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Overslept but still managed to shower. I had thought about going back to sleep for a 1/2 hour, but managed to get my butt in the shower instead. Go me :)

Things are coming together nicely. My cleaner is supposed to come on Friday, but I thought that I had an offsite meeting, but that's the following week.

I put the plants that I wanted on a credit card. I didn't get the lilacs because they were a petite variety. I have to pick them up the weekend of May 2nd. Now I’m second-guessing myself on the lilacs. The fence will be six feet, and the lilacs will be four feet. Not sure how that would work.

Oliver likes sitting at the top of the stairs to the upstairs room. That way, he can see what's going on both upstairs and downstairs. My watch cat!

Hmm. I should make arrangements to board Bella and Oliver when I'll be at a conference in May. I'm leaving on Sunday, but I think that the vet is closed on Saturday. I guess that I'll have to drop them off on Friday.

Sigh. Another frost advisory.

The university is sending almost daily updates on the impact of Trump's cuts. Sigh again. These are the Days of Sighs.

My broken-and-healed toe is hurting again. Why? Another sigh.

I should call Schwab to get the ball rolling with transferring my money. Speaking of Schwab, I found some tools that they have to learn about stock trading.

Hmm. I found a travel set that I like, but they don't have petites. Should I buy it and get it altered? It would be good for the flight to Italy. I'm itching to go shopping. Come on, trust check. They also had shorts-and-top combos that I like. Talbots has a petite set that I like.

I should set a Google Flights alert on my flights to Sardinia. I want to use my United credit for my flights to San Diego for the cruise.

Damn, I really want to go on the "Orient Express" trip that the meetup people are arranging in 2026. It goes to Paris, Venice, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, and Istanbul. I'd have to cancel the Costa Rica trip though. If I do that, I should brush up on my French. I found the price information and both it and the trip to Japan are expensive. Japan: $6810 single occupancy. Airfare: $1300 - 1900. Orient Express: $7090 single occupancy. But probably worth it. The flights to Paris and from Istanbul would add around $1000.

Ugh. Lily hasn't learned that if she sticks her claws in my leg, it hurts. I need to get her claws clipped.

Started laundry. Filed my taxes. I should get the garbage out, but damn, my toes hurt. Maybe I'll wait a few minutes to let the acetaminophen kick in. I guess that I'll post. Oh, and get new computer wallpaper for the places that I want to go.

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No one is as happy as a dog with a stick. Bella rolls around on her back with the stick in her mouth. I told her that she’s a goofball with no sense of dignity whatsoever :)

Overslept and got up a little before 8 AM. There’s a freeze warning tonight. I wonder what I did with the drop cloth.

I have a meeting for which I need to be on camera, so I ran downstairs to throw on some clothes and slap on some makeup. Good thing that our meetings are virtual so no one can smell me. It was interesting putting on makeup with a cat (Oliver) on my shoulder.

Things are stacking up at work. I asked a colleague for some tips on handling multiple projects, and he had some good suggestions. I’ve got different to-do lists set up for each project.

The car being fixed (Kia) is ready. I told them that I couldn't come this afternoon (because I hadn't taken a shower), but I would come on Monday morning. I need to order The Club ASAP (done--it'll arrive on Sunday). And the security cameras as soon as I can.

i don't know why the toe that I previously broke and healed is hurting me.

I'm looking for lightweight travel pants for my trip. Someday I'll get my travel clothes totally together. My mom had a set of clothes that she just used for travel. Maybe some gauze pants and a shirt? I'm thinking of going in mid-to-late August, so it's going to be hot. I found a nice, light dress too. I like the blue and white stripes, but they have wrinkle-resistant navy and black styles that might be better for traveling. Actually, I really like this dress in denim blue.

Bella is being a little dickens tonight. First, she dug up one of the plants from my garden. Then she knocked down the box of the cats’ canned food and tried to steal the cans.

Got us all fed with a break for getting cat food cans away from Bella. (She’s no longer running around with one in her mouth, so I guess that I got them all.)

I went around the yard with my plant identifier, and there are a ton of resurrection lilies. I need to move some of them by the street because they’re where the garage is going. I might give some away too. I also need to move the daffodils and want to move the day lilies.

I have a headache, so I’m going to lie down for an hour and then shower to run errands.

Woke up a little before 1 AM. So much for my errands. I’ll go in the morning. Crud, I need to cover the plants.

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I did get some snuggle time with Zara. Yay. She’s still my girl. And it fills me with oxytocin (the “love hormone“), so it helps me too. She's still eating well and seems to be in good shape. (She's 16, so I'm keeping a close eye on her.)

Overslept this morning, so I wouldn't have time to shower before Italian. But my Internet was down. I finally figured out that I missed a payment and they suspended my account. I paid it, and it came back up at 8 AM. Technically, I could have logged into Italian, but I wasn't in decent shape to be seen, so I told my teacher that I was still working on the problem. But the Internet was up in plenty of time for work, and I had time to take a shower.

It's freaking cold out. The plants that I covered look okay, and so do the daffodils, tulips, daylilies, and chives. (I figured that they are used to a cold snap, so I didn't cover them.) I think that it's too cold to rake today, so I'll just give the recycling people what I have. I'll hire someone to rake once I get the money from the trust.

Urgh. My neck is getting really stiff.

I’m mulling over getting a wood stove for the living room. It would be very cozy. It would have to have glass doors to keep curious creatures out.

I need to spend some time cleaning up the upstairs this weekend because I want to get the carpet cleaned as soon as I get the trust money.

Got the garbage out. Took Bella for a walk. She was really happy. I need to spend more time making Bella and Zara happy. Oliver and Lily are more independent.

I forgot to soak the cat dishes, so I came up to post. Then I'll feed the critters and spend some time with Zara, practice piano, do dishes, put laundry in the dryer, and go to bed.

Here is a picture of Lily and Oliver in the window that I took yesterday:

oliver_lily.jpg

Oh, I forgot to mention that I discussed the timing of the Sardinia trip with my boss, and she said to do what works for me. She's also planning a trip to Italy, so we talked about it. I'm glad that I have a cool boss.

Cold Snap

Apr. 7th, 2025 08:16 pm
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Hmm, if I want to go to La Maddalena (an island off of Sardinia), I'd have to take an expensive one-hour cab ride to the ferry each way. But I'd really like to go there. I need to create a Sardinia document with my findings in one place.

I was outside, and Zara was sitting with her back in the window. I tapped on it, and she kept on meowing at me. So now I’m sitting with her in her room. She heard Oliver and went away and hid. So I’m keeping her door closed at night. (I was keeping it open in case she wanted to wander around.)

Overslept this morning and got up at 7. I went to the car repair place and signed the paperwork. Now I wait. The Honda is still running smoothly though.

Man, I'm tired. I'm wondering if I'll be up for raking tonight. It's a beautiful day for it though. (I dropped out of choir for this semester because I've missed a lot and I'm worn out. I'll pick it up in the fall.)

I was wondering where Oliver and Lily went, but now they're upstairs with me. They seem to have a napping spot of which I'm not aware.

Ow. The toes on my left foot are aching. Arthritis? Now the joints in my hands are hurting too. I had something like this happen several years ago. Aargh.

Ugh. It’s cold out and windy. The forecasters are predicting a freeze tonight, so I need to cover the plants. No raking today. After I eat dinner, I’ll do some dishes, take my nighttime meds, maybe watch an episode of The Big Bang Theory, and get to bed early. I have Italian tomorrow morning.

There was a discussion on Facebook about what clothes are made in the USA. I’m actually glad that I have too many clothes. Speaking of which, I went into the library room (Zara’s room) to visit with Zara, but Oliver and Lily busted in a couple of times, so Zara wouldn’t come out. I started sorting clothes and filled a bag to go to the thrift store. And I found my white jeans that I had been looking for. I’ll try to sit with Zara again before I go to sleep, when I feed her again. Practiced piano. I need to get more money from the trust before I can schedule more lessons, but I should practice anyway. There’s going to be a recital, and I want to do “Danny Boy”. I’m slowly picking up the threads of my life.

Watched an episode of The Big Bang Theory. Now I'm going to post, feed the cats, take Bella out, and go to bed. Oh, and cover my plants while I'm outside. I should let Bella in first because I could just see her grabbing the dropcloth with which to cover the plants and running with it.

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Oliver went into the poke bowl bag and fell off the kitchen table :) Now Bella is shredding the bag.

Crap. I was changing into my pajamas when Oliver tried to jump on my lap, lost his balance, scratched up my leg, and drew blood. I hissed at him and he backed off. Lily was sleeping through it all. She is a champion sleeper. I need to do laundry, but Lily is sleeping in my laundry basket, so I’ll get up a little earlier to do it.

Damn, my leg hurts. Oliver really did a number on it.

Crud. I apparently didn’t pay for my drinks package on the cruise, so I need to do that in the morning (done).

I signed up for the Yazio weight loss app.

Discovered that tickseed plants need full sun rather than shade, so I guess that I’ll plant them on the sunny side of the house.

Overslept and woke up at 8 AM. There were a lot of dog walkers out when I was out with Bella. One dog really wanted to play with Bella. The walker complemented Bella on how well behaved Bella was, and I told her that Bella is shy with other dogs. She asked how old Bella was, and I said, “a year”.

Got us all fed. I put the clothes in the dryer only a few minutes ago, so I’m going to just slap on some makeup for my lesson and shower later.

Sigh. Bella plays rough with Oliver, so he turns around and picks on Lily. She can give as good as she gets though. Mass chaos.

My singing lesson was good. She gave me a bunch of music theory homework. And we practiced some more complicated sight-reading lessons. I need to remember to pick a song from choir to work on for next time.

It’s really warm out (currently 48F). Bella likes it.

The local “Stand Up for Science “ group is looking for volunteers to organize a protest, but I’m going to be gone.

Hmm. I should donate to the local LGBTQIA group (done). I was wondering if they were going to have any protests. They also have an “aging” group that intrigues me. I also need to set up monthly donations to the ACLU because they’re filing most of the court cases against Trump’s actions (done). I’m trying to donate to the national LGBTQ Task Force, but I keep getting an error.

I need to replace my Echo Spot because it fell in Bella’s water dish and now it’s malfunctioning. Sigh.

Bella is ready for a nap. So am I. Overslept my nap. I was dreaming that I was living with my dad.

Saw the tree-obsessed neighbor while I was out with Bella. He was happy that I’ll be taking the tree down when I have the garage built. He liked Bella, but Bella didn’t like him. She was barking at him. People like dogs though.

Bella chewed off the end of my shoelace while I had the shoes on! Jesus, dog.

I’m reading the BBC. It’s scary how many votes were cast in Germany for the Nazi party. Dark times ahead.

I saw a really pretty garden with bushes and lavender. Maybe I’ll plant lavender in the area by the side of the driveway-to-be.

Got us all fed. Now Oliver was playing with my shoelaces. Sigh. He’s looking like such a grown cat though!

I’ve decided to work on packing tonight and tomorrow night. I ordered some jars for my moisturizer creams. Found some nice shorts that need to be washed. I also found a swimsuit with a wrap-around skirt. That would be good for the pool on the ship. Cleaning on the rest of the nights this week.

I’ll need to find a new housekeeper because mine is busy this coming weekend.

Oh wow. I saw some beautiful thornless roses on a Facebook ad. That would be great for the side of the garage.

I’m about to take a shower and have Bella, Oliver, and Lily in here. Yikes! Oliver just left.

Just ordered more pairs of underwear so that I can pack them and still have some to wear this coming week.

Bought a “cruise-approved” power strip and some magnets for my door. It will make it easier to find my cruise door with them!

Need to do laundry, but Lily is snoozing in the basket. I guess not.

I’m going to do some packing while my hair dries and then take Bella for a walk. Though hmm, she’ll need to go soon. She was snoozing though. Maybe I’ll post.

I bought some reef-safe sunscreen because I’ll have a full two weeks in the sun. Got my makeup organized for the cruise.

I had to take Bella out for an emergency pee and poop run, and now it’s feeding time. I’ve decided to get up early and walk Bella before we go to the vet. It would be good if she’s tired out. I’ll set up wake-up calls to make sure that I get up.

My prescriptions are ready for pickup, so I need to go on Tuesday.

I hope that Pete Buttigieg runs for president next time, but I hope that he does what is best for his family though. These are scary times to be running.

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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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Tried to get the WaterPic working but it’s not working. I’ll mess with it tomorrow. My pajamas were ice cold, so I ran the dryer until they were nice and toasty.

Woke up at 7:30 AM. The critters are restless. Step 1: took Bella out. Step 2: put the cat dishes on to soak. Step 3: fed cats. Step 4: Fed me. Step 5: fed Bella. Step 6: filled the cats’ water dish. Then Bella decided that she wanted to go out again. I gave her her purple ball toy, and it’s a hit!

Hmm. If I got the puppy, I’d need a gate for overnight in the warm bathroom. And a puppy bed. Hmm, I wonder if they’d have a gate at Costco? Speaking of Costco, it’s kind of cold to go today.

And speaking of cold, feeling it. I’m thinking of huddling under the bedroom blanket after lunch. My heater is good, but it’s not quite keeping up.

Saw an airplane. I was wondering if it was coming from the local airport. I usually take the bus to O’Hare because it’s cheaper.

Hmm. I’m wondering if I should bring out my cashmere coat, but it doesn’t have a hood, but it’s long.

Oliver is dozing off, and peace reigned throughout the land. Oops, I knocked over my soda and swore, and it woke him up.

Napped. It was nice and cozy warm. The puppy is still asleep.

I’m trying to avoid any news of the inauguration. At least now I don’t have Mom to call me to tell me what Trump did, but that’s kind of sad.

Jealousy….Bella thinks that the cats can’t settle on my lap. This time, surprisingly, it’s Oliver. He starts off nice but then bites. Snot :)

Someone knocked over one of my plants. Oliver, I’m looking at you, but it could be Bella. Oh for god’s sake. Bella munched on the pot. Luckily, I had another one.

Took a shower. Damn, that bathroom is cold. Got the WaterPik working. Ugh, it feels too cold to do anything. I’d break out the electric blanket, but with Bella’s chewing habit, probably not a good idea.

I decided to cuddle under the blanket in the bedroom. Bella approves. It’s supposed to be cold through tomorrow and then warm up to more usual temperatures. Ooh, standing on the heat vent is nice.

Zara was very happy that I’m in the library room and is being cuddly. She misses me! I need to spend more time in here.

Had a good piano lesson. Zara showed up and my teacher took a picture of her :)

Ate dinner. Ouch, my left wrist is hurting. Did I do something wacky to it playing piano?

I have a lot of work to do picking up the stuff that Bella shredded. But I think that I’ll do it in the morning.

I was thinking that Bella was jerking my chain because I’ll take her out if she goes into the bathroom and whines. But she did need to pee. I’m reversing the morning routine. Bella is fed and so am I. I’m working on the cats.

I keep calling Lily “Bella”. She could be a Bella. She’s a very pretty little cat.

Everyone’s fed. Scooped litter boxes. Soaked Zara’s box. I’m getting a headache. Figured out how the shower works in the warm bathroom. Took meds.

Oliver was licking out one of the cat food cans. It fell in Lily’s dish. Bella swooped in and grabbed the can. I just about died laughing.

Now I’ll post and go to bed.

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Lily was rubbing against my hand. She’s starting to like me :)

Um, I want to go to sleep, but the Dynamic Duo is in here. I don’t mind Lily, but Oliver isn’t restful. Actually, he slept with me and didn’t bug me. Yay.

Oh man. I got Mimi set up upstairs, although I had to scoop Oliver out of there. The gate is up. Fed the cats. Now I have some time to kill. Maybe I’ll eat breakfast (done). There’s peace and quiet now that the cats are fed.

Hmm. I’ve got to remember to add Oliver (especially him, the Kamikaze Kitty!) and Lily to my pet insurance (done).

Oliver was in the bathroom when I showered, and he was very unhappy that I was doing something with which he wasn't involved. He walked into the shower as soon as I was done.

The gate upstairs is working well, and Mimi is happy that Oliver can't come up here. She's on my lap, purring. She was screaming at him before. I never heard a cat make such a noise, and I thought that I had hurt her.

Oh, I found the long extension cord that I bought for the Christmas lights that I never put up, so I'm going to use it for the aquarium.

I'm the only person at work. Everyone else took the week off. I need to save up on vacation time though. I'm assigning support tickets to different queues for different areas of the system. It's been fairly steady. I had to help someone whose account had expired.

There was an ad for a good French course on Facebook, which I saved, but I don't have time for it right now. Just studying Italian is enough for now.

Lily thinks that whenever I go in the kitchen, I'm going to feed her.

Submitted a grocery order, including extra cat food. We should be good for this weekend's snow (currently 8 -12 inches predicted). Though actually, I should add some frozen food (done).

Mimi is asleep somewhere, but I don't know where. Now she's on the chair. She seems to be realizing that Oliver can't come in here. And she's happy.

I’m lying down for my nap, with two inquisitive cats with me. I hope that they let me sleep. Oliver jumped on the bed but did let me sleep. Good kitty.

Ugh. My knee and elbow are hurting. I don't know why.

Went downstairs to soak the cat dishes. Oliver is playing with the box with the remaining balls in it. Whatever distracts him works for me. I received the TV for my bedroom, an aquarium thing, and The Dog Encyclopedia.

Fed the cats. Zara was hanging around waiting to be fed too. Got my food. Yay.

Lily, not Oliver, was waiting outside the gate upstairs when I got off of work.

Lay down after work. Lily climbed all over me and asked for pets. Then she lay down on top of me and slept. I think that I’ve been adopted :) Oliver is snoozing with me too.

Zara came in here with Lily and Oliver in here. She growled and Lily backed off, but she seems to be calming down. I’m kind of glad that she’s trying to come into the bedroom.

I’m thinking of going to bed and getting up early to get stuff ready for the dog, but I don’t want to leave with Zara in here. I did, and she came into the kitchen!

I’m microwaving a frozen salmon meal. Lily wants it. I told her, “No way. It’s mine.” I’ll feed them before I eat. Fed the cats. I have an assembly line going in which I soak their dishes, rinse and dry them, fill them with food, and dole them out.

Hum. I’m getting a headache, probably because I’m hungry.

The weather says that there is a snow shower, but the big weather news is the storm on Sunday. I hope that Bella will go out during it.

Did dishes and watered plants. Oliver tried to “help”. I need to empty the dryer and put more clothes in (done).

Now it’s bed time. Oops, Mimi just jumped on my lap.

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I'm going to New York City next year! I got a discount hotel offer on Facebook for four nights at a good hotel. They made me call and tried to upsell me, of course, but I stuck to the original offer. I just need to book the train and flight as well as the hotel. Amtrak runs on Christmas, so I might leave on Christmas Eve.

Got up early. Go me. Cats: We want food, etc.

Forgot to mention that no one picked up the recycling. Suckage.

I’m eyeing a smart TV for the bedroom (on Facebook Marketplace). Though it's nice to have the bedroom a peaceful place. Need to think about that.

Out of the shower. I like my new eye cream. It seems to do a good job hydrating.

Did dishes and got the garbage out. It’s snowing. Hmm, I was going to return library books tonight, but maybe not with the snow. It’s a good day to stay home.

The house cleaner/organizer is here. She's working on the kitchen right now. She's great, by the way. I explained everything that was going on, including the guy coming to look at the garbage disposal, and she's working around it. She did a fantastic job organizing my kitchen! And she got a lot of my clothes put away!

At work, we "queue" up tickets in different areas. The guy who's "on call" to do that needed to be out for an appointment this morning, but I logged on early, so it all worked out!

Green Chef had a 50% off plus free salad deal, so I ordered it.

I'm trying to decide whether to get a parlor palm through easyplant. My other parlor palm dried up quickly. The easyplant comes with a self-watering planter, though I could get a cheaper plant and a self-watering planter. Yeah, I should do that.

I looked at the adoption application for a dog, and they prefer a fenced-in yard of at least four feet, and my fence is 42 inches. Bother, but I knew that it was short. They also want three personal references.

The garbage disposal guy came here and it took him about two minutes to unclog the disposal. He recommended that I get some cleaning tablets for it, so I ordered some from Lowe's for delivery (plus washer cleaner and dishwasher cleaner).

Sigh. The arthritic toe is bugging me. And I'm really tired. Just one more half-hour because I logged on early and took only 20 minutes for lunch.

The cleaner finished and the place looks great! I’m about ready to be alone though. Just ate. I need to feed the cats and take a nap. Mimi is not happy.

I made an appointment to see the fish tank tomorrow. I also contacted the person with the small TV, but haven’t heard back yet.

Napped. Zara kept me company. The cats are really tired. They didn’t get their naps today.

Huh. PetSmart is having sales on their aquariums. Their 20-gallon one is cheaper than the one that I’m looking at tomorrow, but it doesn’t include a stand.

I contacted Home Depot about a fence, and they want a document about the house that I don’t have.

Put the towels in the dryer and started a load of clothes. Watered some of the new plants.

Amazon is saying that my aquarium book should still arrive today. Um, it’s 11 PM.

Ordered some pet-friendly sidewalk salt because winter.

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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 :)

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Okay, I found a South Beach, Miami, hotel that I like, because there's no way that I'll go to Miami (for the cruise) and not see South Beach. However, the cruise is 15 days, so I’m not going to have a lot of time to take in South Beach. It turns out that I have enough time off now for the cruise, so I should be able to accumulate vacation time and tag on a couple of days. I think that I'll do a walking tour of South Beach and, if I like it, take another, longer trip there.

Yikes. Mimi slipped on the stairs upstairs and started to slide down. I broke her fall as she slid into me. I hope that was a one-off.

My boss okayed the March cruise, so I'll book it. I looks like I'll have to overnight in Chicago again (coming from San Diego) and take the bus back on Sunday. I'm really anxious to do my bookings, but patience, Adrienne. I'll book it after work.

My neck and back are bugging me. I'm looking forward to the massage tomorrow.

Delivered my gifts to the Children's Home. Yay. I parked halfway across the complex from the dropoff point, but now I know.

I found a musical notes clock that I want to get (ordered) and put...somewhere near the piano. (Speaking of pianos, the one that I really like is now being given away free, but I have a lot of work that I need to do before I could move it in here.)

I'm looking at slow cooker recipes because that's my type of cooking. Dump stuff in the slow cooker and walk away and then have food later! I want to put in another grocery order, so I need to figure out what to cook. I think that I want to try a slow cooker recipe for Steak Diane. Also, Salmon-Veggie Chowder. (That probably would be better for me.) I also have a "food prep" cookbook that I need to look at. It has meal plans for weight loss, muscle-building, etc. Excellent. And it contains instructions on how to prep the meals in one day.

I’ve got the thermal curtains for the bedroom. I’ll put them up tomorrow. There’s a local “Swap Meet” on Sunday, and I need some stuff to donate. I’ll include the current curtains. Oh, and I got a larger space heater, so I’ll get rid of the little one.

Hmm. I’m wondering if I should get a betta fish and some tetras for upstairs. They can tolerate a smaller tank (although people keep them in too small tanks, but maybe a 20 gallon one?) That would be an easy way to get into aquarium keeping. But it's too cold to get one now.

I booked the cruise. Yay. It was a little cheaper than the price on their Web site. (I had to pay in full, but I expected that.) And he got me a good cabin. Now I need to look at flights (booked). I got the Holland America app. I'm trying to book a massage, which you can do on the app, but it lost my booking. I'll try again later. I decided to book a massage but not a facial because I don't enjoy facials that much. Why spend the money? Okay, I got a massage booked and paid for and also decided to get a peel facial. My skin has been dry and rough. I booked the South Beach hotel and the O'Hare motel. I've booked everything that I can book now; I have to wait until 30 days before to book the bus. Well, I need to book Shore Excursions but I'll probably wait until tomorrow.

Holland America seems more organized than Celebrity so far.

Now I need to make and submit my grocery list. Okay, done. I'm making the Salmon-Veggie Chowder, Apple Salad, Chia Pudding, and Yogurt Parfait. It's a start.

Now I think that I'm going to bed. I have to sing at the memorial service in the afternoon.

Added: I'm looking at Shore Excursions. I'm hung up on Costa Rica. Do I want to go to a sloth sanctuary, or do I want to do a walk in the cloud forest?

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Mimi was having problems jumping on my lap, so I picked her up. Surprisingly, she didn’t mind.

I found a recipe for a mixed berry smoothie. They suggest adding 1/2 a frozen banana to it, so I need to pick up some bananas and freeze them.

Ow. My right arm was hurting when I pulled up the comforter. Don’t know what’s up with that. Getting older is the pits!

I signed up for BlueSky: adriennerad.bsky.social.

Ugh. I woke up at 7, decided that I'll take my shower at lunchtime, and went back to sleep for a little while. And overslept. So much for getting the recycling out.

Holy cow. 7.0 earthquake in Northern (way Northern) California. I hope that people are okay. The "pretty big one," the Loma Prieta Quake that I experienced, was a 6.9 or 7.0. Personally, I don't want to experience a quake again over 5.5. Funny, a person that CNN interviewed said that he got "seasick" because of the quake. I described the movement of the cruise ship as "being like an earthquake".

My dad is annoying me. I had sent him an email saying that I wanted to take a Panama Canal tour in a couple of years. He sent a response that the most important things are 1) finding a life partner and 2) getting your financial house in order. He said that travel, while satisfying, was less important than 1 and 2.

Well, I’m not certain that I want a life partner (most men remarry after a divorce, but women are more dubious), although I’d like to date, and that was the reason I was losing weight, although I’ve fallen off that wagon. Plus, I need to declutter my house, both to make it look nice for dating and also I don’t want to leave as much of a mess as Mom did.

As for finances, I have retirement money. And I’m working to get a pension from the uni. (Honestly, that’s the thing that is keeping me from retiring right now.) I’m working on getting the rest of my finances in order.

As for travel, I know that there will always be “one more place,” but when I die, if I haven’t been to a majority of the places to which I want to go, I will be pissed. Plus, I belong to a Facebook group of retired women, and they consistently say, travel while you can. I’m aware that my traveling time has a limit. And it makes sense to me to travel as much as I can while I'm still working. And I'm consciously doing the things that are important to me: travel, singing, piano, and Italian.

My therapist agreed that I need to live my life my way. She thought that my dad was out of line and doesn't know how to parent an adult child.

I’m waiting to cool down before responding.

Had my piano lesson. She commented that I had did a lot of work on my recital piece. In fact, I had played it so much before the lesson and at the lesson that I got really tired and stopped being able to play. That never has happened before. And I never have been so aware of my ability to concentrate as a limiting factor.

I'm need to go to bed early because I need to get up on time and take a shower and put on my makeup because we will be introducing ourselves to the governance board at work. I know I keep saying that but staying up late, but I need to stick to it this time. Posting is a start.

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Someone is rehoming two male cats. I'm debating asking to adopt them. Two more cats would be tough for Zara and Mimi, but they're a bonded pair, so they might entertain each other? Though I'm not really set up for them. It would be better to adopt a cat after the 1st of the year.

I woke up twice last night for some reason. I got up once and ate oatmeal to fall back asleep. Then I overslept a little but had time for my shower.

Mimi chose lap time over food! But she had to meow at me first before jumping on.

Hmm. Allerton, which is a house and gardens owned by the University about a half-hour away, is having a "Holiday GLOW" event on Saturday night. The gardens are set up with holiday lights, and there is music and food for purchase. It costs $10. It sounds like fun. They want cash though. Though if I go on the 21st, there is a holiday market and a Winter Solstice Bonfire as well. That sounds great. Though there's a Holiday Showcase this weekend with vendors. I found a photo of the Mississippi River that I like, but I’m not sure where I’d put it. But I could order it online.

It's snowing. We got a light dusting.

Suckage. The bank does currency exchange, but it has to be a minimum of $100. The credit union that I also belong to does currency exchange, but they will charge $25 and the money will be available in 2 to 3 business days.

The plus side is that I can take a nap over lunch. Couldn’t sleep.

It's cold up here (in my home office upstairs). I retrieved my small space heater and it helps somewhat. I'm trying to decide whether to get a larger space heater or put in a heat pump for upstairs. (I keep getting ads for the heat pump on Facebook. It would be better but probably expensive.) Actually, the little space heater is doing a pretty good job.

Dress rehearsal tonight for choir. I need to get a black folder for the music for the concert next week. We're supposed to wear all black as well for the concert.

I just found a perfect table for the library on Facebook Marketplace. It's dark wood with a green marble top. $15. I need to measure for it next to the wingback chair to see if it will work though. Yes, it would be perfect. I'll message the seller (done).

My dumb knee is twinging when I go up and down stairs. I need to figure out what exercises I need to do to help.

I want to get to rehearsal early because the musicians with whom we’re playing are getting there early. I did get there early. I go because I made a commitment, but I wind up enjoying the singing. We’ll have to get there at 6 PM next week before the concert, so I might need to leave work a little early. Oh, my voice teacher was right that if I sat in the same row as the rest of the altos, I could hear them better.

Here's the poster for our concert:

thumbnail_CU Dec 9 poster.jpg

Oh, and the roads and sidewalks were kind of slick from the snow turning into ice in spots. Apparently, there were a bunch of accidents earlier today. Some people on Facebook were complaining that people forget how to drive on ice and snow each year.

I need to practice piano, but I think that I’ll get up early and do it. I’m musiced out:) And I really want to get into cozy PJs and snuggle with Zara. Speaking of which, Zara wants food.

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Yep, a light dusting of snow. I pulled out my down jacket, and it's warm, but I need to get my gloves out of the car.

Started to get the recycling out, but the bins were full. I rolled them to the curb. Wanted to get the dahlias in, but I couldn't find the plant clippers, which I need to cut the plants down before I bring them in. My pet sitter moved them. Sigh.

I'm tired, and it's going to be a very busy day.

I've started of thinking of things to do in retirement. I'll wait until then to pick up guitar lessons again, and keep learning singing and piano and languages. And I'll write. And write songs. And garden. And travel (last minute cruises? I found a South American cruise that's really cheap!) And nap. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not sure when I went from "What will I do in retirement?" to "I'm looking forward to retirement". (Hmm, I should do most of my Road Scholar trips pre-retirement because they're more expensive.)

The webinar that I was hosting went well. I’m learning new skills!

Put the registration sticker on my car. Brought the dahlias down into the basement. Pulled out some leather gloves. I can’t find my wool gloves, but they are cheap to buy.

It’s snowing again. Note to self: turn off the outside water. How’d it get to be almost December? Another note to self: replace the windshield wipers on Mom’s car. And bring the cushions in from the porch chairs. I need a winter checklist.

Mimi is annoyed that I’m downstairs instead of upstairs with her on my lap.

I’m also wondering how I went from someone who was chronically late to getting places early consistently. (I’m at the doctor’s office cooling my heels.)

I want to read Cher’s book. It should be interesting.

Holy cow. The snow is blowing sideways.

I want a baguette and some olive oil.

Went to my doctor’s appointment. Nothing major of note. I liked the doctor this time (GYN doctor). It’s miserable out. (Well, there will be a time when I’ll think that’s warm—it’s around freezing—but the wind whipping the snow is miserable no matter what the temperature is.)

Had my therapy appointment. Nothing much to say about that either. I was talking about creating my own rituals for the holidays.

Zara thinks that the kitchen table is one of her perches. I give up :) This place is not so secretly run by cats.

There is going to be a holiday concert in December at the university, to which I want to go. Must buy a ticket.

My piano teacher rocks. I was setting up my mom’s laptop in the library room on top of my digital piano for my music lessons, and got mired in Windows updates, getting my Web cam set up, etc. And the lesson was an hour earlier than I thought. She said that she had a cancellation at 8:30 PM, so let her know if I got set up, which I did. Mom's laptop worked much better than the old laptop that I was using.

Another reason to keep the digital piano even if I get an acoustic one—if I move to a senior complex eventually, I can use headphones on my digital piano.

I was feeling tired after dinner and wondered if I was going to make it until the piano lesson. I started practicing and perked up a little, and perked up more during my lesson. Now I'm winding down a little. I think that I'll post and go to bed after I finish my lively conversation with Mimi.

I think that I have arthritis in both of my big toes. It's not too bad, but it reminded me to get more acetaminophen.

Tired

Nov. 2nd, 2024 12:54 am
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Mimi is on my lap meowing at a moth. I told her to go get it, but she's sitting there. Oh, she did jump off and started chasing it. If I was the moth, though, I wouldn't worry. She's not a great hunter. She did catch a fly once, but it flew near her mouth :)

I have been forgetting to take my morning meds. I checked the reminder on the phone, but it is active. Maybe I should keep my pill case upstairs.

Overslept. I’m glad that the weekend is coming. Overslept my lunchtime nap and missed a meeting. Doing terrific today :(

Mimi is on my lap, yawning in my face.

I did take a shower after work, but I’m feeling tired, so I’m not going to run errands today. I will go to Meijer later though. Actually, Kohl’s is open until 10 PM, so I might go there too.

Overslept my nap. I didn’t get up in time to go to Meijer. I hope that I get up early to run errands.

Put the watered plants away. Soaked a litter box. Mimi wants me to go upstairs and is telling me her tale of woe. I told her that’s a sad tail, er, tale.

Printed off the tickets to my shore excursions. The last one in Dominica requires some walking, but I think that my toe should be better by then? Otherwise, I'd have to cancel the excursion.

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Hammered. Overslept work a little. Overslept my lunchtime nap too. (Luckily, I said that I was taking a long lunch.) I didn't get my Halloween stuff up, so I'll do it at 5 PM.

I dreamed about the Canadian guy that I liked last night. He’s on Facebook, and I would like to contact him, but I want to wait until I lose weight. (Eating Halloween candy doesn’t help!)

The girls polished off their food this morning. Yay. And Zara is looking for more food! And Mimi wanted some dry food.

I’ve decided to go to Goodwill, Ross, and TJ Maxx on Friday night to look for another dress for the trip. Oh, and I need to mail my returns of the clothes. I might have to do that on Saturday.

Mimi was on my lap, and she gave me an accusing look when I dumped her off to pick up my headphones that had fallen on the floor. Just as well, because I have a meeting soon that I'm leading. She is sneaky too. I was concentrating on some work stuff, and she jumped on my lap, and I didn't even notice until I looked at her! I told her her new name is Sill E. Cat.

The BetterUp people said that I lost the two pre-paid sessions when I canceled, but that they would give me a credit so that I can have a session. Unfortunately, my life coach isn't available until Wednesday, so I guess that I'll work with her on my final list before going on the trip. I could also work on a plan for working on the house after I get back.

There is something that I wanted to get at Meijer, but I can't remember what it is. Also, I need to pick up cat litter tomorrow while I'm out. And some extra cat food. Oh, and I need to go to Aldi this weekend because my therapist said that they have some good Keto munchies. I need something for my hotel/ship room.

Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday that my therapist asked me what I can do to decrease stress. She mentioned chair yoga. And I think that I want to take a warm bath this weekend. I want to do a pedicure and a facial as well. I bought a really cool pair of sandals on Amazon yesterday because the ones that I have didn't fit. I want my feet to look good! I think that I'll do a manicure right before I go with clear polish only. Then I'll use colored polish on the ship.

I want to make an appointment at Urgent Care to get the ear wax cleaned out of my ears. I want an appointment for Saturday or Sunday, but they let me make an appointment for tomorrow only. I'll try again tomorrow.

Oops, just remembered to order some bug spray wipes.

Got my Halloween decorations up (such as they are). I like the window clings. I might need to buy more next year because I had to use tape on some of them. I just got my first Trick-or-Treaters just now. How exciting!

halloween_door.jpg

Oops, this flipped over!

spooky.jpg

I’ve been doing chores downstairs in order to hear Trick-or-Treaters at the door. (I really need to get a doorbell installed.) I tidied up the kitchen and watered the plants. Now I’ll start on the clothes in the laundry area after resting my back. I’m going to turn the porch light off at 9 PM and go upstairs.

Speaking of which, I was investigating breast reduction surgery because my back aches when I bend over or walk. However, it seems that my breasts aren’t large enough for insurance to pay for it, and it’s expensive without it. Losing weight would help though.

Hmm. I should do 1SE in November because of the trip. (The only time that I remember to do it is when I’m taking a trip.) Maybe I’ll take a picture of my lawn full of leaves tomorrow. I’m leaving them there to feed the lawn over the winter.

Oh! I was working on my clothes and discovered that I still had the pretty purple dresses that I bought from Ross! I’ll try them on, but they should fit. In that case, I’ll return both evening gowns from ThredUp and take the purple ones on the trip. Oh, I’m so happy! I think that I'll wear them with my blue pumps because they don't look bad and they are MUCH more comfortable than my black ones.

purple_dress1.jpg purple_dress2.jpg

I turned the porch light off. I had a sum total of two sets of Trick-or-Treaters. And lots of candy left over. I’m not surprised because there aren’t a lot of kids that live in the neighborhood. Next year, buy less candy :)

Worked for a while to make up my time.

I can return my Land's End clothes at Kohl's. I'll do that tomorrow. I'll need to go to the post office for the ThredUp returns.

Mimi is on my lap and making it hard for me to package up the returns, so I'll post first. Cats rule; humans drool :)

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I forgot to feed the cats and went upstairs to post. As soon as I came downstairs, Mimi told me off. She was right that I forgot to feed them. All is now forgiven.

Woke up on time. Fed us and napped. Something that someone said on a journal made me think there was the time change today, but no, it’s November 3rd, I think.

“Miss Don’t Wanna” was in full cry today, but I went to swimming anyway. The instructor said that my hips were twisted when I swim crawl, so we worked on that. Over and over again. I’m going to miss next week due to my trip to Michigan.

Zara had to give me the once over. Apparently, I smell funny.

Napped and I’m still yawning. Started getting stuff out of my mom’s car because I need to give someone a ride on Tuesday. The cats want food. Got everything out of the car except for the stuff in the trunk. I need daylight to look for the trunk latch. Also, I need to clean out the front seat tomorrow. Ow, just banged my sore foot.

Got the garbage and recycling out. Did dishes. Got the kitchen table cleaned off. Dumped a million catalogs. I was going to get rid of Land’s End’s catalog too, but they have waterproof pants in petite sizes. That would be good for clearing snow.

Crud. I got the box number and location for my mom’s safety deposit box, but the bank is closed on Saturdays. I wonder if the trust could go get it. I can ask. And I need to close the bank account. If I can't do so over the phone, I could come up over Thanksgiving and close the account.

I thought that I was ready to go to bed, but I forgot to soak a litter box. I'll do that before I go to sleep. Mimi is crawling all over me.

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Overslept and didn't get a chance to take a shower.

The trust said that they are sending my check overnight mail today. I'll get up earlish tomorrow to see if the check is here, and, if so, to deposit it at the bank.

The real estate agent for Mom's house sent me an invitation to a real estate listing site, which is promising, but the listing isn't up yet.

Mimi is refusing to leave my lap today, which is making work difficult. The perils of working from home....Wacky things are happening with the system at work; the system is giving a due date that is earlier than today's date with a checkout date of today.

I need to go to the grocery store tonight because I'm out of oatmeal. I think that I'll clear off the kitchen table afterward. I'm thinking about the weekend. I need to clean the house because I didn't have money for the cleaner this week. I also want to clean the upstairs. I need to wash towels and sheets. And I need to bring down the suitcase to start packing for the cruise. (I also need to pack for the Michigan trip, but it's shorter.)

Hmm. I looked into the company that manages [personal profile] susandennis's senior living center, and they have places in or near Illinois only in the Chicago and St. Louis areas. Also, none near Madison. The one in Wheaton sounds nice though.

Hmm. My back hurts when I bend over boxes sorting stuff. Someone on a Facebook group suggested a rolling stool. That might help. I wishlisted a stool on Amazon.

I brought some blankets upstairs into the guest room, and Mimi is taking them over. She has made a little nest in them. The guest room is HER room, according to her.

I decided to just get a few things at the local grocery store, and make a larger shopping trip to Walmart tomorrow. I almost forgot the oatmeal, but luckily, I was still in the parking lot when I remembered it.

I’m tired. I think that I’m going to go to bed. I have a lot to do tomorrow.

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It's looking like Florida largely dodged a bullet, though for those who did lose relatives, it still is a tragedy.

The app that the State of Illinois wants me to use wants me to log my weight. Well, my scale is broken so no dice. I ordered a new one from Amazon using my Flexible Spending Account (an account that uses pre-tax dollars for medical expenses) funds. I didn't want one from the FSA store because 1) it's expensive, and 2) that's the one that broke.

It's kind of been a zoo of a day at work. Lots of meetings.

Ran out to drop off my paperwork to join the University gym.

Got some recycling out. (I didn't get it picked up yesterday because I was asleep.)

Did some work that I meant to do last night.

Ow, my neck hurts. I'm feeling the effects of no yoga. I need to do chair yoga.

I canceled my renter's insurance from the old place. I'm going through my automatic payments and canceling a lot of them.

I want to lie down and stretch out my neck. Plus, I'm yawning (although I don't know why because I got a ton of sleep last night).

Wednesday

Oct. 10th, 2024 11:12 am
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Wednesday already. I got up with my alarm and had a shower. I stayed up too late Facebooking.

What did I do with my water bottle? I think that I'm dehydrated, but I keep leaving the bottle all over the house.

I'm wondering if I should clean out my refrigerator this weekend. It needs it badly. And get my compost bin set up. And I need to pick up the weeds that I pulled. I need to get the window a/c out of the upstairs window because it's getting cold up here, but I'm wondering how to do that with my foot issues. But Mimi likes to lie near the window, so she likes the breeze. I can put on more clothes for now.

Overslept my nap. I'm not surprised.

Uh. My doctor did an orthopedic surgery referral for my foot?!?

Me: Where are my glasses? I can’t find my glasses.

Me a minute later: Oh, they’re in my hands. Fuck.

Took a nap and slept for 13 hours, except for waking up briefly at 3 AM and checking the news about Florida.

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