Puppy!!

Jun. 9th, 2025 07:24 pm
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I found a puppy that I like at the place at which I adopted Bella. She's going to be around Bella's size and she's cute. I'm going to sleep on whether to contact them. I wouldn't be able to pick her up next week though.laken.jpg

Oliver is eating Zara’s leftover food. The vet told me to feed Zara as much food as she wants because she has been losing weight, but that means that I feed her more food than she wants.

I bought a lockable fireproof safe that takes file folders plus a laptop because mine keeps running out of space. (I got a 2 TB hard drive. That should keep me for a while.)

Bella is taking the stuff that I’m throwing out and is squirreling it away.

I woke up at 5 AM. I decided that I wanted to go back to sleep for a while but put clothes in the dryer first. Overslept my nap. Soaked a litter box.

The dentist will glue the tooth back on at 4 PM today. Excellent.

I emailed the shelter about the puppy. Either I’ll get her or I won’t. Lily is sleeping in the window.

My Bee Balm is blooming! And the rest of them have buds.
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I’m getting the puppy!!!! They said that they could transport her the following week. I'll pick her up in Bloomington.

I tried to nap at lunch, but I was too excited about the puppy. Bella, on the other hand, is a "five more minutes" kind of gal.

My permanent bridge came in! Things are looking up. The dentist wants me to come in a little earlier, and they'll put it on. I’ve nicknamed the dentist “Dr. Payne” because he keeps doing stuff that hurts (to be fair, my teeth are very sensitive), but it looks great.

Hmm. Feeling dizzy. Must drink water. I get dizzy learning back in dentist's chairs.

Hmm. There's a cruise line that guarantees that you will see the Aurora Borealis during their cruise, or you will get a second cruise for free. I would like to see that. Ooh, I want their astronomy voyage.

I need to get to bed early because the tree guy is coming at 8:30 AM tomorrow.

Hmm, I'm missing a bra that I ordered a few weeks ago. I can live without it, but I wanted to take it with me on my business trip. Anyway, I need to do some maintenance on my "paper trading" account, do some dishes and tidying, and get to bed so that I'll get up really early.

New Car?

Jun. 7th, 2025 09:21 pm
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Lily smacked Oliver. Cranky cats.

I was feeling very sleepy but drank some water, which helped. I need to get to bed. Ordered some ear wax removal drops and a bike helmet.

According to my dad’s system, now is a good time to buy stocks. I’ll “paper trade” some tomorrow.

Good. The tree people got back to me and they can come by on Tuesday morning “to assess my situation.”

I was eyeing a Lincoln plug-in hybrid car yesterday, but need to compare prices with other ones. The price was less than I expected. I wouldn’t want to buy a car until after I get the garage built. The Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid is more expensive. The Toyota RAV4 plug-in is comparable, so it’s all about which car that I like best. Also Consumer Reports, which says to get the RAV4. It doesn't have a report for the Lincoln though. Actually, I really like the Mazda CX-90 PHEV, but it's more expensive. (Consumer Reports says no on it though.) Actually, the CX-70 is more my size. Most dealers do not carry plug-in hybrids, so how can I test drive them?

Placed a grocery order to get Munchie Bones, lots of cat food, and some food for me.

Came in with Bella after an hour. She tried to grab my donut. Bad Bella! Urgh. I brought food into Zara’s room and noticed that she needed water. I went to get her water dish and Oliver busted in. Zara hissed and hid. I went to get Oliver out, and Bella ate Zara’s food. Sigh. What a zoo. I’ve got it sorted now.

I’m leaning more towards “Freckles” for a dog companion. If she’s still available after I get back from my business trip, I’ll look into her. Unless I go for “Rita”, but I don’t know if they will adopt across state lines. She looks like a real sweetie though. I saw the most adorable puppy at the place where I adopted Bella, but I don’t want a puppy. She sure is cute though. Look at that face!

I almost forgot to feed Bella with the brouhaha about Zara’s food. I filled her dish and sat on the stairs to the upstairs. I felt cat feet on my head and knew who it was (Oliver) without looking.

Napped. When I got up, I had Bella with her paws on my chest, licking my face, and Oliver on my back shoulders. Got my groceries in. Ate lunch and read The Washington Post. Started opening packages. Found the “good” dental glue. I’m having a dizzy spell, so I’m sitting down and chilling carbonated water in the freezer. I need to clear a spot for the air conditioner, and then I’ll be done. Got the air conditioner in. (My next step will be to get someone to install the air conditioner.)

I started doing my “things that I need for my business trip” shopping.

I’m being poked with a Munchie Bone :) Finished my water.

Ugh, I don’t feel like going out. I should take my shower and fix my tooth though. I certainly have a lot of stuff to do here. Glued the tooth back in and it's setting. It came out when I took my partial out. I guess that I didn't let it set enough.

Took a shower. Bella was pulling stuff out of the garbage and strewing them on the floor. I told her that she was creating a dog mess. I need a trash can with a cover (ordered). I just remembered that I need to sign Bella up for obedience training.

It’s raining. Bella is noping out. I love my raincoat. I never use umbrellas anymore.

Do I want to subscribe to the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra? Most of their upcoming concerts sound interesting. They have a "pick 4" deal that I'm going to get. No online sales though; you need to send the order form in or call.

I can’t stop yawning. I need to make it an early night.

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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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Woke up at 6:30. Took Bella out, showered, and fed us all. Bella was whining while I was in the shower, but then she fell asleep while I was getting dressed.

I've decided that I should read my trust books before telling the trust that I want to manage the money myself. So I need to make time for reading this long weekend. (It's the Memorial Day holiday on Monday in the US.)

I was wondering if I should replace my personal laptop (it's several years old), but I shouldn't spend money just because I can. I did find one that I like though. Hmm.

Oliver and Lily are looking out the upstairs window, twitching their tails in unison :)

I went with Bella to take a nap, but Oliver was lying on the bed. I removed him because he and Bella will squabble. Bad Mommy! Bella was barking at the door for no apparent reason. I finally let her out. Then she was quiet.

I got contacted about a fraudulent transaction on my Capital One debit card. Sigh. I don't know how someone got the card number.

I'm mulling over my ethics in investing. There is an ETF that invests in data centers, more of which will be built for AI. But that's a negative environmental impact. Should I make money from damaging the environment?

They let us leave work early due to the holiday. I had just finished the task that I was working on, so that worked out well. I took Bella out, and apparently I missed throwing out one of the plastic pots that the plants came in, and Bella was having a great time playing with it. I didn’t have the heart to throw it out.

[personal profile] zhelana mentioned that she bought her dog a small pool for hot summer days, and that sounded like a good idea, so I got Bella one. I hope that she likes it.

I got my new Brooklinen towels, and oh, are they soft and luxurious. I’m tempted to get another set while the Memorial Day sale is still on (done).

Celebrated the holiday weekend with a nap. Overslept and slept until 8 PM. Ow, my knee hurts.

Fed us all. The can of Bella’s food that I opened had liquefied food, and Bella wouldn’t eat it, so I gave her a new can of it.

I’m thinking of going back to sleep. I want to get outside tomorrow before my pedicure appointment. I need to submit a Walmart order and Lowe’s order first though (done).

Note to self: Pedicure Saturday at 5 PM. Bring trust book.

Y-M-C-A

May. 22nd, 2025 10:46 pm
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Woke up at 6:30 AM. I was out with Bella when I realized that I hadn’t put my clothes in the dryer. Came in and did so, but it’ll take a while, so I’ll have to take my shower at lunchtime. Decided to go back to sleep for a half hour. It's a rainy, dreary day.

The recycling people didn't take my boxes, probably because it was raining. They left a mess, so I'll need to go out and drag the boxes back into the yard. Bah.

Forgot to mention that I bought a book on Medicare that I need to read. And my trust books.

I've got a paper trading account set up on Schwab, although they don't make it easy to find. I'll start following my dad's system next week.

I had an appointment to take Zara to the vet. When I went in her room, Oliver tried to come in and then Oliver and Bella were fighting outside the door. That freaked Zara out, and she retreated to the closet whenever I went near her. I called the vet, and have a new appointment for next Tuesday. Next time, I'll corral Oliver, Lily, and Bella before I try to get Zara.

I read an article in the BBC about the health benefits of saunas, including reducing the severity of tension headaches, which I get a lot. I’m looking for a sauna in the area but am having no luck. The big gym at the university has one, but I just read a comment about how they don’t keep the gym clean, which doesn’t make me want to go there. The YMCA has one. Maybe when my required membership at the university gym is up, I’ll try there. The membership at the uni gym was a minimum of four months, so it should be over soon if not already. I guess that my next step is to check the date and visit the YMCA to see if I want to switch there. Oh! It has a lap pool! And they have swim lessons! And a "gentle yoga" class! And an indoor walking track! And "learn to play pickleball" in the fall! Okay, I want to join the YMCA (joined). I need to cancel my uni gym membership.

I'm thinking of looking for a part-time job at one of the local public libraries when I retire. It would be fun and bring in a little money.

I've been bouncing back and forth from my work area upstairs to the kitchen. I'm processing videos at work, so I set one off for processing, went downstairs and worked on the kitchen, came back up to process videos, etc. I did get some cleaning done on the kitchen. The boxes are flattened.

Cleaned up the boxes outside. I have a video processing. If it's done after I post, I'll move it to the next step. Otherwise, I'll finish up tomorrow. Okay, I got the second video uploaded. I don't have the energy to start video 3. I'll work on it tomorrow.

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Woke up at 6:30 AM.

I had an online seminar at work given by a committee for which I'm a liaison, so that took up at lot of my day. Otherwise, I've been discussing retirement with my dad. (I asked him how he decided when to retire.) My dad also thinks that I should "paper trade" his investment system until I get the money from the trust. I need to write the trust about wanting the money, but I've been dreading the explosion.

I was discussing with my dad things that I want to do in retirement, and learn photography is one of them. I ran across a photography tour of Yosemite, which would check two things off of my list---photography and seeing Yosemite.

My list: Mostly learning things. I wanted to learn how to do Web programming, but the classes at the U of I were too fast-paced, so I want to work on it at my pace, and maybe volunteer to do Web site work for non-profits. Also, work on programming for mobile devices. Learn more about economics. Work on my languages (Italian and French). The big thing that I want to do is spend a year studying Italian in Italy (and possibly French as well). Learn singing (I belong to a chorus), piano, and guitar. Garden. I don't have a plan for a part-time job but am open to one. Basically doing stuff that I'm already doing but with more time to do it. Oh, and start writing again (a mix of non-fiction and poetry). And I want to learn to write songs. I want to write humorous songs about getting older and post them on YouTube. And learn photography. I have a lot of resources about it, but haven't had the time to put into it.

My therapist said that Obamacare gets more expensive as you get older, and COBRA is expensive, so I should wait until I'm eligible for Medicare to retire (2.5 years). I need to learn more about it. I think that Fidelity has a webinar about Medicare that I'll look for.

Got the recycling out, including a ton of plant boxes that were on the porch. I have more boxes inside, but I’ll get them out next week. I strained my knee in taking out the recycling, sigh. I need replacement parts :)

I forgot to mention that I received more plants. The ferns for my shade garden look like happy little plants.

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I did think of a college town to check out for retirement: Clemson, South Carolina. It ticks all my boxes. I found a senior living community to check out. The place doesn't seem to allow pets, and I'm likely to still have Oliver and Lily when I would move there. So I started to look in Greenville, SC, and found a place that I like that allows pets. It sounds pretty perfect.

Booked a massage. My neck is killing me.

Woke up at 7 AM. Bella was too distracted by the outside world to do her business. She finally peed at least. Bella was being totally manic and she scratched me in the face. I gave her a Munchie Bone and she settled down. I’ve decided to take my shower at lunchtime because my clothes aren’t dry yet. So now I have time to kill.

Cool. I got The Economist's Guide to Investment Strategies for $4 on eBay. I'm going to have quite an investment library. And I received The Economist’s Guide to Analyzing Companies, which I will read first.

The arthritis in my toes is bugging me.

Had my therapy session. I told her that the increased meds were helping somewhat, but that I'm still tired. I looked tired. I asked how to force myself to clean up the kitchen, and we decided that I would make an appointment with a cleaner, and then I would clean up the dog debris in there before the appointment. She recommended that I get the security cameras put up and contact the garage people in the next two weeks.

The new pope is from my hometown of Chicago! There are jokes on Facebook about a deep-dish* Eucharist :)

I watered my plants outside and took the new plants out of their boxes and watered them too. Opened some Amazon boxes and my investment books are coming in. Now I just need time to read them!

My digestive system is roiling. I need to get to bed early anyway because I need to drop the car off to be fixed tomorrow.

I think that I'm going to hire someone to walk Bella because I've been so drained. I found someone who also does cat sitting, which I will need when I go to a conference in June. Also I'm going to hire an organizer to keep me working on decluttering and organizing.

* Deep-dish pizza is a thing in Chicago. It's several inches high and filled with cheese, meat, and other items such as mushrooms. Jon Stewart derisively called it a "casserole," but it's quite good.

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I tried my dad’s system for timing the market, and it looks like we’re in a yellow light (basically, hold), although it has to be three days in a row to be official.

Woke up at 6 AM. I want to go back to sleep, but I need to take a shower because I have my appointment with the psychiatrist at noon. I just realized that I need to postpone my dental appointment tomorrow because I don’t have the money. Compromised and dozed for a 1/2 hour.

I’ve created a monster. Bella thinks that she deserves a treat for coming inside the house.

Okay, rescheduled the dental appointment. Nothing like talking on the phone with a dog licking your face :) Oliver is playing with my pen. Now Bella is chewing the pen, sigh.

I had a strong impulse this morning to retire. But I’m getting our Web site accessible, and I should finish that at least.

Bella and Lily are attending my shower. Bella is ripping up rags. Bella was being a little snot. First, she was bugging Lily. Then she tried to eat Oliver's food.

Lily is sleeping on the floor upstairs. I'm not sure where Oliver is, but he was there when I fed them.

I found a chair and ottoman that I want for the library room. The question is, can I get it in the car?

For some reason, I'm thinking of the joke: if you get to a psychiatrist's appointment early, you're anxious; late, you're depressed; right on time, you're obsessive-compulsive :) I was "anxious".

I'm up and down with the hospital at which I have my doctor's appointments. Don't like my primary physician; liked my gynecologist; love my psychiatrist. The psychiatrist listens well and is helpful and caring. She's bumping up one of my meds and wants to see me in a month to see if it helps.

Bella was really excited when I came back. "You were gone and came back!!! I'm so thrilled!!!"

It was okayed for me to take Amtrak to Chicago instead of car pooling when I go to the conference. Yay! I get a chance to read! I'll bring my macroeconomics book!

I have a real taste for carrot cake. I wonder if Meijer has some? I also have a taste for a poke bowl but need to wait until I get the money to order some. Hmm, I wonder if I could take the poke bowl on the train? I need to get some soda to take with me too. Hmm, carrot cake mix is a lot cheaper than an actual cake.

I just found a washable loveseat and armchair. I might get it and get rid of my mom's loveseat and chair because they're a pain to wash the covers.

Lily is sleeping in the guest room window.

Fed us all. Bella was acting really weird. I filled her dish with food, but she wasn’t eating it. Instead, she hid under the bed. I left her in the bedroom with the food and she did eat it. I took her outside, and she was acting normally except for barking a lot at a dog across the street. And she whined when a little dog came by across the street. Does she want to go back to the Doggie Day Care place? I’m going to board her there.

I want to put fresh sheets on the bed, but Bella is camping out there. I guess that I'll get them in the morning. I started cleaning the kitchen. I want to start packing for my trip, but I need to check the weather to figure out what to wear. So that's why I'm online. I'll post now though. I guess that I could wear a tweed jacket on Sunday? 63F/17C? And boots? Black-and-white top, black pants, and a black blazer for another outfit. Light red-and-black blazer, black t-shirt, and black pants for the hottest day. I need one more outfit. And it all has to fit in my carryon. Maybe I could rewear the black blazer with a different top. Hmm, I'm thinking my blue-and-white top, white pants, and a navy blazer? I might need a larger suitcase. Oh, and I found my charger case.

Just posted on Facebook to my Chicago peeps that I'm going to be there.

I need to go to the grocery store.

Investing

Apr. 27th, 2025 07:23 pm
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Lily promptly sat on my book. Sigh. Lily sez, “I don’t understand what you mean by ‘reading’. Books are for lying on.”

My Fidelity choices available kind of suck. They went for the cheapest index funds. I bumped up my international funds because they are doing better than the US funds.

Woke up at 6:30 AM. Bella was watching Squirrel TV. Fed us all. Now it’s nap time (done). I’m trying to explain to Bella that if Oliver is yowling, it means that he is not happy. Bella doesn’t speak cat. Ow. Bella just scratched my face. She’s getting hyper.

Ate lunch. I think that I’m going to nap for an hour and then shower. Had a nice nap.

I need to find my chargers for my business trip.

My dad is going to teach me his system that he uses for investments. He’s done quite well for himself, so it should be useful.

Oliver is occupying my lap and Bella doesn’t like it. Got my lazy butt into the shower.

One of my irises has a bud. How exciting! I have a headache but need to get going. Back from the library. I was able to check out The Economist as well as The Economist’s Guide to Financial Markets. I could save a ton of money in retirement by using the library more fully.

Ow, my fingers hurt. Ow. Only one of the mower batteries seems to be working, but I got most of the front yard done.

Fed us all. I'm feeling really tired, so I'm thinking of going to sleep early.

Tired Day

Apr. 26th, 2025 10:01 pm
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I can get What It’s Like to Live Now on eBay. It’s in a box somewhere, but I really would like to reread it.

Everyone wants my string cheese.

So much for going to bed early. I’ve been reading Meredith Maran’s book about needing to reinvent her life at age 60, and it’s good and what I needed to read.

Woke up at 5:30 AM. Bella had the zoomies after she did her business. She’s full of havoc: barking at Lily and bugging Oliver.

Crap. My Greenworks chargers are not turning on. It’ll cost a fortune to replace the batteries. Lily ran down into the basement. I don’t know what the attraction of the basement is, but she loves it.

I’m going back to bed. Slept until 10.

Oh fuck. They’re having a race today, so I can’t get to the library. I’ll go late in the day.

I’m figuring out how the day should go. I want to wash the clothes that I have on to get a pair of grungy jeans for yard work. I’ll go work on my investment course while it’s washing. Then I’ll shower and go outside. I’ll try to mow, but I’m expecting that the batteries won’t work. Then I’ll weed and clean out garden beds. I’ll change clothes and go to the library and grocery store at 5 PM. Note to self: buy napkins! When I get back, I’ll clean house.

Goofball Oliver was in the microwave (turned off, of course). Lily decided to come up from the basement.

I finished the Meredith Maran book. I’m letting it sink in. She completely rebuilt her life in LA! It’s giving me food for thought.

Now I’m thinking of a nap while the clothes are in the wash. Bella has half a tennis ball. (She chewed the other half.) Couldn’t sleep. I’ll go work on my investment class. Bought a new charger for my Apple Watch. I can’t find my case of chargers and the original one is bent.

Got my clothes in the dryer after Oliver got out. Cats!

Have a headache and sore neck.

Checked in for my doctor's appointment on Monday, but I'm not sure where I go. Need to call them on Monday. Worked on my investment class, but I need to spend some time playing with the financials for different sectors in the paper-trading tool. Later today, I think.

Now I'm thinking of skipping the yard work today and just running errands. I have tomorrow to work outside. The race will be over soon.

Found my Econ books and stashed them away out of Bella’s reach. Speaking of which, someone whose name is Bella is pulling toilet paper out of the bathroom and chewing it. Dogs!

I found some books on Audible that I want to get, but I need to wait for the check.

Managed to drag my weary butt into the shower. I’m thinking that I need to eat something because I also need to run to Lowe’s and get keys cut. I’m feeling draggy though and don’t feel like going out. Hmm. The last day that I can pick up the library book is tomorrow. Lowe’s opens at 8 AM tomorrow. The library opens at 1PM tomorrow. I can pick up napkins and 7up Tropical Zero Sugar at Meijer. Yeah, I think that I’ll stay in. Ye gods, I am tired. Actually, I’m low on cat litter (though I have some in the car), so I think that I’ll submit a Meijer’s order (done).

Got us all fed. I want to take a nap but want to be up for the Meijer order, so I’ll email my dad back and look at financial sector charts. Actually, there’s nothing in my order that will spoil so I’ll nap. Meijer canceled my delivery order. Why? Oh, apparently I didn’t have enough money.

Slept until 7:30 PM. Kept Bella from bugging Oliver. (She was not pleased.) Worked on my investment course. I think that I'll feed the beasts and go to bed. I might need to throw some laundry in--I'll check.

Actually, I'll read some of my macroeconomics book before going to sleep.

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Fed the critters and the washer stopped.

Got up at 6 AM. I'm not feeling well, so I emailed in sick and texted the person with whom I was going to go to the meeting. I need to stay up to call the car repair place (done). I slammed into a wall and am out of spoons.

My glasses are missing. I suspect a critter (Bella?) took them but I don’t know where they are.

The cats are being manic. Oliver found a box that he likes.

Zara is due for a Wellness exam. That’ll be fun. I need the money from the trust.

Slept until 11. Got my groceries. And I forgot to get napkins, damn it. I’ll need to run to the local grocery store later.

Aaargh! The trust just requested the check yesterday! They *think* that I will get it next week. I am so screwed. I wrote a cranky email to them but am sleeping on it. My goal is to get to a point where I can manage my money myself—my dad has taught me some—but I have a lot of work to do. I’ll look into Schwab for the meanwhile.

Ate lunch. I’m going to take a nap but Bella is bothering Oliver. Sigh. Got Oliver to leave and napped. I’m trying to decide whether to get up or go back to sleep.

The library is open until 6. I could make it over there if I jump into the shower. Maybe not. I’m feeling groggy. Bella needs to go out but the pet waste people are coming. Okay, they're gone so I can take her out. She actually came in without a treat bribe but it was raining.

The critters want food. I’m trying to figure out low-energy things to do after I feed the beasts. I could go through the mail and clear off the kitchen table. Study Italian and piano and voice. Work on my investing class, although I need a notebook for it. Actually, I could take notes on my computer.

We’re all fed. I think that I’ll take another nap. Couldn't sleep. Good. The essay that Randy Shilts wrote about the year after And the Band Played On was published popped into my head. It's one of the two best essays that I've read. The other was a chapter in Meredith Maran's book What It's Like to Live Now called "Line of Fire" in which she juxtaposes the death of her friend from AIDS and the Oakland Fire. I checked, and What It's Like to Live Now is out of print, but she has a new memoir out. It's about how she broke up with her wife and moved to LA in her sixties. I bought it.

Now I think that I'll work on my investment class because the sooner that I take these classes, the sooner I'll be completely independent. Looked at some videos and opened a paper trading account. I created a Live Journal for my notes from the course. But that means that I need to log in and out of it. I've been getting 100% on the investment quizzes thus far. I need to find my economics books.

I'm going to go to bed early. I need to get up at a reasonable hour to run to the library and then mow the lawn.

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Woke up with my alarm. Listened to a Bach double-header because the second piece was the Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, which is my favorite Bach piece. (The Echo Spot will keep playing Bach forever until I shut it off.)

I'm looking at Bee Balm for the front yard. Some of it is sold out already. Garden porn! And I'd like a blueberry bush. Would I put it in the vegetable garden or someplace else? I'll look for a good spot when I'm out with Bella.

Well hmm. The best place for the blueberry bushes is in the garden patch between the house and the patio-to-be. I roughly paced out the patio, and I'll need to get rid of the picnic bench to fit it in. And between the patio and garage, my vegetable patch will be long and narrow (unless I can put it on the south side of the house, but I think that there are gas and sewer lines there). I could really use some design software. Any recs? Also, the back part of the garden of the south side of the house gets shade in the afternoon, so I need plants there that can handle some shade.

I used a stick to mark the width of the patio-to-be. Bella took it. I got another stick. Bella took that one too. I finally got a piece of wood and she left that alone. But only until she went out again and ran off with it :) I have some stakes somewhere to mark off the area, but she’d probably run off with them too. Remodeling with a dog.

I found some fire pit tables with lids for the patio. And I'm mulling over awnings. They would be nice to have, but would add expense. I'm looking at a manual SunSetter awning. I want it waterproof though. Actually I think that I want a permanent aluminum or metal awning something like this. I think that I want concrete pavers for the patio itself.

I thought about hiring a landscape architect, but they probably would come up with cool designs that are $$$$ expensive.

Our presentation at work was kind of glitch-ridden (the link to the webinar didn't work, people got confused about whose slide was whose, etc.) but it's over for another three months. The vendor of the library computer system that we use releases quarterly updates.

I desperately need food. I need to submit a Walmart order to get the food that I had ordered yesterday but didn't receive (ordered).

I'm yawning again. I might blow off the investing Meetup tonight. I found some courses on Coursera about investing.

I tried the latest harness on Bella after cornering her in the bedroom. She clearly does not like harnesses. It’s clearly the right size but needs to be tightened. I gave her some of her favorite treats. She started trying to chew it and I took it off of her to tighten it. We’ll try it again tomorrow.

I got a collar on her, but she had gotten into the collar and chewed it so there’s a tear in it. I’ll use it to train her but won’t rely on it, of course.

Got my food in. Bella took great interest in it, but I told her that it was Purina Mommy Chow.

I’m turning into my mom, who said that she couldn’t get stuff done at night. Or I’m being lazy. I started the feeding process with the cats. I’m going to go to bed soon and get up early.

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I would like some lilac bushes. They are considered safe for pets, so maybe I'll plant two on either side of the gate-to-be for the garage? And maybe daylilies by the driveway? Actually, alternate soft holly and daylilies.

I found a redbud tree that I like.

I found a pet-safe shade garden set.

Now I'm thinking of growing sunflowers on the sunny (southern exposure) side of the house.

Hmm. Patios are less expensive than I thought, so maybe I'll be able to have one built this Spring? I'd like an olive tree for the patio, but I'd have to bring it inside to winter over. Gazebos are more expensive, so I probably won't be able to get one this year.

I'm mulling over a path around the house because Bella runs laps around the house and I follow her. I was thinking a gravel path, but that would be tough on dog paws. Flagstone is expensive. I could do mulch, but it needs to be replaced regularly. Landscaping sand?

I keep explaining to Bella that she has her own food and doesn’t need to eat the cat food, but she is not convinced. She’s annoyed because I won’t let her eat the cats’ food.

I’ve looked at other dogs because Bella plays rough with Oliver, but I don’t really have the bandwidth for another pet right now. It would be a lot better to wait until after my trip.

Overslept until 7:30 AM. The freezing rain hasn’t started.

I gave Lily the food that Mimi didn’t eat, and Bella ate it. Sigh. (I was sitting with my back turned. Mistake.)

I received a "$20 off an order of $49 or more" discount code from Chewy, so I ordered cat food and some cat toys to get free shipping.

I'm having a lively conversation with Mimi, but I'm not sure what it's about :) It might have to do with petting.

Hmm. I'm having a pang of missing my mom's house, but it was time to sell. I was thinking about the path from the front yard to the back yard.

I needed to submit a Walmart grocery order, but I didn't want the delivery person to have to deal with the freezing rain, so I set it for tomorrow. I hope that it'll be decent weather by then. Now the forecasters are saying no freezing rain, so I moved my Walmart order to today.

I have a knot in my shoulder. I need to find where I have Ben Gay or equivalent.

I signed up for an online Meetup tomorrow about investing. I'm still looking for someone to manage my funds, but it wouldn't hurt to know more about investing anyway.

I ran into my neighbor when I was out with Bella. She commented that Bella was new and thought that Bella was beautiful. We talked about dog training. She said that her dog has been known to attack other dogs, so she didn't come close.

Got the groceries from Walmart. Fed us all.

Napped until 10:30 PM. Bella knocked down and ate some croissants, sigh. I think that I'm going to go back to sleep. After Mimi gets her lap time. And I feed the critters.

Crud. I just realized that I didn't get any of the frozen food that I ordered.

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Got my French homework printed off and stashed in my backpack. Got my clothes together for both days of flights. I'm getting my second wind, but I still think that I'll pack my clothes in the AM.

Intel is going to be providing foundry services to NVIDIA. I'm trying to scrape together cash to invest. Okay, transferred some money. Bought shares.

Getting up before dawn sucks. I ate breakfast and fed the cats, but I decided to go back to sleep and pack tonight. I’ll go swimming in Kauai.

The handyman came to put up the screens right after I woke up. I had a new frontier of weirdness; I took a shower while he was in the house. I trust him though. He spent the rest of the morning changing some door locks. He said that the cost of the aluminum framing on the roof will be about $4500. Sigh.

I really like my new Hawaiian hoodie. It’s a coral reef and very nice-looking. So of course, I got some food on it. Aargh.

I found out how to use the fabric AirTag holders, so now they’re securely fastened in my suitcase and small carryon bag. I’m missing a couple of them, but I have one for the backpack. They aren’t expensive, so I can order more.

It’s really cold out. I think that I’ll wear the wool trench coat tomorrow because I’ll be waiting outside for the shuttle car.

I have hot and cold running meetings, so I'm going to go to the UPS Store tomorrow before work.

I talked to the life coach, and she was her usual helpful self. I now have a list of things to do when I get back, but the TaskRabbit ones, I can do from Hawaii. We also talked about my getting a spa treatment, and I found a place that I like. I need to figure out when to go there.

Talked to my weight-loss coach, who is still like nails on a chalkboard. She wants to turn everything into an end goal, and I'm more about the process. And I have been losing weight, so I wish that she'd back off.

Mover guy called me back. He asked if the move could be later if I need it delivered later, and I said no. He said that he’d look into a “container move” and will get back to me tomorrow morning.

I got everything done that I wanted to get done for work. The pet sitter stopped by and got the key. I dashed off some things for my goal-setting class.

Had my Dare to Dream class. Put my stuff for the UPS Store in the car for tomorrow morning. I’m freezing cold so I went upstairs. Packed my main suitcase. Now I'm boiling hot, so I came downstairs to print stuff off. I just need to pack my little "jump bag," and I'll be ready to go.

Checked in and printed off my boarding pass. Printed off maps. The spa is just a short distance away from my hotel. The only thing is that with the time change, I won't be able to call them from here tomorrow morning. The time that I'd need to call them is the time that I'm being picked up. I might be able to call from my hotel in Chicago. Otherwise, I'll have to wait until I get there. Okay, my travel documents are printed off. Printed off cat instructions.

The landlord leaving stuff at my rental house can't get into the garage. I didn't know what to tell him.

I'm going to go finish off packing my little jump bag, pack my meds, clear off the mail on the table, and then go to sleep. I should get a decent night's rest.

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Yay. I got Mom's printer to print off the return label for the clothes that I'm returning. Apparently it takes a long time to come up. I need to package the return up and get it to Michael's for UPS pickup.

Did a few chores: dishes and soaking a litter box. I killed the dryer the other day by putting some clothes that didn't spin in the washer in it, so I need to contact a repair person. I think that the washer is okay, but I'm testing it. Yeah, it's working. I made an appointment to have the dryer looked at.

I shaved my legs and clipped my toenails, so I'm ready to swim tomorrow. (Tonight is yoga. Though my right knee is bothering me.) I wound up cancelling yoga because I didn't have proof of membership. But the person whom I talked to told me that I can get a card the next time that I go over there and how to log into the app (I needed to reregister in the app).

Yay, the jeans and one t-shirt that I put outside to dry are dry. I put the rest of the wet clothes outside.

They still haven't picked up my recycling. And I have more to put in the bin!

Need more email? Subscribe to MarketWatch (in the US), and you will be bombarded. It's more than I wanted to know about the stock market.

Some people on Facebook with cats whom I follow had to put one of their cats to sleep. And I'm crying for a cat whom I never met, but not my mom? I think that my feelings about Mom are mixed up with the house and car. When it's time to leave, I'm sure that it'll be rough.

ExpandMore clothes... )
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The fawns are back. This time, they're nosing around the front yard, which makes me nervous that they might go into the street. Stay here, fawns. Oh, Momma Deer is here too. The fawns are munching on plants (luckily, not anything that I care about), so they're getting older. Momma Deer stopped and looked at me and eventually decided that I didn't look threatening.

So far, the handyman guy isn't here yet. Maybe he's buying supplies? No, he told me the wrong day and will be here tomorrow.

I now own stock in Amazon, Google, a solar firm, a small AI company, and a real estate company that owns commercial warehouses. Sweet :) Need to diversify more through.

The meeting at my mom's finance people was short, thank goodness. We mostly talked about the stock certificates that I found copies of in some of my aunt's stuff that my mom took. I need to send them info about my grandmother's birth and death dates. (My grandmother, aunt, and mom were listed on the certificates.)

My colleague came to my house and picked up the packages and looked the place over, and it looks like there was no damage from the storm. Excellent.

Tried to nap but my night-owl self couldn't sleep. I should get up and do something constructive. Now I'm feeling sleepy, so I'll go to sleep and get up early. The handyman guy should be there in the morning.

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I want to walk to get some exercise, but the air quality index is high (polluted). So I need to go to the gym to use the treadmill. Goal for today: get my gym clothes together. The local gym is open to 11PM during the week, which helps.

Woah. I asked ChatGPT to list stocks with a P/E (price-to-earnings ratio) under 30, and it provided a list. I can see how it could help me find stocks. The only thing is that the data is old. But it gives me a list to check out now. I'm reading about valuing companies, so I might have other criteria to give it. I tried to get it to give me a list with low P/E and low debt, but it said that it couldn't do that. However, I found a (free!) Yahoo! stock screener that will do that. Excellent.

I bought a Pomodoro timer to keep me focused on cleaning the place out.

I'm wondering if it's time to do another spa treatment. I'm not as tense as I was previously, but probably am harboring some tension. I'm looking into local spas. I got a Groupon for a "Deluxe Facial with Full Body Scrub & Massage". I just need to decide when to schedule it.

I had my meditation class today. We did a loving kindness meditation, in which you picture a person and think "May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be safe. May you be at peace." I used Mom as my person. Thinking those thoughts for her went okay. But then we reversed it and pictured her saying those things to me, and I burst into tears. I want to work more with this meditation because it is powerful.

We also discussed which of our activities are nurturing and pleasurable. It occurred to me that I should listen to music while I'm working on the place. That would add something pleasant to a task that I find unpleasant. I dug out my mom's boom box and raided her CDs. She has U2's Rattle and Hum, which I guess is mine now. Plus some of Enya's CDs that I would like to try. And a classical guitar CD that I gave her.

I got my smart tags and put my car keys on a smart key ring. I got a cute doormat for my house.

And crud, a pair of jeans that I bought went to Urbana. I'll ask my colleague/friend if she can pick it up. I guess that I need to order another pair to go here. I'm trying another brand because I don't like the Gloria Vanderbilt "stretch" jeans.

Paid Mom's energy bill. Now I'm going to have some soup and go to bed. The handyman is going to come back tomorrow morning. I also have a grocery delivery in the morning.

Boom!

Jul. 4th, 2023 09:36 pm
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The handyman is here and working. I overslept and broke records pulling myself together. I realized that I need more black t-shirts, so I'll look for some (done--I especially like one with origami cranes on it). I also bought some navy beachy shoes.

The handyman is gone now with a list of supplies that he needs to get. He found earwigs in the ceiling of the bathroom, ugh. This house. He said that maybe I should call an exterminator last thing. He changed the light bulb in the kitchen, which makes me very happy. Now I can work into the evening in the kitchen. And now I can take a nap! He's coming back on Thursday.

Overslept my nap and am feeling groggy. I spent most of the day researching stocks. (What's more American than that?) Tried to lie down again, but couldn't sleep. Mimi is lying right under the fan. I tried on a couple of Mom's hats, and one looks really good.

It's going to Hawaii with me if I can figure out how to pack it. I need some hatpins.

Everyone is setting off their fireworks at the same time, and the world sounds like it's exploding. Mimi is taking it in stride. I don't see Zara. Here she is.

My stomach is a little upset. I need to get the garbage out, but I'm waiting until the fireworks die down. I need to do some stuff for work, so maybe I should go to bed early and get up early.

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The handyman wants to come tomorrow. So much for sleeping in. Oh well.

It's a gloomy day. I went back to sleep and overslept a little. Now I'm working.

Yikes. A colleague of mine said that her power is STILL down in Champaign. And no one has taken down the tree of hers that fell.

According to the Michigan DMV, I'd have to get an in-transit permit for the van. The insurance guy said that I would register it and get insurance for it in Illinois. Now I just need to decide whether to buy it. I found a black Ford Transit Connect that I like, but I probably should wait to buy one closer to when I'm about to leave.

I want to buy stock in Amazon. Its price looks good as compared to its possible earnings. I transferred some money to my brokerage account. Enphase Energy is a solar company that also looks good. I asked Zara what I should invest in, and she said, "Chewy". Figures :)

I wish my bank would contact me when they aren't sure about a transaction instead of just declining the transaction. I had to get on the phone with them.

I watched a Mentour Pilot video. Then one of the next ones up was "The Miracle on the Hudson," so I had to watch that. It was amazing how quickly it happened and how quickly the passengers were loaded onto boats.

I did the dishes and scrubbed the sink. I need to get to bed because the handyman guy will be here tomorrow morning.

Oh, Deer!

Jul. 2nd, 2023 11:41 pm
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I bought some Web-enabled Smart Luggage tags for my luggage. Someone who finds the bag can scan a QR code and get my contact information. If the tag is scanned, I get a notification where the bag is. I got some for my keys too.

I should have said that I'm lucky that I'm in Michigan. I keep getting messages from Comcast saying that they're working on getting the Internet back up in Urbana.

Mimi doesn't like the big bags of clothes moving through the house.

I tried another clothing subscription called Wantable. We'll see how it goes. They have some nice sweaters. Apparently high-water jeans are in style but I'm like, uh, winter.

It looks like it's going to rain all afternoon, so I won't be able to drop off the clothes today.

I downloaded the YMCA app, but it said that it couldn't find my email address, even though they sent me an email! I guess that it'll take time to get through the system.

Had a really good voice lesson. I really like my teacher. Now I'm starting to work on Songbird by Fleetwood Mac, which is a little higher than I usually sing, which should be good. She did tell me to do more cardio though! I need to get to the gym.

Wow. Momma Deer brought her babies back here again. They are very calm and let me take a picture of them.

Took a nice nap. I'm still yawning.

I'm trying to learn more about investing, but it's not so easy to find good programs. I'm particularly interested in tech stocks and AI.

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