freezing.

I can’t find the heater for the aquarium. I checked the delivery notice, and they put it in a spot where I would not have seen it. I’ll look in the daylight tomorrow. I’ve got the decorations set up, and need to add water and heat it up for the plants. I have the electrical cord set up. I need to see if there’s a heater in the equipment that came with the aquarium. (Yes, so I'll fill the tank tomorrow.) I need a basket for aquarium paraphernalia.

I’m going to feed the critters, take Bella out, and go to bed. Oliver got in the upstairs again. Sigh.

Woke up at 6 AM and decided to go back to sleep. Overslept a little, and got into work a few minutes late because I needed to take a shower because I need to run to the bank at lunchtime. Mimi is happy that I'm working now because she wants LAP TIME!

Apparently Mimi understands the word "food". I asked her if she wanted food, and she jumped off my lap and started going downstairs. I knew that Zara understands it. Zara was pacing impatiently on the kitchen table.

I got Dad and Sue's Christmas card ready to send. It doesn't matter if my friend Lance's card gets there late, and I need to think about what to say to Lance. It's pretty pathetic that I have only two people to whom I send Christmas cards though. Actually, I got Lance's card written up and will send it at the same time as Dad's.

I'm also looking for a ten gallon fish tank to use for quarantine and sick fish. I found one that would work on Facebook Marketplace.

Over lunch, I got my new debit card and mailed the Christmas cards. On the way back, I saw a car with a bumper sticker, "Dog is my co-pilot". I'll have to get one when I get a dog.

I'm trying to figure out Christmas presents to me. Well, everything is a Christmas present to me :) One is the fish tank. I might also get a new orchid. And I'd like a Chinese money plant (pilea), but I'm wondering if it's too cold out to get one shipped?

Hmm, the Danville (30 minutes away) Humane Society has a corgi mix who likes cats and other dogs. She's kind of big (44 pounds I think) so she might be able to jump the fence though? I'm strongly thinking of getting a larger fence after I get the money from Mom's house, though I should probably wait until I get the garage put in because I want the garage outside the fence. Hmm, and another place has a bonded pair of two young black cats. They might be a little too young for our household though. I don't see Zara and Mimi putting up with kittens.

Ack! I'm getting emails that my old debit card isn't going through. Well, yeah, because it had to be closed. I suppose that it's better than not getting the emails, but having to reenter the new number in a bunch of places is a pain.

I need to run to the bank (again!) after work to get some $1 bills. I forgot earlier! I think after that, I'll go to Prairie Gardens to look at their orchids and other houseplants.

I tested my new debit card on Amazon. I bought a scratch-off world map and USA map. Now I think that I'll put them upstairs, taped onto the slanted ceiling. They also have a National Parks one, but I'm not really into National Parks, although there are some that I want to go to. (Great Smoky Mountains, I'm looking at you.)

Because it was a 20-minute drive to Prairie Gardens (long for Champaign-Urbana) and I needed to get gas, I went there first. I bought two orchids (they had only two colors, so I got them both), a birds-nest fern, and a peacock plant. (I was identifying plants with my plant app and then Googling if they were safe for cats.) If they had had a Christmas cactus, I would have bought one too, but they didn’t.

I also got a wreath for the front door, which was on sale. The cashier covered the houseplants with a plastic bag, which I was glad to see. Then I got the cash that I needed.

I passed a gyros place and my mouth was watering, so I think that I’ll door-dash some (ordered). They were good. But now I'm in a food coma. I'm going to go to bed and get up early to get the garbage out, do dishes, etc. Oh, I need to order some self-watering planters (ordered).

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.)

I also want to bring up to Dad that I am buying used furniture on Facebook Marketplace. I just found a (washable!) rug that I like. And a coffee table and end table.

I had problems falling asleep. I got up once to eat some oatmeal, which usually helps. Then I got up again to take a shower, so that I could sleep later. And then I woke up at the original time to get up. I'm tired.

It's cold in the house. I think that's because of drafts (the joys of having an old house). I'm looking into the plastic stuff that you can put on windows in the winter to seal them. I also want to look into insulated curtains for the bedroom.

I've got everything that I need to make cookies! Yay!

We did our introductions at work, so yay. Now I can be off-camera the rest of the day.

I'm looking into Costco. I belonged to it a long time ago, but I let my membership lapse because I was mostly buying batteries there. But you can get great deals on hearing aids there. (I'm thinking of getting a new pair because I've been having problems hearing in certain situations.) And if I could get cat supplies there, that would really help. And they have acrylic organizers. And Stack Social is having a deal on Costco memberships. And they have travel discounts. They have some good travel deals.

I want to get some brewer's yeast to put into my smoothies too.

Holy cow. I just got the check from my aunt's estate, and it's a fairly large chunk of money. It will help a lot. When the check clears, I'll get the housecleaner in to help clean and organize my stuff. I might splurge on a robot vacuum and mop; the one that I want is on sale. Actually, what I want is a massage. My shoulders, neck, and back have been bugging me. Heck, I could go to New York City, but I think that it's more important to finish stuff up in Michigan instead.

Deposited the check. When I went to the grocery store to get yogurt, I smelled some Chinese food that smelled really good. I decided to get a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, mashed potatoes, and some frozen cheddar broccoli. I should get at least two dinners out of it. No, three dinners. Damn, the food was good.

The cats want THEIR dinner. I think that Zara is looking for the chicken.

The local humane society has a cat who sounds really good. She’s a dilute tortoiseshell like Zara, but with different markings. They said that she’s chill about dogs. I’ll have to ask about other cats. It would be nice to have a chill cat. My two are divas!

Zara is picking at her food again. Of course, she does this when it’s the weekend. I’m trying to find the med that the vet gave her to increase her appetite. She’s being a cuddle bug though.

Nap time. It got to be 8 PM, and I decided that I should just get ready for bed. Laundry. I need to do laundry. And freeze the bananas so that I can make a smoothie tomorrow morning.

I’ve been decorating the library room in my mind. Mimi is not going to be happy because I’ll be bringing the wingback chair downstairs (what’s a library without a wingback chair?) and that’s her sleeping spot now. I brought a lamp with a small table from my mom’s house, but now I’m thinking of getting a good reading light and round end table. Actually, I have a round end table that I brought from my mom’s house, but it's tall. I'm looking on Facebook Marketplace for a table, and found a perfect one, but I'd have to get it this week. Actually, I found a nice table and lamp on Wayfair, and they aren’t even expensive. And I found a gray cover for the chair. (The walls in the room are gray-green.) Hmm. I think that I want a rug in there too. Maybe this rug?

I feel sad that Mom can’t see how I’m decorating with her stuff. It’s her stuff (the wingback chair is hers) but I’m putting my stamp on it.

My goal is to get the library room cleared out by the end of the long weekend (except for boxes of books). Then I'll get the guy in to assemble bookshelves.

There are a lot of Facebook Marketplace people selling cat wheels. I doubt that Zara or Mimi would use one now, though Zara probably would have when she was younger. (She still jumps really well. She did a three-foot jump from the kitchen table to the kitchen counter the other day. Plus she jumps on top of the kitchen cabinets. Not bad for a 15-year-old cat.) I might look into one when I adopt a younger cat.

Stayed up ridiculously late and overslept my shower. That's okay; I'm not going anywhere but need to get dressed and slap on some makeup for my Italian lesson.

I had my Italian lesson at lunch because my teacher was busy during the day. I was trying to explain the Thanksgiving holiday to her--in Italian. She asked why we celebrated it. I told her about the Pilgrims and Native Americans, but then I told her it was a time to give thanks for what we had. (And eat lots of food!)

There is a free Thanksgiving meal for members of the community that I might go to. It's at a local high school.

Hmm. Sunday has a high of 23F/-5C so it’ll be cooold. (Yes, some of you will think that I’m a wimp. And you’re right :) I remember visiting my Mom from California under those conditions and burrowing under my scarf. Mom said, “I do that too, but I do that when it’s really cold!” Bah.) Saturday it might snow. So it looks like Friday will be errand day. I need to call the thrift store to see if they’ll be open on the day after Thanksgiving. Best Buy will certainly be open for Black Friday.

Another way that I can tell that it’s winter is that my eczema is flaring up. The skin on my fingers is peeling. Time for Neutrogena Hand Lotion. And I wonder if I should get some cotton gloves to sleep in.

I want a nap with Zara. Well, we had snuggles, but it’s already 8:30 PM, so I should just go to bed early and get up early to practice piano and singing. And I found some kitchen stuff in the library room that I need to bring into the kitchen.

Okay, I frittered away an hour on Facebook and Quora. Not how to get things done. Put clothes in the dryer and did dishes and fed the cats. Now I really need to go to bed.