days_unfolding

Cat wrangling this morning. Mimi stopped eating her food, and I think that she wanted to eat Zara’s food, but I stopped her. Zara wound up eating Mimi’s food. Ha! (Zara is skinny and Mimi is chunky, so it's okay if Zara eats Mimi's food, but not vice versa.)

Got my brows waxed and laminated. I made another appointment in December. Now I just need to get my nails done (appointment made), shave my legs, and give myself a pedicure on Saturday. Then I'll be ready for the trip, at least as far as my body is concerned :)

Oh cool. A professional organizer in Urbana has multiple openings the week between Christmas and New Year's, so I'm hoping to blast through my stuff.

The house cleaner is here. I have an appointment with a mover (Mayflower) on Friday. Awesome. I got texted by two movers who claimed that they were affiliated with a third company that I contacted, but they worked for two other companies....I told them forget it.

The new garage door will cost $4500. And the roof will cost $22,000. All I can say is that this place better sell quickly after I put it on the market after all the work that we've done. Speaking of which, I need to get someone to rake the leaves after I get back from Kauai.

The house cleaner did a great job. She recommended some litter mats that I ordered. I'm waiting for the floor to dry so that I can grab some cups of which to take a picture for my photography lesson tonight. I'd like to eat dinner, but might not have a chance before the lesson. My photography lesson was canceled; I don't know why. I told the teacher that the next time that I could have a lesson is on November 15th, after I get back from Hawaii and when I'm in Illinois.

Foooood! I had some Lean Cuisine Lemon Shrimp Stir-Fry that was really good.

Dad said that the real estate market is bad right now because of interest rates, “but there are options”. I wrote back and said, “What options?” Sigh. It would be a good time for me to buy a house though.

I got some glassware for the estate sale soaking in the sink. The cleaner couldn't clean the sink because I had stuff in it. I need to get it done before Friday, when the mover comes, and I want to go swimming tomorrow. Oh crud, that means that I need to shave my legs tonight. Well, at least it'll be done. I have to avoid getting my brows wet tonight though.

I ordered a goals planner for next year, given that I'm already working on my goals for the class, and I'll have lots of time in airports and on planes to think about them.

Started another load of laundry. Emailed proof of home insurance to the mortgage company, after having some issues printing off the relevant documents. I'm yawning. I need to go upstairs and shower and shave my legs and go to bed. And no, Zara, I'm not giving you more food.

I stayed up stupidly late last night thinking about school and stuff. I took a nap over lunch, but I've been kind of brain dead.

I did make it to yoga. Whenever I do yoga, I think about how much I like it, but the trick is making the time to go to the class (and practice outside of class?) I'd like to take the time to follow some of the Adriene yoga videos on my non-class days. My therapist thinks that my stress levels are off the charts, and she thinks that yoga would really help.

There is another yoga studio that has classes on Saturdays for people over 50, but I don't want to start something right before I go to Michigan. Plus those classes are right after my therapy session, but we could probably reschedule the session.

I think that I should find a yoga studio near my mom's house to pick up some lessons while I'm there. I emailed a gym by my mom's house, to which I have access from my health plan, to see if I could take some yoga classes there. I can swim there, so that at least would be relaxing. I need to bring my swim bag with me.

I should probably start a meditation practice again, but I feel like I can't deal with one more thing.

I got my homework done and did pretty well on it. Go me and all that.

I'm having a bitch of a time finding a house cleaner. I just messaged someone else with an actual business, so I'm hoping that they'll do it.

I'm tired. I'm thinking about going to sleep and getting up early. I need to hose down litter boxes outside, but that would be easier after it gets light. Oh yeah, I need to finish up and mail the passport renewal too.

Woke up a little after 9 AM. Gave the girls their morning excitement known as "food". Now they and I are about to take naps (done).

There's a fat, red cardinal that lives in the back yard. It's cheerful to look at.

Dropped off my garbage at my colleague/friend's place. Drove to Lincoln. Unhooked my washer with help from the Internet. Started working on the home office room, where they're taking the futon tomorrow. Ordered McDonald's DoorDash. I think that I found the missing cable in case it doesn't come today. I found the charger for the FitBit too.

I got everything that I wanted to get done done (unhook the washer and clear the home office, where the futon is). I'm going to leave in a few minutes.

I'm back, yawning, which is good because I need to get up early to meet the junk hauler tomorrow.

Oy. Talked to Mom, and she went into a tirade about how her life sucks. We agreed that I would come out mid-February. She's going to see her primary care doctor in two weeks though, which is good.

Got my nighttime tasks done, so I'm going to shower and sleep.

I was going to do laundry last night when I realized that my detergent was in the old place. Sigh. I'll pick it up tonight.

I have a therapy appointment on Saturday at 2, but I was planning to be in the old place. I need to figure out how to do the video appointment on my phone.

My meeting today was canceled. Cool. I'll be better prepared for it in a couple of weeks.

The maintenance guy came by to look at the basement lights (scaring the hell out of me), and he showed me that one of the mystery light switches turns the lights on. Cool. I won't need to move the shelves to set up my pantry then. The guy coming traumatized the girls though. They have vanished.

I'm thinking of not going to the old place tonight and getting out early tomorrow instead. I'll need to sweep out the storage space during daylight hours. And I could go to Lowe's and get one more shelving unit and start setting up the pantry.

Napped, and overslept. Too late for Lowe's.

Threw myself together and ran to a local grocery store for laundry detergent. I like that store, and it couldn't be closer (four blocks?)

Now I've got laundry going. Mimi's freaked out by the sound of the washer.

I decided to push the truck rental back a week to give me more time to pack stuff up. I still need to finish cleaning out the storage space too. And I'm tired and I have a therapy appointment tomorrow.

The clothes are in the dryer. It seems to be a good washer and dryer. I'm going to bed as soon as I get toasty pajamas out of the wash.

Wow, I was hammered last night. I completely zonked.

I'm surprised at how many famous people died at the end of this year. Were they trying to get past the holidays and then let go?

Oh, I forgot to mention that I texted with my aunt's nephew, asking him how the sale of my aunt's house is going. He said that it's been kind of slow with the holidays and the economy. I noticed that they dropped the price a little. I told him that I'm planning to go out and help my mom after I get settled in the new place. She's supposed to send him some stuff, but she can't go up and down the stairs :(

Ran out to drop a few things at the thrift store and get more cleaning supplies. As soon as my rags finish drying, I'll get cleaning.

Oh yay. Someone took the treadmill. That was the third person who said that they'd come get it. Sigh.

I've been feeling tired today, so I'm cranking up music to keep me going. Yay Bluetooth headphones. Yay, The Who. Now I'm taking a break to eat dinner and charge up the headphones.

Speaking of cleaning, I might have found a housekeeper for the Urbana house. I'm going to need help.

I've chosen my words for next year (I can't choose just one because that's how I am): connection (make new friends) and completion (deal with any tasks that I need to do as I unpack). Following through on those would change my life for the better.

I'm going to switch cat litter. The sawdust stuff that I'm using hardens like a rock and sticks. I'll have to find something else that's environmentally friendly. I'm going to try sWheat Scoop next.

Talked to Mom. She had fallen asleep and incorporated the phone into her dream, but eventually she realized that the phone really was ringing. She's doing about the same. She has to know in what city I'll be in every day next week, but then she realized that I'll have my cell phone with me.

Hmm. I swept the kitchen floor but I realized that I missed a couple of spots. I think that I'll remedy that (done) and go to bed. I'll wash the floor in the morning. Hmm, it's getting close to the New York NYE countdown. Maybe I should listen to them play "Imagine" and "New York, New York".

In thinking about 2023, the move will be a real plus. I'll be in a house that I like in a town that I like, and I can meet new people. But I think that 2023 will be difficult because of my mom's health. I think that it will be a roller coaster year.

I think that I've decided on a Winkbed, the softer version. It's a hybrid mattress. It would be the most expensive one, but if I sleep well, it might be worth it.

I set my alarm for 4:30 AM, but got up at 7. I'm still feeling under the weather and have a sore throat. But I need to go to Champaign today, so I'll go. I screwed up on the time for class, so I'll need to leave halfway through. Oh well. Started laundry.

I'm kind of doing triage on what I want to buy for the new place. I might wait on the living room furniture until my aunt's house sells. I will go for the bedroom stuff and the dining room table. And I'd like to get bookcases for the dining room so that I can unpack my books.

I signed the lease. We decided that I would pick up the keys on the 19th instead of the 15th because they'll still be doing stuff in there. That means that I'll have to decide where to put stuff fast because my preferred move date is the next day.

I got to the bank and deposited the check from my aunt's estate. I'll sleep easier knowing that it's in the bank.

I decided to eat in Champaign and went to Steak and Shake. I managed to get cheese sauce on my nice shirt. I think that I got most of it off, but I'm going to put on pajamas soon and treat it with Oxyclean.

And there was an accident on the highway on the way back. It was stop and go traffic for a while. We had to merge, but someone wouldn't let me in. Bah. Then they routed us off of the highway. When we got back on the highway, I stopped at the next truck stop to use the bathroom. I heard some truckers saying that it was a crossover accident and it was bad. Poor people.

I got to Lincoln over an hour after I should have gotten here. I went straight to the store and thought that I'd just pick up a few things, but I got my second wind and did my full shopping. I need to get gas, but I'll do that later.

Zara cracked me up. I hadn't fed them yet and was in the bathroom because I'm having IBS issues. Zara reached around the door with her paw. She didn't want me to forget to feed her! They're fed now, and all is forgiven.

I asked people at work if they recommended AT&T Fiber, and they recommended another company, but it isn't available at the new house. I think that I will try AT&T Fiber and see how it goes.

I'm beat. I think that I'll go to bed early. I might become a morning person yet (but I doubt it!)

I found a bunch of snow removal places, and I'll call them closer to my move.

I've decided what to do to upgrade my bedroom. I have a black metal platform bed that I never had assembled, and I'll have it done right after my move. I have a gray dresser. I'm going to get a black-and-gray comforter set from Wayfair that will pull the look together, and also a black and gray nightstand. I think that I'll have it shipped here so that I can get the bedroom together right after my move. I want to replace my mattress so I'm looking at them. I'm not sure about buying online however.

State Farm called, and after discussing an increase in my bill, we decided to remove collision from my coverage. I think that I want to look for a new company, but not until I move. I have too much on my plate.

Got a reference from one of my colleagues for a pet sitter in the C-U area. However, I'm thinking that I should just board the girls until I go get Mom. I'd still need a pet sitter when I drop her off at Greyhound. Although, would she be able to get on a Greyhound bus? I think that they have stairs.

It's snowing again.

I now have hot water. Awesome! And I've got the moving boxes.

Napped and woke up at midnight. So much for going to the grocery store. Maybe if I get up early, I can go in the morning. I had a nice piping hot bowl of soup though. It's soup weather.

Took a nice piping hot shower too. Used my aunt's fluffy towels and put on fresh pajamas, and it was a totally sybaritic experience :)

I've had a lazy morning, but hey, it's my weekend! Exchanged texts with mower guy, who was annoying me by continually texting yesterday. I still need to get the electric mower going, but he can do the initial mows next week after I get some money.

Zara: It's almost food time! Food, food, food! (Manic run around the place.) No one gets more joy out of food than Zara, yet she's really skinny. Go figure.

I have some overripe bananas. I should make banana bread. I think that my pancake mix has a recipe, but I might need more of it. Found the recipe, but yes, I need to pick up more mix at Aldi tomorrow.

Lightly dozed after breakfast. We had Kitty Drama at first because Zara wanted to be on the bed, and Mimi didn't want her to be on the bed. They finally worked it out with Zara on the bed. Yay Zara.

I seem to be taking pleasure in little things. A nice nap. A delicious lunch (roast beef sandwich and chips). The cats. Maybe it takes staying home to slow down and be observant.

Now I'm going to study some Italian. I remembered that I bought an Italian pronunciation class on Udemy, and it might help me. It is helping me a lot. The guy who recorded the videos is a great teacher.

I've been bouncing back and forth between cleaning and Italian. I clean until my back starts to hurt, and then I do Italian until the videos freeze up. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I found a way to get a cheap fare to Hawaii. Fly to LA using one of the national carriers, and then fly Southwest Airlines to Kona. I still need to figure out the trip back, but SCORE! Got it, fly to LAX and take the red-eye back to Chicago. It means that I'd have to fly in and out of Kona though. But it's the Get Me On the Damned Island And I'll Figure It Out fare. Wait, it matches the cheaper fares on United, but United's cheap flights have a ridiculous layover in LA. I don't want to sit in LAX for 12 hours, thank you.

Made my fettuccine with homemade alfredo sauce and OMG, is it ever good. I'll never buy bottled alfredo sauce again. And I had garlic bread. Burp :)

Don't know about the "wear a mask" guidance. That seems to be where I rebel. And I don't have any masks or anything to substitute.

Had my Italian lesson. Italian numbers (at least in the thousands) are tongue-twisters. "quatromillecinquecentottantasette": 4587.

I'm trying to get myself to sweep the kitchen floor before I go to bed. Well, sitting here doesn't help.

Okay, I ordered masks, but they'll take a while to get here. And I need to run errands tomorrow, so it will be maskless.

I woke up in plenty of time for my morning meeting. I was taking minutes this time, but it seemed to go okay. I took a "short" nap afterward, and overslept. Scrambled to go to work.

I think that Mimi's been hungrier, and therefore more fractious, because Harlee is eating a lot of the dry food. I'm trying to keep the bowl more full, and it seems to be helping.

The back door doorknob came off in my hand. I see how to fix it, but I need the time to fix it. At least tomorrow is my last work day this week, then I'm off for four days (MLK Day plus a vacation day off).

At work, I updated some statistics. I spent a long time writing up meeting minutes from the meeting this morning. I also recorded a video.

Weird, I keep feeling that I have more hours in the day at home. Maybe I'm just more conscious about how I'm using my time.