days_unfolding

I'm hoping that Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison will donate money to Maui. They live on different islands, but this is a tragedy. I donated some money. Not nearly enough. The Pioneer Inn is confirmed gone.

I got the freezer plugged in again with a new adapter. I should be getting more food tomorrow.

I don't know what to do. There is going to be a press conference on Maui at 3 AM my time. The sensible thing would be to go to sleep, but I want to watch it. I did get up and watched CNN but no press conference.

Groggy this morning.

I'm wondering if I should switch my Maui trip to Kauai. They're talking about needing the hotel rooms for displaced residents, and that situation won't resolve any time soon. I think that I'll plan a trip to Kauai but not book it yet and see what happens. The hotel that I liked in Poipu is available. I might not want to wait too long, though, because other people might be rebooking as well. I'm also thinking of moving my trip to my birthday in November. Note to self: meetings on the 15th and 16th.

I checked TaskRabbit, and I could hire someone to take Mom's clothes over to the thrift shop. I'll get organized and book someone. And maybe someone to put the glassware into the linen closet plus take the magazines upstairs to the garage.

My presentation at work went really well! I got the idea to breathe as if I was singing, and it slowed my speech down and made it more full. It's the first time that I've felt excited after a presentation! Yeah, I listened to the recording and in general, I sounded good. Yay!

Hmm. There still are some housing bargains on the Big Island (Hawaii island) if you don't mind living in a small town. Something to consider. I'd have to see how long a drive it is to Hilo or Kailua-Kona. No, the real bargains are in the area where lava erupted a couple of years ago. I'll pass on that.

I put my new batch of food in the freezer. The meals are more to my liking. I'll fine-tune them as I go along.

I decided that yes, I should change the trip because it's supposed to be relaxing to recuperate from Mom's passing, and things on Maui now are not relaxing. (I definitely will go back later though.) I might not be able to get my money back for tours and such, but they need the money. I tried to change my flights, but Expedia is having issues. I'll try again later. I canceled the hotel in Lahaina and booked one on Kauai. I found some tours that interest me. Interestingly, they have a tour for "travel bloggers and social media influencers" that you can design based on your interests.

I just thought about an easy way to make money; sell a map of the most photogenic places for graduation pictures on the U of I campus. The question is how to sell them.

I was thinking that it would be good to have a Web site for people to get hiking buddies if they don't want to hike alone. Well, there is a Facebook group that does exactly that. Awesome. I probably won't do a lot of hiking this trip, but would like to go back and get a hiking buddy.

Part of the reason that I'm picking at my diet food is the food. Tonight I had a meal off plan, and I had a Factor meal, and gobbled it right up. It's not totally a bad thing that I'm eating meals that I'm less than thrilled with.

I need to do a few chores and go to sleep. Oh, and I'll try one more time to change my flights.

I had intended to get up early, but I overslept, and heard the garbage truck as I woke up. Oh well. They did pick up the recycling, so yay. I can get the kitchen cleaned up.

Do I want to attend a Pilates class tonight? Probably, getting to yoga tomorrow is enough.

I forgot to mention yesterday that the power went out briefly. I was lying in bed for a nap when the lights and fan went off. it was back on before I went to sleep. Just enough time to reset my alarm clock.

I'll need to throw myself together and run out tonight to pick up meds for me. No, the handyman is going to get here at 8 AM EST (ack!), so I'll let him in and run out to get my meds. I trust him to not steal the computers.

Hmm. I was wondering if Blue Cross Blue Shield covered weight loss injections for after I come back to Urbana, but it depends on the plan. However, I read in the Washington Post that some people using them had stomach paralysis that didn't go away when they stopped taking them. It probably would be better to do without them. The uni has an online weight-loss course with a dietician though.

I was wondering if I'd have time to go to the pool the day that I arrive in Maui (in October), but it'll be a little late. I think that it'll be dinner and then collapse. I wonder if there will be a restaurant near the airport? Or a grocery store? The California Pizza Kitchen in the airport closes before I will get in. Oh, Sammy's Beach Bar and Grill is in the airport and is open until 10 PM. I'd want to pick up the car first though. Stinger Ray's is also in the airport and has an Ahi (tuna) sashimi salad that sounds kind of good. And there's a Safeway just off of the airport property. I asked Dad if there was a place to eat near the airport, and he said that he had no idea. He asked why I wouldn't eat near the hotel, and that depends on whether I can grab a bite during my 1.45 hour layover in LAX. LAX is huge and I've had a bad experience there running from gate to gate. (Note to self--put granola bars in my bag.)

Bought three geeky t-shirts: an apostrophe with cat ears saying "catastrophe", a Hawaiian shirt with a pattern of 0s and 1s, and "2B || !2B" ("to be or not to be").

I ordered some travel-sized silicone containers for my shampoo, conditioner, face cream, etc. I bought some reef-safe sunscreen too.

When I go upstairs, Mimi runs in front of me and rubs against things. I told her that the fact that I open cans for her gives me squatter's rights to her territory. Plus, I pet her when I get upstairs. She thinks that that might be a fair exchange.

I finished the book Hidden Valley Road. It's about a family of 12 children, six of whom had schizophrenia. It's very good. In it, I learned that people with schizophrenia lack a neurotransmitter, and that nicotine emulates that neurotransmitter. I vape, and the times that I tried to quit smoking, I couldn't follow conversations and left my wallet in a store, etc. Apparently a drug company came up with a drug, but people would have had to take it four times a day, and they said that it wasn't practical. I would take it and quit vaping! But I'm not a typical schizophrenia patient.

It's amazing what some regular attention with the right tools will do. My face has never looked better with the (expensive) face wash, serum, and cream that I've been using. The (expensive) shampoo and conditioner that I've been using makes my hair shine. The body lotion was helping, but I misplaced it when the handyman was working in the bathroom. I need to find it. I also have a foot exfoliating cream that I need to try. Now I got some manicure cream and tools. I won't paint my nails because it'll come off with all the work that I'm doing, but I could take better care of my cuticles. I also bought some "Rich Girl" hand cream too.

I went to book a hotel for the night before my Hawaii flight (even if I come from Urbana, I'll need to stay near the airport overnight because the flight to LA is in the morning), but Hotels.com is updating their site. Bah.

I'm going to do dishes and then take a shower and shave my legs. It's been getting hot, so it's shorts weather.

I went back to sleep at 4 AM and slept until 11:30 AM. I might not make it out for errands today.

Got the returns taped up and ready to go.

I had been looking for a black-and-white jacket to throw over the black sundress that I bought, when I realized that I had the perfect jacket already. I'll take a picture of it when I get the dress.

Huh. I'm not seeing the Chico's order that I had placed in my email. That would explain why I haven't gotten it. No, it's there in my list of orders on Chico's Web site, and it says that it was delivered. I need to get my stuff organized.

"I Left My Heart in San Francisco" is playing in my head. RIP Tony Bennett.

Tried to nap but couldn't sleep. Just as well. I have stuff to do.

I've been reading articles about how tourism is ruining Hawaii, which is leaving me torn. I really want to go, and have booked my travel, but now I feel guilty.

I took my shower, but now I'm feeling dizzy. I put some carbonated water in the freezer to chill in case I'm dehydrated. I don't think that I'll be able to drop off the clothes and one of the returns today.

I found the Chico's clothes. I put them in my "to try on" pile. I don't feel like going out today. I'll work on getting my clothes together. I got the MP3 player for swimming, and I was downloading songs to it while it was charging. I downloaded my favorites: Bonnie Raitt, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, and U2. I think that I'm done for now.

I can't find my glasses.

Took a nap and slept through until 7:30 AM. I still haven't found my glasses. I brought out my spare pair.

The church's clothes closet said to donate clothes on a day other than the first Saturday of the month, when they are serving clients. So that gives me a week to get Mom's clothes together. (She has a lot, so I'm not going to be able to donate it all in one shot.) Hmm, I found a thrift store nearby that's open longer hours. Maybe I'll drop stuff off there.

I woke up at 7:30 AM. I did my usual routine and also posted my mom's canes and walker on the local Buy Nothing group.

It looks like the pond needs more water once a week. I'll add some after lunch and a shower.

It's kind of strange, but I'm not craving dessert. I've been skipping it, which is good for my waistline.

I bought a pair of shorts on Mercari. I plan to live in shorts this summer. I bought some more shorts on eBay. Oh ack. I tried to order same-day delivery from PetSmart, but their Web site is buggy and insists that I have an out-of-stock item in my cart even though I removed it. Maybe I'll try on my laptop. Ordered shampoo and conditioner. Okay, I have cat food and cat litter heading my way. Now I need to submit a Kroger order (done). Bought hangers for Mom's clothes. Bought bubble wrap to wrap pictures in.

I am the home delivery queen :)

I took another nap. Now I'm feeling perky. I'm filling the pond and hanging out.

Got the cat supplies and groceries and brought them in. Started laundry. Paid my mom's electric bill. That's another reason not to live here; it was high.

Oh cool. One of the packages that I had delivered is my electric shaver. I want to get up early tomorrow and put it into good use. And wear shorts!

I'm booking tours and such for my Hawaii trip. Aargh, the Haleakala sunset and stargazing tour has a minimum of two tickets. Okay, I found another tour. I need to call about the Hana tour on Monday.

I just bought two top and short sets and a tankini set from Tomboy X. They're pretty cute.

I was sitting out in the back yard, and I think that I just decided to keep the house. The back yard is my happy place as well as hers. Behr has a tool in which you can upload a picture and see it with a new paint color, and I've been playing with it. I also ordered some swatches from Clare. I want the living room in light gray with dark gray on the fireplace. And a yellow-beige in the dining room. When I made the decision, I felt my mom's presence for one of the three times that I felt it. I still want to see how the Urbana house feels to me though.

Also, I've decided to take my Hawaii trip in October instead of November so that I can do my snorkeling trip.

I decided to leave tomorrow because my last meeting ended at 6 PM local time and I wasn't packed yet. Cleaned some of the kitchen. I ran out of steam, so I'm taking a short nap. Couldn't sleep. I was moving my stuff in in my mind. I'm trying to figure out where to put the piano. There isn't a great spot for it in the living room. The room that I had originally thought of as an office, the "plant room," which is also the pathway to the stairs upstairs, would make a great music room with the piano and my guitars. And I want to keep the TV room mostly as it is, so that leaves "my bedroom" to be the office. I'd have to get rid of the bed in there and the dresser.

I'd have to remodel the kitchen because there is zero counter space in there.

Oops, Zara wants food and is getting impatient with me. I'm going to go finish the kitchen and pack. And get a good night's sleep and get out early.

I ordered a TRTL neck pillow for travel. I hope that it's as good as its reviews say.

Ugh. Gardener guy hasn't showed up yet. Mower guy, on the other hand, is coming early. He discussed the branches with me and said that he would bag them up and set them out for pickup. And he did.

Ack! Mom's bank questioned one of my transactions and wound up canceling Mom's debit card. They are sending me one of my own by expedited shipping. Meanwhile, I guess that I'm playing for the mower guy and gardener guy out of pocket. That'll teach me to buy something on Facebook (a sustainable automatic toothbrush).

My grieving seems to be expressing itself as exhaustion. So. Freaking. Tired. I had planned on going to Hawaii for some R&R after I put the house up for sale, but now I'm wondering if I'll need a break in the middle. Maybe I should just pick a date and go then no matter where I am in the process of settling the estate. The week of July 4th is cheaper for airfare.

Deanna is trying to convince me that I don't want to hire help in cleaning out the house. Le sigh. Apparently my staying here forever is better.

The pond guy came by with one of his workers. They're planning to have the pond up and running tomorrow. So yay. He's wondering if the gutter guy will say that the gutters need to be replaced though. Some of them are coming off. And he said that the roofer guy will say that the ivy needs to come off the roof of the house.

We were talking about Dim Sum in my Cantonese class, and I decided to get some. Wow, was it good (although I noticed that they forgot the garlic-and-chive pancakes that I ordered). I probably could get some good Dim Sum in San Francisco.

Took a nap and slept until 1AM. And I need to get the garbage out. And Zara wants food; she is sitting on the kitchen table right in front of me to make sure that I don't miss her!

For some reason, I was thinking this morning about the time I gashed my leg in Hawaii. I was around 10 years old. My dad and I were hiking in a dormant volcano. Well, dried lava isn't smooth, and I tripped and fell. Dried lava is also like glass, so I cut up my leg because I was wearing shorts. My dad was proud of me for finishing the hike, blood dripping and all. We went to the ranger station, and he patched me up and told me to stay out of the water. That was the worst part for me because I loved to swim. My parents said that I would be swimming and turning blue, and they'd tell me to get out of the water, and I'd say, "Five more minutes". I had the scars for quite a while, but eventually they went away.

Had a nice nap. Zara cuddled up to me after I woke up. She has a subvocal purr, but I could feel her vibrating. Aww.

I'm trying to decide what to do. All I have for lunches is peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, so I need to go to the store. But I was going to stay home and work on a budget. At the very least, I should go get the mail because there's a live plant in there (cilantro #2). So I guess that I should take a shower.

I did go to the store. I discovered where they hide the good reusable bags. (The only ones that I could find were more expensive Disney bags the other day.) I bought some bread pudding. Now I'm sitting for a moment. I got the Good Morning, I Love You book. It has morning pages for an exercise, so I'd have to get up earlier. I got the superzero shampoo and conditioner bars, so we'll see how they work.

Planted the new cilantro. It looks a little unhappy, so I gave it a good soaking. I hope that this one survives.

Started working on my budget. I'm writing down my bills in the budget book.

Talked to Mom. It was one of our shortest phone calls because nothing much is going on with either one of us. She thinks that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, and I didn't disagree.

I'm feeling really tired. Maybe I should go to bed early and get up early.

I looked more into Sling TV, and Italian TV is only $5 more a month. I need to call Comcast next week and find out how much they'll charge me for internet only.

Got my bills and their due dates written down, anyway.

Woke up at 9:30 AM. Went back to sleep. Woke up at 1:30! I woke up when I heard what sounded like someone knocking at my door. Don't know what that was about.

I'm trying to decide what to do. If Mom is coming, I want to work on the kitchen. But I need to return the plants at Home Depot. But I need to do laundry (started).

I'm wondering what to do while my clothes dry. I obviously don't need a nap, although I'm getting a headache. Maybe study Italian and work on the remaining box.

I did take a nap to get rid of the headache and did fall asleep. Ate lunch, and now it's pouring out. I guess that I'll throw myself together in the hopes that it'll stop. Though the Weather.com site says that it will end at 7:30 PM. No, now it says 10.

I'm showered and makeuped, but it's still storming, so no Home Depot today. Maybe tomorrow night. So I'll work on the kitchen. Emptied another box and posted an item for sale on some Facebook groups.

Sent an email to my dad about travel to Maui. I found a B&B that I kind of like, and it's less expensive than most hotels. Also found a condo for rent that's even cheaper. Found a cute cottage on Airbnb.

Had dinner. Got the garbage out for collection. The rain has stopped.

I can't stop yawning. Why? Maybe I should go to bed early.

Did some more cleaning/decluttering. My back hurts, so I'm taking a break. Mimi is licking my elbow.

The Italian class is happening on Sunday at noon. Yay.

Threw in laundry and got the ball rolling.

Whoa. The prices of flights to Hawaii have dropped. Domestic flights, in general, are dropping. Most excellent.

Zara tried to jump on the stereo speaker and missed and knocked it down. Zara seems to be okay though if a little freaked out.

Printed off the order slips for Walmart. I probably can pick up the orders with just my phone, but I'd hate to get to Springfield and not be able to pick my orders up.

Back home from Springfield. The pickup of the dumbbells and mat was smooth. A guy asked what my order was as soon as I stopped. Then I ran into Walmart and picked up a few things to hold me until tomorrow. The drive back and forth wasn't too bad.

Quizzes done. One math homework assignment done. Other math homework assignment done. Go me. And I decluttered a part of the TV room, which isn't the room that I'd choose to declutter first, but I needed to do something when the Lousy Laptop was stalling processing very slowly.