days_unfolding

Overslept two hours. So much for dropping my Giardia sample off before work. I’ll go after work.

I want to get the "Starry Night" dresser for the guest room and keep camera and GoPro supplies in there. I need to measure for it.

The new singing teacher got back to me and we're scheduling a trial lesson. She sounds nice.

Yay. The temperatures are going to drop. It looks like a good weekend to get out in the yard.

Forgot to mention that I made an appointment next week to have the Honda looked at. I'm slowly trying to pick up the threads of my life. I need to figure out when to go up to Michigan to clean out the storage space. I was going to go in September, but if I go on the cruise, that'll make it more difficult. October? I don't want to go later than that because snow.

I just remembered to transfer my bus tickets to O'Hare to the potential NYC-Bermuda trip. That would assume that I would fly out instead of taking the train. Maybe that would be a good idea given limited time? Anyway, I can change the date again if need be.

Gracie likes to lie at the top of the stairs upstairs so that she can see both the upstairs and downstairs. My "watch" dog!

I'm trying to get some of same thrill from saving as from spending. I'm checking my retirement fund, emergency fund, and travel fund often. I should create charts to put up on my wall. Actually, I wanted to sign up for Monarch Money, so I can track them there.

I asked my dad about what to do in NYC and he said (after saying that he really disliked NYC) a Broadway play, the Met, the Statue of Library, Coney Island, etc. The only Broadway play that's currently playing that I would want to see is Hamilton, and it's sold out on the dates that I'll be there. I'll look into the Met. Oooh, the Met has an Asian Art wing. Oh! I'd like to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child! Oh, and I received the NYC guidebook.

Oh, in another exchange of emails with Dad, he recommended putting my emergency fund in a money market account, so I'll open one for it.

Took Bella to the vet for the Giardia test. The vet did a checkup on her, and the only concern is that she's a little overweight, so we discussed that. Bella's Giardia test was negative, so yay! I need to bring in a sample on Friday from Gracie to see if the meds got rid of the Giardia.

Dropped off my Giardia sample. The lab folks thought that they might have given me the wrong kit, so I might have to redo it. They’ll let me know. Now I’m cooling off and then I’ll start the Crazy Critters feeding process. Lily is telling me she’s hungry.

I feel like a ringmaster in a circus. “Gracie, get down!” “Oliver, let Lily eat her food!” Etc.

Now I’m thinking that I should make “car payments” into a savings account for a future new car. I just asked my dad what kind of an account I should use. (He said money market.)

Bella and Gracie were having a great time playing tug-of-war with a rope designed for it. I also gave Bella the plant-based “bone”. She likes it. Gracie is interested because Bella has it. Bella let Gracie have it! I told her that she doesn’t have to give it to Gracie just because Gracie wants it.

The flight that I should’ve been on is in the air. Sigh. No, it took off late, just a few minutes ago.

Got the garbage out. Gave Zara a fresh new litter box. (I bought it for the basement, but I can put an old one down there.) I've run out of gas. I want to open a money market account, Then I need to feed the gang and take the dogs out, and then I'll crash. I'll bring the recycling bin inside in the morning.

I looked for a place to hang out in Reno when I take my California Zephyr trip because the train gets in at 8:30 AM, and my dad won't be able to get there that early. I found a restaurant with great breakfasts that's an Uber drive away. It sounds like a plan. And someone online said that the best time to take the Zephyr is in mid to late September. I'd need to make a decision to take the trip early because the Zephyr fills up (although kids will be in school then, which helps). Huh. It just occurred to me that I could rent a car and drive to Gardnerville. But I still want that breakfast.

I have a ratty old cat tree that Harlee loved, but Harlee has been gone for a few years now. It's on my list of things to get rid of. Now Mimi has decided that she likes it after ignoring it for years. Cats!

I stayed up late. Ridiculously late. And now I have dark circles under my eyes.

I ordered body wash in a reusable bottle, and shampoo and conditioner bars. We'll see how I like them.

Napped for 4.5 hours. I must have needed it. Cats: "Good Mommy, you got up on time to feed us!" Mimi was telling me a tale of woe about how she's starving to death :)

I've started the Butter Chicken in the slow cooker. Set up the Blueland hand soap; you put hot water into the glass bottle and drop in a tablet.

Mom is still not doing well. She's dizzy and barely walking. She thinks that it's a side effect of the meds that she's on but her doctor blew it off. Her platelets are also low. It's kind of a bummer to talk to her but I don't want to feel that way. She wants me to order an Uber for her on Monday because her car is being fixed. No, she won't get a smart phone.

I'm feeling tired again, but I need to wait for the Butter Chicken. I printed off Italian to study. I want to get away from the computer radiating heat.

Stayed up late reading a book about a young woman who finished high school while homeless and got into Harvard. In the book, she talked about how her biggest challenge was herself. I think that's true of most of us.

Not much to report. Woke up slightly before my alarm went off. Work is winding down for the holiday weekend. Looking forward to being off.

The wind is confusing the motion sensor on the outside light. I need to remember to shut it off before I go to bed. (Usually I just leave it on.)

I have the urge to jump on another Amtrak train, but not right now. It would be nice to take a long train trip.

Added: I saw an ad on Facebook for a salad cutter bowl, which I thought would be good to have given that I'm eating more veggies. I looked on Amazon, however, and found the exact same bowl for $6 cheaper. It pays to shop around!

Little Lincoln had a bit of excitement this morning. Apparently someone got on an Amtrak train at Springfield (next stop southwest) with a "suspicious package". They evacuated the passengers in Lincoln, moved the train out of town, evacuated some buildings and closed a road near the train, and checked out the package. I'm glad that they took it seriously.

Ran most of my errands, except the dentist's office wasn't open. I need an itemized receipt from them for my flexible spending account. Also need to make an appointment to get more work done. Note to self: get up early on Monday and stop by before work.

I also need to scan my driver's license for my tax refund, but I can do that on Sunday when I work.

Now I'm home. I'm doing laundry and eating dinner. The first thing that I want to do when I'm done is set up my cable modem and router so that I stop running up my data bill on my phone.

I have a box in the kitchen over which I threw a blanket. I didn't think of it as a cat bed, but Zara thinks that it is. I want to get the futon cleared off so that she can sleep there if she wants.