days_unfolding

I left in plenty of time. Got back at 11:30 AM EST and had a meeting with the life coach. I was panicking because I thought that the test was at 12:30. Central Time. 12:30 Central Time. I had lunch in that case.

Mimi is chewing me out.

I'm waiting for my test to start. I think that it went okay. At least I answered all the questions.

I'm stressing over the move next week. I'm hoping that the packing guy can help out. Yeah, he can. I also booked a guy to bring boxes from storage to the garage here so that the movers don't have to make two trips. I need to check whether the check from the trust is here. It is.

Mimi is now making a fuss over me. (I’m lying down for a nap.) Couldn't sleep. Went back to work.

I brought my toiletries inside the house. Got into my pajamas and started laundry. I'm going to go to sleep soon.

It's snowing tiny flakes, but they're melting when they hit the ground. Now I'm feeling freezing cold, so I'm making some tea. I spilled the first batch though.

My pet sitter is sick, so she isn't coming over to help pack. Basically, she got one box done. Sigh.

Mom called. She was trying to order the Bath and Body Works stuff that I wanted on eBay, but she was having problems, and wanted to use my account. I said that she could, but it would go to my current address, and I was moving next week. She said that it wasn't on Bath and Body Works' site, but I found it there. I said that I could use her credit card and have it shipped to the new place, but she wanted me to have something to open. She said, "Forget it". As it turns out, Amazon has them. I had the one available by Saturday shipped to Mom, and the one available after Christmas shipped to the new place.

I'm wondering if I should DoorDash some soda with caffeine. I think that I'll lie down for a little while first. Couldn't sleep. I wrote out some Christmas cards to mail, but there's a mail drop here, so I'll get soda via DoorDash (done--I also got more markers).

I finished the book for my book report for class and wrote a rough draft of my paper. I'll refine it tomorrow (well, today :)) Now to sleep.

Successful morning. Had my blood test, mailed the return packages, dropped stuff at the thrift store, and got Zara's meds. Now I get to eat! (It was a fasting blood test.)

My classmates are saying that the programming final is the world's longest test. Oh, this week is going to suck, but I'll live through it.

Hmm. Can't get in touch with my pet sitter, who's supposed to come pack. I hope that she's okay, but she probably forgot. I've texted and called her. I swept the floor and am going to mop next (done). Called and made an appointment to have my washer looked at.

Finished my extra-credit problem. Now to tackle the final exam....I've decided that I'm not going to hear from my pet sitter, so I'm going to take a short nap before I tackle the final. My pet sitter just called. She had fallen asleep. She said that she will be off work tomorrow too, so she can do some packing. Slept hard and overslept. But I needed the sleep. My bed just has a hollow for me to sleep because I turfed stuff out of the closet.

I found my umbrella. Yay! It's going to rain tomorrow.

One of my classmates says that she's so excited that I'm going to move to the area, which is really nice.

I ordered a boot tray for the new house. I want to keep the carpet clean, so I'm going to have a "no shoes in the house" rule.

I made a start on my exam, but my brain just went into vaporlock. I'm going to do a little more packing and mopping, and call it a night.

It's a dark and gloomy day. But I'm feeling better.

Most cats get sleepy after eating. Zara gets manic. She dove with her front paws in a garbage bag that I had on the floor and slid across the floor. Goofy cat :)

Apparently, there's an important typo in the extra-credit problem that was released. I'll let my classmates track down our professor and do other stuff. Okay, it's corrected.

I forgot to call U-Haul. I ordered six wardrobe boxes, which they charged me for, and got four. But their number takes forever to be answered. Maybe when I take a break to work on my paper, I'll call and stay on hold.

I found a litter box mat that I want, but it won't arrive until after I move. I'd rather wait until I move to order it.

I'm hooked on Public Goods' carrot soup. Kind of pricey, but oh so good and good for you.

I've got the sweater hangers.

I wanted another nap, so I popped a No Doz and started working on my extra credit problem for my programming class instead until I got more perky. Worked on my problem until I hit a wall. I made great progress though. Now to work on the kitchen.

Crap. I didn't call U-Haul. Maybe tomorrow after Italian? I texted U-Haul and they said that I need to contact their store, so I emailed their store. I hope that they get back to me quickly.

Started laundry. Worked on cleaning and packing the kitchen.

Talked to Mom. She isn't feeling well and is cranky. She said that she knows that she needs to eat more and get more sleep, "but she doesn't have time*. I think that she needs to take care of herself, but I can't force her to do that. We talked surprisingly long. She's thrilled that she'll see me (and the cats) fairly soon.

Mom wanted to know what I want for Christmas. I saw a couple of bath sets on Lush's USA site that looked interesting. But if it's shipped now, it gets there on December 20th, the day of my move. I would like it to go to the new place a day later. I also found some towels that look good. I'll talk to her tomorrow and see what she wants to do.

Well, here's an interesting wrinkle; my pet sitter is taking a class as well as work and can't come help pack. She's going to ask her nephews if they would want to help and earn some extra $$$.

Bother. The day that I wanted to bring Mom down (the Sunday after my move) turns out to be Christmas. I'll need to move it to the day before because we'll need restaurants open for the drive. So basically I do the move and rest a day and leave.

Went to transfer money between bank accounts to pay a bill when I found that the PNC site was down for maintenance. I was able to add a debit card to the account and paid it. I'm paying bills as a break from packing. Also, writing a few Christmas cards.

I need to do a few more things before I go to sleep.

I bought a sheet, pillow, and comforter set from Brooklinen, so I guess that I'm returning the Pottery Barn set. It was cheaper too and should be nice.

I couldn't fall asleep last night because I forgot to take my meds. I finally realized that and took them but it was 6 AM. Woke up at noon. Zara is currently lying on my foot.

I'm trying to figure out clothes for the Zephyr trip. The thing is that I want to dress casually on the train and at my dad's house, but be chic for San Francisco. Maybe I should check luggage on the train and on the flight back. Oh well, I have time to figure it out.

Huh. I was trying to remember a late-night diner near Union Square, and I got the name right (Pinecrest Diner). I think that I'll go there for dinner or breakfast sometime.

My new bedroom lamp is out for delivery. I need a spot for stuff that I'll hand-carry to the new place.

I'm looking on Nordstrom Rack for another cardigan and a couple of black tops for San Francisco (and maybe to wear to the Unitarian church?) Actually, I bought a long zip up Irish sweater on eBay. It'll be great for the trip.

Now I'm thinking that I would take a small weekender bag on the train with me and check luggage.

Well, that was interesting. The Amtrak Web site just had my trip from Reno to San Francisco; the app just had my trip to Chicago from Champaign. Neither had my Zephyr trip. And Hotels.com never sent me a confirmation of my San Francisco hotel. Buggy software doth abound. I think that I have it straightened out. Also, my dad never got copies of my itinerary, so I had Amtrak re-send them.

Tried to nap, but couldn't sleep. Just as well because I have a lot to get done.

Ugh. I went to return the Wayfair comforter, only to find that I'd only get $7 back if I returned it and $13 back if I kept it. So I guess that I'm keeping it. Sometimes I like an extra comforter on my bed, so I guess that will work. The Pottery Barn return should work though.

Hmm. The post office opens at 8:30 AM, so it would be tough to mail my Nordstrom's return before work. But CVS is a UPS drop-off point, so I can drop off the Pottery Barn stuff tomorrow.

The lamp arrived, and it's nice. I stuck a bedroom sticker and a fragile sticker on it, but I don't know if I'll carry it myself or have the movers do it. It's larger than I thought.

Also got my Christmas cards, and they're pretty.

Packaged up the Nordstrom and Pottery Barn returns, and they're now out in the car.

Talked to Mom. She's been getting lots of sleep and is eating well, which is good. She has the driving test to get her license back on Monday, but apparently it's just a written test and they'll look at the note from her doctor and check her vision. I hope that it goes okay.

Ordered some wardrobe boxes because the mover said that I'd save some money doing that. I'm not sure where to put all the boxes though.

Worked on a paper for my final project for my programming class. Italian is later tomorrow because my teacher had a conflict, but I still think that I'll go to bed after I do nighttime tasks.

Woke up with a headache. Read a little. Napped after breakfast. Woke up with a headache. I don't know why I'm getting headaches. Got going too late to go to the storage place. That's okay; I have other stuff to do.

I'm waiting to call the mover until I get into storage and have a better idea of how many boxes I'll have. And apparently AT&T is charging me for a whole month last month even though I switched to Google Fi in the middle of the month (paid). Bah.

Handed in my homework. I really want to lie down for a little while. I did and slept until 1 AM. Got up and did a few things. Now I'm going back to bed.

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!)

Ack! Two to three inches of snow overnight. And I haven't retrieved my snow shovel.

Hmm. I found a used dining table that I like on Craigslist in St. Louis, but I'd have to rent a U-Haul and movers, and it wouldn't be so cheap anymore. Plus I don't like the seat coverings.

Yep, it's snowing tiny flakes. But yay, the snow melted.

Silence from the movers except Two Men and a Truck. Honestly, I'm feeling like I'm shouting down a well sometimes. Well, Movers 4 Less called me while I was in the shower. I tried calling back and no answer. Okay, they called me back, and they aren't charging me enough. I know that sounds funny, but I want them to take care of my belongings. I also contacted the company affiliated with Allied Van Lines, and they're coming out to do an estimate as they should. I need to go take pictures of the storage area though.

The test was hard. It seems that the more I study, the worse I do.

The water heater people are coming out at 11 tomorrow.

I've decided to go for Mission Style on my living-room-to-be. My aunt is probably looking down on me asking, "Then why didn't you take my furniture?" She had handmade Mission Style furniture, but it had glass in it and I didn't want glass. Actually, I want a Mission style sofa and wood trunks for coffee and end tables. Here's take 2 of my living room.

It's sleeting out, so l called off my trip to the library. I do need to go to the grocery store later though. My car is coated in ice, and I'd rather deal with that in the morning. I want to get up early and scrape the car and maybe go take pictures of my storage space.

I've been tidying up with an eye to the guy doing the moving estimate on Friday.

I found a couch that I like. But the combo of the couch and the entertainment center would make my coffee tables and end tables look cheap, which they were. So I found a coffee table/end table set. And then I fell in love with a very expensive table lamp. I created a Pinterest board for the living room (although it obviously won't show the entertainment center, but it's dark wood with metal pulls) and it looks good together. I have some Japanese posters that I would hang up.

I decided to stay in my pajamas for Italian and studying, although I'll change clothes for cleaning. Hmm, I just remembered that I have to go get the mail. Maybe if I throw a coat over my pajamas, I could do it. They don't look very pajama-y.

Italian went well. I had a moment of wonder that I can meet with someone in Italy over the Internet. People who were born after the Internet was created might not appreciate what a wonder it is.

Okay, the person selling her furniture is not selling her dining table, so I need to look for one. Okay, I found a table that I like. Crud, they don't have TaskRabbit in Champaign-Urbana. That'll be inconvenient. I found someone who assembles furniture on Thumbtack. I don't want the bedroom stuff that she's selling, which is just as well because I'll be spending a lot of money on furniture. I have a black platform bed that I've never assembled and a gray dresser. I'll buy a nightstand and maybe a second dresser if one will fit. (Given that I live in jeans and hoodies, I could use a second dresser.)

My Sherpa jacket came! It's really cute, but I had a hard time buttoning it. I also bought Sherpa boots to go with it. I had a hard time getting them on too, but they were comfortable once I did. I'm not going to wear them until I get some spray to waterproof them.

I've started the "get rid of mass quantities of stuff" project. Old grow bags? Out. (I'm keeping the garden pots though.) Shoeboxes that I was saving in case I organized something? Out.

Oh shit. I just remembered that I didn't renew my car registration. Must do that now (done).

Did my practice test for my algorithms class. I have one question to ask the professor about tomorrow. A classmate graciously helped me with another problem.

Well, I didn't get up really early, but I did wash out the tub in the guest bathroom. It's a start. I want to clean the rest of the bathroom today to make progress.

I think that it's telling that I found a vet for the girls in Urbana before I found a doctor for me :) I need to look for a dentist too, but my dentist gave me a list of dentists within the same network. I think that those dentists are in Champaign and not Urbana though.

Hmm. The guy hasn't come to fix my hot water heater yet. I don't want to take a shower because I don't want to be in the shower when he gets here. Plus the shower is COLD, but I've been taking them anyway for a while. I just emailed the office a reminder about it. He came, but I had to pull stuff out of my closet because apparently the water heater is hidden there. He went to another unit and is coming back. He said that we need a plumbing expert to look at it. That leaves me with a problem because I piled stuff from the closet on my bed, and given that I haven't heard from them, they're probably coming on Monday.

I had Lobster Bisque soup for lunch. Oh, was it good. I was looking at meal plans, but I can get food that I can heat from the store cheaper.

The rental managers for the house said that the person currently living there might want to sell her furniture, so I might buy her dining table. As I recall, it was a fairly solid one.

I bought stickers with different rooms on them for packing. The ones that I bought include garage and basement, which I wanted. I think that I'll get some boxes this weekend so that I can pack while I clean.

I'm looking for a Lazy Susan spice rack because I'll have the counter space for it. I might have found one, but if anyone has any recommendations, let me know.

Skechers had a sale, so I got some navy arch support shoes. I live in the black ones that I have, and they're the most comfortable shoes.

Napped and slept through until 1AM. And now it's my birthday. I'm 60, which is really hard to believe. I mentioned it to my therapist, and she said, "But you look a lot younger," and it's really true. I have a couple of silver streaks by my face now that I grew out the color, but my hair isn't all gray. Just some fine lines around my eyes.

I'm going to go back to bed and sleep myself out. Hmm, I'm hungry, so I think that I'll make some soup first.