days_unfolding

Now there’s a heat advisory through Thursday. Ugh. I guess that it gives me a lot of time to work on the house.

Ack! Bella was digging in the cats’ litter box and got litter on the clean floor. I need to dig out my stick vacuum to clean up the floor.

Okay, it’s 7:30 AM. Where are the tree guys? They’re here now.

I contacted some garage builders. I'll call them back tomorrow. I don't feel like talking to them today. So tired....

The guys are still working. I’m lying down during lunch.

I gave up and brought my laptop downstairs after my meeting. It's much more comfortable, but the tree guys are louder. I wonder when they'll be done because I need to take Bella out soon. I took Bella out on a leash, and the tree is gone! Amazing! The tree guys removed the unwanted trees from both sides of the house! That saved me a lot of work.

The yard looks totally different without the tree. It got me wondering if I wanted a small pool to take dips in. I found one on Wayfair that I like, but I’m not doing anything until the garage is built. I also want a crabapple tree, but the white ones are sold out, so I guess that I'll get one next year.

I think that I'm too tired to clean tonight. I can’t stop yawning. I’m going to go to bed after I eat dinner.

Someone knocked on the door trying to sell an alarm system. I don't want an alarm system. They do have better cameras, but it's not worth it. She's coming back on Saturday to give me a quote though. Sigh.

Woke up with my alarm at 6 AM. Bella was being annoying this morning. She kept on going back to where I think that she found the possums and barking. If that was the right spot, the mother had moved them. (Now I think that she saw the groundhog.) I kept trying to get her out of there and she kept on going back. I finally, finally convinced her to come in.

At least, I'm clean now.

Dropped my check for the flights and one-half the registration fee off. Now it’s nap time. Oliver was on my lap and he and Bella were squabbling, and I was trying to keep the peace. Then Oliver nipped me, and I escorted him out of the bedroom. Then I realized that I was so spaced out that I didn’t put The Club on the car, so I went out and did so. NOW it’s nap time.

Now a storm is rolling in. It's a big, nasty storm. It's making me nervous. There's a tornado warning northwest of here.

I found out when the Allerton Camp for Adults is taking place this fall (October 9 - 12). But it'll take two vacation days, and I'm using up my vacation days for the Sardinia trip, so I might not be able to do it. But now I know when I can go to Pere Marquette State Park to see the fall leaves. (Note to self: weekend of October 24th) I'll book the HipCamp soon. Hmm, I should try to make a camping meal at home before going camping. I want to do a dry run of everything.

I really want to nap tonight. I'm still having dizzy spells. I'll get the recycling out and lie down.

The tree people wanted to take the tree down tomorrow, but I said that it was a holiday for me, so I'd rather have it done on Monday.

Oh cool. Music of the Baroque is still offering concerts on demand. There are at least three concerts in which I'm interested. I had been chucking their mailings out because I thought that they had ended on demand. (They're in the Chicago area.)

Chico's sent me a coupon, and they have some great dresses, some of which have petites! I usually can't wear maxi dresses because I need petites. I found two dresses that I want: "Rio" dress and Metallic dress.

Got the recycling out. Go me. (They probably won’t pick it up tomorrow because of the holiday but just in case….)

I took Bella out on a leash. She was not happy. She did bounce back enough to pick up a stick, but she did not do her business.

Fed us all. Nap time. Couldn’t sleep. I’ll go post, feed the beasts, take Bella out, and go to bed for the night. Oh, and buy the Chico’s dresses and book the HipCamp for October. Bella is fast asleep though. I hate to disturb her. She jumped on the bed, and I’ve been snuggling with her. Very cozy. I found a petite travel outfit on Magellans that I like.

Okay, I've got the cat food dishes soaking and bought the clothes. I'll wend my way towards bed. Hey, I can sleep in tomorrow!

Ow. My teeth are sore. I took some acetaminophen, but I think that I need to go to bed soon.

Hmm. There probably are a couple of spots in the yard where the puppy could wiggle through the fence. I’ll need to take her out on a leash. Or probably a harness rather than a collar because she’ll be wiggly.

Woke up at 4:30 AM but went back to sleep for an hour.

It’s 8:00 AM, and I’ve got myself together. Now I wait for the tree guy.

The tree guy came right on time. He said that it would cost around $4000 to get the tree down (ouch, but I was expecting something like that) and they can do the work at the end of June or early July. He also will take down the saplings that are growing by the fence, which is nice. I approved their quote.

I found instructions on how to lay stepping stones in grass, and it seems doable. I have big plans for the yard. I want to put ornamental grasses in the shade garden and move the Astilbe, Coral Bells (one of which is blooming!), and ferns farther out. But that will be next year. Hmm. Lowe's is sold out of stepping stones in the color that I want. I might have to wait to place the stones until next year too.

Oh awesome. The housekeeper will come by around 8 AM on Friday to do an estimate, and she can start at 3 if we agree. I've decided that I have to use my old pet sitter because I need the time to clean. I guess that I'll have to endure a week of messages about why I suck.

Got my hair cut. One step closer to being ready to leave next week.

Crazy busy at work. I complained politely to my boss, and she said that we'll get through it. She's canceling out on the conference next week because she doesn't think that she can catch up (she was out last week) and then be out again.

My pet sitter said okay to pet sitting next week. So things are falling into place.

I'm tired. I'd nap tonight, but I have a singing lesson. I guess that I'll go to bed early and get up early (after I get the garbage out).

Bella really wants a nap. If I go near the bedroom, she comes running in.

Oh shit. The box that was sitting outside is the new laptop! Luckily, it wasn’t too hot today. I need to clear off the table so that I can set it up.

I had my singing lesson. I started in the spirit of, “Oh hell, one more thing to do,” but I enjoyed it when I got into it. My singing teacher is so nice and helpful. I want to work hard on sight reading this summer to prepare for choir in the fall. Oh, and my Web cam for piano broke, so I ordered a new one.

Okay. I need to get the garbage out (done). Did dishes (recyclables). Started the dishwasher. I’m taking a break, and then I’ll need to put a clean litter box in Zara’s room.

Oh, I have to bring in an Amazon bag that probably has my new envelopes. I want to mail my ticket request for the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra this weekend before I go.

Oh, I need to fill out the forms for boarding Oliver. Too many moving parts.

I’m going to need to go to Costco on Saturday to get more dog food. They say two-day delivery “if you order by noon,” so that won’t work. There is also a big box that probably is dry food that I didn’t order. I don’t know why I got it.

It occurred to me to look for a tour of Lithuania. After finding a bunch that covered all the Baltic States, I finally found one that covered only Lithuania. (I know the other Baltic states are lovely, but Lithuania is my heritage.) I should look for one in Poland because that's the other half of my heritage. Found one!

Lily smacked Oliver. Cranky cats.

I was feeling very sleepy but drank some water, which helped. I need to get to bed. Ordered some ear wax removal drops and a bike helmet.

According to my dad’s system, now is a good time to buy stocks. I’ll “paper trade” some tomorrow.

Good. The tree people got back to me and they can come by on Tuesday morning “to assess my situation.”

I was eyeing a Lincoln plug-in hybrid car yesterday, but need to compare prices with other ones. The price was less than I expected. I wouldn’t want to buy a car until after I get the garage built. The Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid is more expensive. The Toyota RAV4 plug-in is comparable, so it’s all about which car that I like best. Also Consumer Reports, which says to get the RAV4. It doesn't have a report for the Lincoln though. Actually, I really like the Mazda CX-90 PHEV, but it's more expensive. (Consumer Reports says no on it though.) Actually, the CX-70 is more my size. Most dealers do not carry plug-in hybrids, so how can I test drive them?

Placed a grocery order to get Munchie Bones, lots of cat food, and some food for me.

Came in with Bella after an hour. She tried to grab my donut. Bad Bella! Urgh. I brought food into Zara’s room and noticed that she needed water. I went to get her water dish and Oliver busted in. Zara hissed and hid. I went to get Oliver out, and Bella ate Zara’s food. Sigh. What a zoo. I’ve got it sorted now.

I’m leaning more towards “Freckles” for a dog companion. If she’s still available after I get back from my business trip, I’ll look into her. Unless I go for “Rita”, but I don’t know if they will adopt across state lines. She looks like a real sweetie though. I saw the most adorable puppy at the place where I adopted Bella, but I don’t want a puppy. She sure is cute though. Look at that face!

I almost forgot to feed Bella with the brouhaha about Zara’s food. I filled her dish and sat on the stairs to the upstairs. I felt cat feet on my head and knew who it was (Oliver) without looking.

Napped. When I got up, I had Bella with her paws on my chest, licking my face, and Oliver on my back shoulders. Got my groceries in. Ate lunch and read The Washington Post. Started opening packages. Found the “good” dental glue. I’m having a dizzy spell, so I’m sitting down and chilling carbonated water in the freezer. I need to clear a spot for the air conditioner, and then I’ll be done. Got the air conditioner in. (My next step will be to get someone to install the air conditioner.)

I started doing my “things that I need for my business trip” shopping.

I’m being poked with a Munchie Bone :) Finished my water.

Ugh, I don’t feel like going out. I should take my shower and fix my tooth though. I certainly have a lot of stuff to do here. Glued the tooth back in and it's setting. It came out when I took my partial out. I guess that I didn't let it set enough.

Took a shower. Bella was pulling stuff out of the garbage and strewing them on the floor. I told her that she was creating a dog mess. I need a trash can with a cover (ordered). I just remembered that I need to sign Bella up for obedience training.

It’s raining. Bella is noping out. I love my raincoat. I never use umbrellas anymore.

Do I want to subscribe to the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra? Most of their upcoming concerts sound interesting. They have a "pick 4" deal that I'm going to get. No online sales though; you need to send the order form in or call.

I can’t stop yawning. I need to make it an early night.

I'm looking for a suitcase that's more durable than mine. I'm looking at Roam suitcases but sheesh, expensive. I'll shop around. I like this suitcase. It's a soft side, but maybe soft-sided suitcases last longer?

Zara’s food dish is missing. I walked all over, but couldn’t find it. What do they do with them?

I woke up before my alarm, but I'm so sleepy this morning. The drive takes it out of me. I snuck off to lie on the futon for a few minutes.

Mimi is lying in a sunbeam :)

Allerton has a peony garden that I'd like to check out.

I'm looking at pear trees. I wonder if the birds eat pears? Or maybe an apple tree?

I’m getting head bonks from Zara. I believe that I was missed.

Shit. I can't find my car keys. I had them last night.

More crap. I owe taxes on the trust distributions for Mom's house.

Found my car keys. They were in the bunched up sleeve of my coat. And I took my spare key off of the key chain. (Yes, I know keeping the key and the spare key in the same place isn't smart.)

It's hot upstairs. I need to buy a fan (done).

I’m napping again after work. I way overslept my nap. I'm going to go back to bed and get up early to do homework.

I'm feeling a little better today. I enjoyed some of my meetings at work and talked a lot. Maybe I'm coming out of the med withdrawal symptoms, but I go to the doctor tomorrow.

Oh! One of the Aerogarden plugs has a tiny sprout! No, there's two sprouts! No, there's even more!

I've been looking at reprints of vintage travel posters for the upstairs. One said "Paris is always a good idea". I have to get that. And I was looking for a picture to go up near the ceiling where I want to put the standing desk, and found a picture of Hana, Maui, Hawaii, which is one of my favorite spots on earth. I wishlisted a new version of my map of Italy because my old one got crumpled in the move. Ooh, and I also want a Paris Metro map. And the London Underground.

Mimi has discovered the futon mattress (and now Zara too). Anyone who stays with me better not be allergic to cats because I doubt that I'll keep the futon completely free of cat fur and cat dander. One of the mattress-cleaning articles that I read suggested a Bissell Little Green Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner, and I also need to clean Mom's rugs, so I'll get one (done). I ordered the enzyme cleaner for the mattress and some file folders to finish my filing system setup.

I'm figuring out what books I want upstairs and what books downstairs in the living room and music room. Some are obvious: computer programming books upstairs, travel books and garden books in the living room, and music books in the music room.

I ordered an electric cordless Worx lawn mower that comes with two batteries. It has good reviews on Amazon. Lawn mowing soon! And it's starting to need mowing soon.

I'm setting priorities on what spend money on. I obviously had to get the lawn mower. I suppose that I could have waited to get the carpet cleaner, but I really want to get the futon mattress cleaned and folded up. I've decided that I'll wait on getting the garden put in until after my mom's house sells. Buying bookshelves is more important so that I can get the house organized. I need to stash some money from the estate sale for spending money for my Italy trip. And I need to stash money for property taxes. And I need to pay for the cruise in November. And I need to take the cats to the vet. Also, I think that I'll get two posters a month until I get all the posters that I want. Oh, and I have to get the tree in the back taken down.

Now I'm thinking that I won't go to New York City for Christmas this year because I'd like to spend Christmas in my new house. I might even put lights up! And my "Charlie Brown" tree. And staying home is cheaper :)

I submitted an enormous Walmart order, including food, cleaning fluid for the power mop and carpet cleaner, and a rake and yard waste bags. And I also ordered some really cute bins for the cube organizer to go into the guest room.

Hmm. I should get a composting bin, but probably not until after Mom's house sells.

Hmm. I want to put my white board over the work desk for to-do lists. The only thing is that in order to be able to reach it, when I get the standing desk, it'll not be available when the desk is at standing height. (I want to get one that goes up and down.) But I still want to put it up now. It might be a long while before I get the standing desk.

I dropped off my returns at the UPS store. I tried to ship the CPAP, but it was over $100 and didn’t go through. I think that I’ll have to drive it to Springfield and eat the three-hour round trip. Sigh.

I'm looking at ground cover (now that I bought a lawn mower!) and like microclover. But I doubt that I'll switch over the lawn this year. Actually they say to do it in the fall. I just bought the book Groundcover Revolution. (My Amazon return money is going into gardening books!) I also consulted with a friend from high school who is into "natural" gardening.

I have a hard time doing homework late at night. I'm waiting for my enormous Walmart order, but then I think that I'll go to bed and get up early. I need to get up early anyway because I have my doctor's appointment at 9 AM, and I want to allow enough time to get lost because I haven't been there before.

Zara says, "Food is love!"

Oooh, I saw an ad for this purple smoke tree on Facebook, and it would look cool in the back yard.