days_unfolding

Got the flannel sheets and flannel duvet cover on the bed. They’re so soft! Zara came in partway through but decided that she didn’t like what was going on. Later, I came in to go to bed, and she was happily curled up on top of the comforter with the flannel cover. Now she's glued to it except when she wants food :)

I had problems falling asleep. I got up once because I realized that I scheduled my piano lesson at the same time as Dial-A-Carol. I ate oatmeal and finally fell asleep. And overslept, sigh. I have to find the box with the "Sonic Boom" alarm.

Yeah, I think that staying home over Winter Break is a good idea. Hard to believe that I work Monday, and then I'll be off!

Very quiet at work. My boss told me to "feel better" when I went out sick yesterday, which was nice.

I'm about done with Walmart delivery. They dumped my groceries by the gate, and I had to go across my lawn with slippers on. How hard is it to put them on my porch?

I just emailed the real estate guy about the closing date on Mom's house. He said "sometime this week".

Ugh. My back and shoulder hurt. I shouldn’t be this sore shortly after a massage. Showered, so at least I'm clean.

Went down to get the mail and found a Jenny Craig order. I need to cancel them, but at least I'll have a stash. I'm now thinking of doing a bunch of cooking and freezing stuff next week, when I'll have time. I'm getting a bunch of emails from Costco, but no card yet. I plan to bring the cars up to Costco for gas because, why not? And maybe I could get new windshield wipers for the Honda there. And investigate moving my prescriptions, although it's convenient having them down the street. Maybe not.

I think that getting a used aquarium is the right idea. I priced new ones and geesh. Expensive. And I'm getting only a 20-gallon tank! Though I also want a 55-gallon tank for the library room. Actually, I found a used 50-gallon tank that I like, but I'd need movers to move it. And I need someone to check that the floor is stressed for it.

I've decided that I don't like the prescription face cream that I've been using. (It was making my skin flake.) I'm trying something new from Dermstore, and we'll see how I like it. But the shipment is delayed.

I forgot to say that I'm proud of myself. I had been having problems with the sound on the laptop that I had on the digital piano. I bought two computer speakers to try to fix it, but they didn't help. Eventually, I got rid of the laptop and swapped in my mom's laptop. So I still had the speakers, but didn't need them, so I gave them away on Buy Nothing! It's a drop in the bucket, but still, I'm pleased with myself.

Hmm. I had been thinking of getting a used grandfather clock for the library room, but now I'm thinking that I should move the Buddha in there and put a wall clock (with chimes) above it. Also cheaper. Though I wanted a "Namaste" hanging above the Buddha. And maybe, above the aquarium-to-be, I want one of those maps where you can rub off the paper on the country if you have visited it.

I got my Beaches calendar for by my computer. December is Maui. Excellent. I just need a nail with which to hang it. I need to make a list of things to get done over break.

I was eyeing the treadmill. I think that the first errand on my list is to get the small Smart TV for in front of my treadmill. I'll watch The Golden Girls and The Big Bang Theory while exercising!

I found the “Sonic Boom” clock! Good because I need to get up early tomorrow because the house cleaner is coming tomorrow morning. I also found my hatchet, which should go in the basement.

Now I’m eating dinner and putting the Jenny Craig meals away (done).

Hmm. Holland America is trying to upsell me on dining. They have a steakhouse and an Italian restaurant. I need to think about it.

I'm back from Dial-A-Carol. This apparently was Pros night. There was a group that was singing in four-part harmony and sounded fantastic! (One of looked embarrassed when she saw me listening, but I don't know why.) And there was a young woman who must have been a singing major. (In fact, I think that she might have been at the carols concert?) I was somewhere in the middle. I'm usually on tune if I know the song, but I don't sound as polished. I just bought the sheet music and a couple of CDs of "traditional" Christmas music. I'll work on them during break. Driving home, I felt full of love for Champaign-Urbana because there are so many fun things to do here.

I'm sitting for a moment with Mimi, and then I need to tidy up the kitchen and bathrooms for the house cleaner. Oh, I think that I'll post because I'm here. No one needs the blow-by-blow of my tidying :)

I was wondering how far Puerto Rico was from Florida. Two hours flight time. That explains the long flight from Chicago.

Zara is clinging to me. I was missed. And Mimi is glued to my lap.

Woke up with my alarm for once. it's a gray, rainy day.

I checked into the airfare to St. Lucia and, wow, it's expensive. I looked for Oceania to send me a brochure, but they’re all online.

I'm so tempted to skip choir but I better not. We're off next week and our concert is in December. I'm so tired though.

The real estate agent for my mom’s house called. He has an offer, but the buyer wants money back as a concession. We’re dubious about it, and he expects another offer to come in.

Got my new driver’s license and I actually like the picture! Shocking!

Went to rehearsal. The choir director was glad to have me back. We’re down to the last couple of rehearsals before the concert. No rehearsal next week.

I’m thinking of going to bed soon. I have an Italian lesson tomorrow morning, but I can’t pay her until Wednesday. I’ll see what she says.

Overslept but made it to Italian. My Italian is definitely rusty. (We missed a couple of lessons.) I told her about the vet visits, and she felt sorry for the cats.

I'd like a Pilea Chinese Money Plant. They're safe for cats. I should wait until I get back to order it though. And it might be too late to mail it?

Mimi is picking at her wet food but ate the dry food. I guess that's okay. I'm going to try her on the Hills dry food for senior cats because she doesn't need to lose weight.

Got my Jenny Craig food and put it away.

The real estate guy for Mom's house is waiting on some signatures to list Mom's house for sale. He showed me a preview of the listing, and it looks good. I suggested mentioning the built-in lawn sprinklers though.

I got on the waitlist for Prolific, which bill_schubert mentioned. It might help pay for my Amazon addiction. Oh! I'm off the waitlist! Speaking of Amazon, I was looking at a cookbook holder because I have a bunch of diet cookbooks that I want. I was going to buy spiral-bound when available, but they are very expensive, and I could get cheaper versions of the cookbooks with a holder.

I was looking at some essential oils made by a company affiliated with Disney. (I'm subscribed to a Disney group on Facebook.) The company has a way expensive diffuser, so I was looking at some cheaper options on eBay. I like how the house smells when the cleaner is here.

Booked my drinks and WiFi packages for the cruise. Dang, they're expensive. They must make their money on the packages and extras. I checked in to the cruise. I'll be boarding at 3:30 PM, so I guess that I'll go to the cruise terminal and have lunch and kill a couple of hours. Looked at the cruise schedule. Wow, there's a lot to do aboard ship, though a lot of them are selling something. Do I want to do Karaoke? I’ve been exploring their app and found out when breakfast is. Because I’m doing shore excursions, I’ll mostly be having breakfasts and dinners. You also can get a complementary Continental Breakfast in your room.

Hmm. Celebrity has a Japan cruise that looks interesting. And it’s not horribly expensive, although airfare will add a lot.

Fed the catlings. They’re sort of eating and sort of picking at the food. I’m keeping an eye on them. I don’t really want to go back to the vet yet again. Got the garbage out.

Went to Walmart. They didn't have any mums. I bought a “Happy Halloween” window cling, the word “Spooky” to put in a window, and some crime scene tape with skulls on it. And candy, which I had to sample :) That’s it for this year. I might get more ambitious next year.

Tried on the evening gowns. The one that was smaller fit me (yay!), but it's not terribly flattering.

I'm looking at another dress online. I also tried on the Land's End long underwear and snow pants and they fit (the smaller long underwear and larger snow pants). Now I just need to get some alpaca socks.

I need to check whether I have sunscreen and go to bed. I need to get up early to practice piano. It's been a quite a week.

I heard a weird noise that sounded like a bowl rolling around on the floor. I came downstairs to investigate, and Zara had flipped her food bowl over. I’m not entirely sure how she did that. She was being manic. I lay down for my lunchtime nap and she snuggled in next to me.

I already have enough vacation time for my trip in November plus some extra, so I can take a personal day when I go up to Michigan. I might stay an extra day and skip swimming on Sunday. (I need to get the storage space cleaned out, which will take some work. I'm going to ship some boxes to me in Urbana. And I need to sweep the storage space out when I have everything out of there.) I'm looking at October 25th to go up.

And the guys STILL are not done with mom's house! I told him that I'm getting fed up, and that they need to do whatever it takes to get it done and listed, and the holiday season is coming up. Sigh. If they delay again, I'll look for another real estate person.

I scrounged for dinner for tomorrow night, and found some burgers and tater tots in the basement freezer. Not exactly a healthy dinner, but whatever. The burgers are thawing in the refrigerator. I suppose that I could make vegetables instead of tater tots, which would be more healthy. I get paid on Wednesday

Hmm. I'm wondering if I should bring down my big suitcase for the cruise and start throwing stuff into it as I think of it. It's a month until the trip. I started making a packing list. Oh, and I can bring a cell phone battery pack with me on a plane, so I can take one on the cruise with me.

I don't know why I've had dark circles under my eyes lately. I've been getting enough sleep.

Went to choir practice. This time, there was another alto there with me. Yay. The group was small today though. The choir director seems to like me for some reason. Maybe because I haven't missed a rehearsal yet, although I will when I go on the cruise in November.

Went to the grocery store to look for something different for lunch. When I looked in my wallet, I found two $20 bills that I didn't know that I had. Riches! I bought butter chicken for lunch (I've been having Jenny Craig fish and chips because that's what I had) and I bought some General Tso's Chicken from the deli department.

Rehearsal wipes out the evening. All I want to do now is go to sleep.

I paid for my Italian lessons and some music lessons last night. I couldn't get a full 45 minutes this week with my piano teacher, so I booked 30 minutes.

My groceries arrived. Brought them in and fed the cats and myself.

Overslept my lunchtime nap. I don't know why I'm so sleepy right now. The cats are being extra-snuggly, maybe because it's getting cooler. They want to share body heat!

I received an email about my swimming lessons on Sundays. They want us already in our swimwear to decrease the time spent in the locker room, but I'll need to shower and get dressed afterward. I'm looking forward to it! And there's free parking!

I ordered some Churu treats for the girls. They're the only treats that they like.

The National Park Service has pictures of the Shenandoah Valley in the public domain, so I might intersperse their pictures with me singing.

The trust and the real estate agent for Mom's house are fighting in my email. The trust thinks that we've spent too much on the house, and we have spent a lot. The real estate agent is convinced that we'll get the money back. I'm just tired of the whole mess. I'm getting a headache :(

Had my songwriting and music theory classes. For the songwriting class, I need to write a song in a few weeks as a “final project”. I think that I’ll write a blues song about decluttering my house :) It’s a topic that I’m very familiar with.

A comedian whom I follow did a thing about Trader Joe’s (a specialty type of grocery store that’s kind of like Aldi’s for Yuppies). I would love one here, so I just wrote the company asking for one. I think that it would really do well here.

Hmm. The weather forecasters say that it’s going to go down to 54F/12C tonight. I guess that I need warmer pajamas and to turn on the heat.

Hmm. I’m wondering if I should get a Border Collie and train it to be my service dog to get me up, bring me my meds, etc. There is a place near St. Louis that trains service dogs.

Threw on sweats and got the recycling out. It’s smoky out, so I think that people are using their fireplaces. I got my grass seed, so I need to seed this weekend. I also bought fertilizer meant to be used in the fall, but it hasn't come yet.

Got my pharmacy card. Yay. Made an appointment on Friday to have my COVID, flu, and shingles vaccines. I need to find a sleeveless top to wear. And I'll probably go to sleep early on Friday because I usually get a headache when I get a COVID shot.

I finally remembered to drink tea today. (I read an article that said that flavonoid-rich foods combat dementia. Can't hurt; might help.) Dad is trying to get me to drink herbal tea, but black tea has flavonoids. I like Earl Grey tea. When I get more money, I think that I'll get a warmer pad for my tea and maybe an electric kettle. There are some good deals on Mercari for them.

I practiced piano and voice. Piano is going very well. I sent the song "Shenandoah" to my singing teacher. I have both singing and piano lessons tomorrow (back to back!).

Now to sleep, quickly.

Got up early. Put the hose away.

I'm "backup on-call" at work right before winter break, so I can't leave for New York (assuming that I go to New York) before the weekend. Why do I think that we have a concert that weekend? Must check. No, it's the week before. Good.

I'm wondering about Mom's house. I must check the progress when I'm up on the weekend. I'm worrying about it being listed before it gets cold.

I read that flavonoid-rich foods and drinks, including tea, may cut risk of dementia. Must drink tea.

The mower guy showed up. I like this guy. I didn’t have to remind him. He just showed up. And I think that I hear him using the weed whacker! He did a good job. Nothing from the cleaners thus far though. That's probably just as well because I'd like to look for someone cheaper. I might have found someone new.

The lawn guy gave me a quote for over $300 to weed the yard though. I don't have the money.

Had my songwriting class. It was great and gave me a lot to think about. I ordered a book on chord progressions and need to bring out my guitar, although I prefer piano. He asked me to send him some songs to analyze, and I’m thinking “The Dimming of the Day” by Richard and Linda Thompson and “Graceland” by Paul Simon. And maybe "A Touch of Gray" by the Grateful Dead because that's the kind of song that I want to write.

My piano teacher rocks. I told her that I was looking for drums on my piano (it has different instruments and can record music), and instead of saying that’s not what I’m here to teach you, she connected me with some online software for writing songs. She also suggested that I get speakers for my laptop to make it easier to hear her and make it possible for her to hear my piano.

I love making music!

I kind of want to continue working on piano, but I have other stuff to do. Got the recycling out. My foot hurts :( Signed up for an AI app called Makes You Fluent to get conversation and pronunciation practice in Italian. Signed up for Band Lab, which is free music-writing software.

I need to get to bed early to run to the Department of Motor Vehicles tomorrow to get a replacement registration card for the Honda. It's usually not too busy when it first opens.

Had a large breakfast and checked out of the hotel. Went to my mom’s house and took the cuttings. I even was able to dig up one of her ferns from the side of the house! Now I’m cooling my heels waiting to hear from the handyman. I really want to load the car and get on the road.

I finally left. Got my car loaded, but found that I couldn’t see well out of the left side. Pulled off at a restaurant and reorganized stuff. I was feeling hungry, so I got a Coney Dog and fries.

I just passed the Toledo metro area. I was feeling tired, so I stopped earlier than usual and closed my eyes for a little while. Well, I couldn't sleep but decided that I was dehydrated. So I drank some water, and went back in to use the washroom again. On the way back to my car, my mind was elsewhere, and I tripped on a curb and fell down hard. I was lucky that my nose wasn't broken nor were my glasses because my face hit the ground. I had a scrape on my hand. My foot hurt. I can vouch that Apple Watches can tell when you fall because it was beeping at me and asking if I was okay or needed emergency services. I should have gotten Mom an Apple Watch when she was living alone. I limped back to the car and left because I had no choice to get back. The adrenaline from the fall woke me right up, and I was wide awake the rest of the trip.

I stopped at a rest stop a way later. Oh fuck fuck fuck, it hurt to walk on my right foot. But I needed to use the washroom. So the only way to get there was to walk, so walk I did, digging my fingernails into the palms of my hands to deal with the pain. I discovered that putting my weight near my big toe helped.

And drive I did, hobbling when I needed to stop. I made it home with Mom's car, and it's parked behind mine. I even made it upstairs. I don't think that my little toe is broken after all, but I smacked the side of my foot down hard.

So, the cats are fussing over me. Zara gave me a little kiss. I think that I'll post and then see if I can figure out how to fix my CSS position in my homework. Or maybe I'll lie down with my feet up.

No contact from the lawn mower guy so far.

Had a nice nap at lunch and overslept.

Crud. My dad thinks that the economy is acting a lot like 2008 and there is likely to be a recession. He said, "If it happens, the shit will hit the fan between the third week of September and the third week of October." That's when my mom's house is likely to go up for sale. Dad said that if there is a recession, it is not likely to affect the real estate market right away.

Contacted the real estate guy who's managing the rehab of my mom's house, and he said that the waterproofing of the basement is done, and they're just doing some odds and ends like the backsplash for the kitchen.

Ran out to mail the package containing the backpack that I sold on eBay and dropped off stuff at the thrift store.

I attended the volunteer session for Kamala Harris. They mostly are looking for phone bank volunteers, for which I did not sign up because I suck on the phone. (I hate phone calls.) I did sign up for some social media work though. And I'd do postcards, but they didn't have a slot for postcards. Illinois is a reliably blue state, but I'm wondering if I should knock on doors in Wisconsin? But they don't like Illinois people up there? I ordered a lawn sign.

Well, the lawn guy came and mowed. He said that he ran into a metal pole and it almost destroyed the mower. if it's the one that I think, it's visible coming up to it. Now he wants to charge me an extra $100 for "cleanup," when he didn't actually clean everything up. I am not happy with this guy. And now I’m not happy with their support team because they just keep sending me email on how to approve the quote, which I did not approve. He said that they did not pay him for mowing, which they should have done. I told him that I was going to talk to the company, and he said, “Okay.”

I need to put out the recycling and get my blood pressure down (done).

Today is the day where reality sinks in. I’m not going to get a chance to study Italian or exercise before I leave for my flight on Friday. I should have plenty of time to study Italian at O’Hare Airport. (I should start throwing stuff, including Italian verb exercises, in my backpack for the flight.)

I need to empty the dryer, put clothes in the dryer (done), and write some emails and messages (done). Then I’ll go to bed.

Cool. I changed my Apple Watch face to the skyline of New York City in the hope that I’ll go there soon. The picture changes according to the time of day, here instead of New York. I never have seen the nighttime view because I’ve always been busy during the evenings until now. It’s lovely. Sometimes it’s the little things.

I just remembered to check whether I entered the number for TSA Precheck on my flight. (I have it through Global Entry. Some of the best money that I've spent.) I didn't, so I fixed it. I just need to throw some stuff in the backpack that I'm taking with me, and then I really will go to bed. I'll pack my suitcase tomorrow.

Someone on a local CU plant group said that yes, I can take cuttings off of Mom’s rose bushes, so I’m going to drop the computers off at the house, and go look for cutters and a shovel for the hosta (done). I’m meeting Donovan at noon.

Donovan came and made quick work getting the junk into the dumpster. I took cuttings from my Mom’s rose bushes (they fought back), the Rose of Sharon, a hydrangea, and the Japanese Maple. I dug up part of a hosta and a thing with silver leaves. I need to get some rooting mixture.

Now I’m resting for a moment and will go get lunch. Oh, the upstairs bathroom is working after all, which helps :)

I'm back in Urbana, with Mimi climbing on me. I was looking for a pair of shoes that I accidentally sent to my mom's house, but they turned out to be in the one closet in which I didn't look. Then the elevator was out at the storage place. I found a circuitous route to my space from the other elevator. Loaded the car up. Found that there was a little more room, but didn't want to take the circuitous route back to my space, so I just left. As soon as I got on I-75, I had a taste for a Waffle House waffle. It took a couple of tries, but I got one.

I need to get up early to get the plants out of the car.

I had problems falling asleep, so I’m really tired. Met the real estate guy and walked through the house. It looks good. They’re doing good work. I agreed to have the basement waterproofing done. The yard looks awful, but we agreed that they would get landscapers in here right before the sale. We’re looking at sometime in September for listing.

They’re going to get the dumpster out on Monday.

I agreed to stay through Sunday and get the closet in the basement and some boxes in the garage cleaned out.

Unfortunately, the toilets were moved to put the flooring in, which is inconvenient. I think that I’ll put the new plates on my mom’s car and then go to a restaurant for lunch (and to use the toilet!) The license plate is stuck on this one too. Sigh.

I wound up going back to the hotel and crashing. I booked the hotel for an extra day and sent money to the pet sitter. Now, with the time change, I'm thinking that I should just go to bed early and get up really early. It probably would be easier to get a AAA truck out there early.