days_unfolding

I'm craving sleep like food. I don't know why. When my alarm went off this morning, I went back to sleep for 1.5 hours. I napped during lunch and it helped.

I sent an email saying that I was canceling my Maui Haleakala sunset/stargazing tour, but that I didn't need a refund because I figured they needed the money more than I did, and they said "Mahalo (thank you) for your empathy. You're the only cancellation that didn't request a refund out of $70000." They offered me a rain check. So that was my good deed for the day. Same thing for the snorkeling tour, and he said "every little bit helps," and thanked me.

I got a discount for a Sam's Club membership in my work email. I wound up joining because they have good prices on garbage bags (we're going through A LOT of garbage bags) and paper towels. There's a Sam's Club in Southfield and in Champaign. But now I'm looking at exercise equipment (Total Gym and stepper, both of which people are raving over). If I could go downstairs to exercise in Mom's basement, it would help, because I'm really reluctant to get myself together and go out. I don't know why. Though I should get back in the swimming groove before my Hawaii trip. I have room for the exercise equipment in the basement in Urbana. I'm also looking at an Echelon rower on Amazon. I've always regretted selling my rower in California. I really like it as an exercise.

Yahoobie. After all the sagas, I finally have the Delta SkyMiles debit card in my hands. Now I can pay for the Italy trip next year plus some Kauai extras. But Road Scholar is open only during the day during the week. If I get the exercise equipment, I should transfer money there and get it.

My grand boss posted links to electronic stuff that was useful (charger, adapter, power strip) for her trip to Italy, and I wishlisted it.

I used the new SkyMiles debit card to buy the exercise equipment. (I'm going to transfer money back. I've waited this long to pay for the Italy trip; I can wait a little longer.) For the rower, Amazon offered moving to the room of your choice and assembly for a fee.

Oops. I forgot to email the first dumpster place about a refund. I'll do that this weekend.

Downloaded the Sam's Club app. They have organization bins that will be useful for Urbana, and also a fire pit set that I am coveting. They also have good prices for a washer and dryer for here.

I love one of my solo women travelers Facebook groups. It's so positive, and I learn a ton.

I'm just feeling like starting a load of laundry and going to bed. It would be good if I could get up early tomorrow and get to the bike shop earlish. Okay, the laundry is started and the litter boxes are scooped. I'm getting a headache, which is another reason to go to sleep. My headaches are weird. They don't come on gradually. It's like "BOOM. Headache."

Mower guy showed up and got the lawn mowed before the rain. Good. I was about to contact him because the lawn was looking shaggy.

Oh wow. It's pouring. And I have my brow appointment in a few minutes.

I got the time change wrong and got to the brow place an hour early. Left and came back. And wow, now I know why the brow lady stays booked up. I now have perfect brows. I never have had perfect brows. I kept looking at them in the rear-view mirror on the way back. I made another appointment in two months. I kind of wish that Mom could see my brows. Ah well. (The brow lady thought that my trip sounded cool too.)

The only thing is that I'm not supposed to get my brows wet before tomorrow afternoon, so I guess that I won't take a shower before the cleaner gets here.

I booked a manicure right before my trip in a fancy-smancy nail salon in Birmingham, which is a ritsy area near here. I also found a hair salon in Birmingham that I'd like to try, but there's no way that I'll get an appointment before I go.

The Food and Wine Festival on Maui was postponed until next year. I donated my ticket to a restaurant and hospitality fund. The snorkeling trip that I was going to go on is no doubt canceled too because it's near Lahaina, but I haven't heard anything about it yet. I'm thinking that the operators of my tours can just keep the money because they'll probably need it.

The Olanzapine prescription was filled, and I'm having it delivered to me.

Hmm. I found a place that does laser treatment for toenail fungus. I did some research and it seems to work pretty well. I hide my toes because they look so bad.

Now I'm looking at bicycles. I'd have to get a rack to bring it back unless I have the movers move it. I found a couple of possibilities. I'm eyeing this bike, which I like except for the fact that it's pink. or maybe this one I found some people who will teach you to ride a bike too. One of my exes (Steve, not Erik) said to get a more upright bike though. Now I'm looking at this one, which is more vertical.

I'm currently tidying up the kitchen for the cleaner, but I need to get my cell phone to see to turn the light on in the garage, where I'm putting boxes, and my cell phone is charging. So I decided to stop and post.

It's storming again.

I requested a TaskRabbit guy to run errands for me on Tuesday. Yay. I want him to bring the bags of clothes to the thrift shop and drop off the canes.

I called Woman Within, and got a tracking number. The items are on their way to the USPS, and I should be able to change the address once it gets there.

Oops. I keep getting notices from various sites that had my old debit card number that it was declined. That's easier than remembering all the places where I used the card though.

Apparently, Oprah and Jeff Bezos live part-time on Maui. I hope that they will give money. Oprah has visited people in the emergency shelters already.

A guy wrote An Ode to Lahaina that said it all for me and had me in tears.

I have to bump my Kauai trip a day earlier because I want a day at home before I jump in the car and travel to my meetings (assuming that I'm still here). I'm looking at info about food trucks in Kauai. It'll be the food truck tour :) And I can write about it on my blog. I also get a list of good restaurants there from Google Bard.

Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday that I did chair yoga to a video yesterday. It was a lot more my speed than the killer yoga class. I need to find a place to do yoga and try a video of beginner's yoga.

I had my session with the life coach. I don't know what I think of her. She thinks that I need to set deadlines in order to get stuff done, plus I need to focus on one thing at a time. That's fair enough, but she thinks that it's ridiculous to put my life on hold to get my mom's house cleaned out, and she thinks that I shouldn't go through all of mom's stuff. I said that I would be done with the kitchen and bathrooms this weekend.

It occurred to me that one way to be sure that I get the kitchen done is to schedule someone to clean it before I have it done (done) Then I'll be sure to finish it.

Tornado warning. So I'm sitting in the dark basement. Earlier, I tried on my Daily Look clothes and actually kept most of them. They looked better on than in the box. Huh. What do I do now? I was able to change my flights on my phone. I added two extra days because I want seven full days on Kauai. I went to add the extra days to my hotel, and it was full, so I found another hotel.

Now I'm back upstairs. I got my Daily Look returns ready to mail tomorrow. Fed myself and the beasties. I'm running out of steam, so I'm going to go to bed soon.

Okay, I booked the Holiday Inn O'Hare for the night before the Hawaii trip.

Handyman guy was here and gone. He installed the screen for the screen door and the toilet paper holder. He said that the roof guy will need to trim the trees before he can clean the gutters. I said that I'll check on the money.

We had a major storm this afternoon. The house went completely dark. They were predicting more storms later, so I canceled my errands and took a nap and slept through until 11:30 PM. I'm going to go back to sleep and get up early to run errands.

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.

The palliative care nurse woke me up and asked if I would okay Mom for hospice care. She said that Mom might not make it until the weekend. Bloody hell. I contacted the Neptune Society for more information about handling a cremation.

I'm not sure what to do now. A shower, I guess.

I was able to get in touch with my mom's best friend, so I feel better. If she can't have me there, at least she'll have Lotus. I've been getting in touch with my mom's friends for whom I have contact info for.

I'm lying down, so of course the hospital had to call. They're emailing me the hospice paperwork. And a couple of calls later, I gave up.

The hospice paperwork says that there must be a 24-hour caregiver, and I don't have one. So I emailed back. They said that because she is in the hospital and not expected to survive, that I don't need one. I signed the forms and emailed them back.

And crud. I missed a meeting at work.

I made arrangements to have Mom cremated after she passes. The person kept on messing up the paperwork, which isn't giving me the warm fuzzies though. The next step is to figure out where her ashes should be laid to rest. I emailed the cemetery where my mom's parents and aunt and uncle are.

I have a feeling that she will pass away tonight.

I found a place on Maui that I'd like to stay at. It's a condo right on the beach. And you can see sunsets from there too. All I'd need is a glass of white wine.

The cemetery called me late, but I'll talk to them tomorrow. My aunt's nephew is confirming the name of the place.

I'm cleaning the kitchen, doing laundry, and clearing out the mudroom of the clothes that I have piled there. I'd like to be mostly packed by 1 PM tomorrow.

Now I've started yawning, so I'm going to crash and get up early.