days_unfolding

I had my dental cleaning this morning. They did only one side, and the other will be in a couple of weeks. They also recommended that I get a mouth guard for sleeping. (Yeah, I'll be sexy with the mouth guard and a future CPAP :))

The garage guy is here fixing the gate that he broke. He did a good job and even put the gates on their hinges. I've more or less talked myself into getting a new chain-link fence after the garage is built. It would be a lot cheaper, and the dogs could see out. I'd like it to be powder-coated green though to add a little pizzazz. They probably could use the same posts for part of it, but I want the gap closed up. Maybe they could put an extra post in.

They're going to start the work on the garage on Monday. They say. I called the electrician for the garage because it looks like they are really going to build the garage.

I was right about not seeding the lawn this fall. They're making a mess of the back yard. I'd like to do it next year, but I'll be in Europe at the right time. Maybe I could hire someone to water the lawn while I'm gone?

I think that I want raised beds that sit on the ground because it'll look neater. But I want the dirt elevated to keep critters out of the vegetable and herb gardens. I'll have to see what I can find. I can buy a bunch of dirt from the landscaping recycling place. I'll get a wheelbarrow and fill them myself. Actually, Home Depot has raised beds with feet that aren't really expensive and look nice. I'm wondering about the grass underneath it though.

The "overnight glasses" are done and are about to be shipped. Way to go.

Got my recycling out, including breaking down boxes. Got my perishable groceries in. I’m going to sit and cool off, and then I’ll get the rest of the groceries.

Thinking about susandennis’ comment about how she’s a large woman with small boobs. I’m a large woman with large boobs (DD), so that’s why my back hurts when I bend over a lot. I thought about breast reduction, but mine aren’t large enough for insurance to pay for it (and I feel for those who are eligible for it). So I really need to get on the diet and exercise wagon again, even though I have a bad case of “don’t wanna”.

Got some of the groceries in. I'll get the rest in the morning. Now I need to feed the critters and then go to bed because I'm really tired.

I forgot to mention that I'm thinking about the new fence, which I'll get after the garage is built. I had wanted a tall picket fence, but Gracie can squeeze through very small spaces. If I got a wooden fence with the boards next to each other (a "privacy fence") then the dogs couldn't see what was going on down the street. That would cut down on the barking, but they enjoy seeing what's going on in the world. I guess that I'll sort out my concerns with the fence seller. I saw some privacy fences with windows cut into it with iron bars.

Gracie barks at the cats. I think that she wants to play with them, but they are not interested. I'm getting tired of the barking and they probably are too.

I ordered a plant-based dog chew toy. They don't like the nylon ones.

Aargh. Apparently I didn’t latch the door all the way when I took the dogs out, and Oliver was coming outside. Gracie pinned him, and I grabbed him and put him inside. Lily was in the doorway too. Get with it, Adrienne.

I took Gracie to get her stitches out. I expected to be chewed out because she wouldn't wear the cone collar, but they said that her stitches looked good and they took them out. She has been throwing up a lot, so I made an appointment for her for tomorrow.

I was playing around on Carvana, and found a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander for a great price. Hmm. I can't deal with this until I get back from Italy though.

Well, hell. I waited for a half-hour for the pharmacist, and they wouldn’t give me the COVID shot because the CDC is saying to wait for the new formulation. That was a waste of time. I returned library books, except for one that I think got scooped up when I was cleaning out the Kia. I’ll look for it.

I’m feeding the critters and wiping out. I’m going to put the full recycling bin and some boxes out to make sure that they get picked up, but I’ll get up early to work on the other bin. I fed the critters and am making myself some food. Then I'll get the bin and boxes out.

I need to get outside on Friday after work because it'll cool off. Wait, I'll need to pick up Gracie after her spay. But I could get out afterward.

Wrote myself a note that the cats went into the basement while I was gathering recycling. I need to get a litter box and water dish down there (ordered).

Well, hell. One of the new alarms won’t let me set the hour. I might have to return it. I’m using it as a backup right now. I figured out how to set it. You stop selecting the alarm button. Their instructions are not clear.

The dogs are flaked out on the bed.

Woke up on time. Maybe it was the alarm or Gracie barking at the alarm. Got the recycling out.

I’m showered and dressed and it’s still early for the tree guys. Hmm, I’m wondering if I should lie back down and talk to them later. They sent a message that I don’t need to be home, so yes. I sent a message to make sure that they get all the roots, and I’m going back to bed.

Overslept work by 45 minutes, sigh. I shut off the alarm and lay back down for "5 more minutes". Oops. The tree guys are hard at work.

Oliver was rolling around on the futon and got stuck between it and the wall with his legs in the air! Dignified, not! Now he's flaked out in the window. I don't know why he isn't boiling hot.

I've decided to get acrylic glasses for everyday use, and a set of nice glasses for company. Not that I'm inviting anyone over anytime soon. I bought eight highball glasses with a swirl in them (I got the idea to look at the picture of the glasses next to the plate and those looked best), four "old-fashioned" glasses (probably enough because I don't drink) and the acrylic glasses.

I made a stupid mistake at work. I hate making stupid mistakes. I can't help but think that this is karma because I used to be arrogant as fuck before I got sick. But the annual statistics are done and dusted!

I went down the basement stairs to the landing to see what the tree guys had done. They did a good job. I came back in and Bella made a fuss over me. I told her that she was very brave to do without me for one second :)

Bella is having a sit-down strike over kibble. She wants two cans of wet food like Gracie, who gets it because kibble gives her diarrhea. So Bella doesn’t eat it and Gracie does, which defeats the purpose of this whole enterprise. Bella could afford to lose some weight, so I’m not worried about that aspect of it. I guess that I'll give up on the kibble and give it away.

The doggos didn't let me nap well because they were play-fighting. I'd tell them to stop, and they'd come over and lick my face. Not restful. As a consequence, I'm tired.

I came downstairs because of the heat, and Bella is curled up next to me, groaning because she's tired.

I got my raspberry bushes! I'll need to get out and plant them this weekend.

I bought compression socks for the flight, and added some Grape Nuts Flakes to get overnight delivery. They'll keep.

I had a moment of vertigo sitting down. Maybe I need water.

I was looking at a dog bed on Facebook, but a large is $100. I don't want to spend $100. Someone is selling a humongous dog bed for $50. I might get it. It's not very attractive, but it's just for the stairwell. I found a cheaper dog bed on Amazon. I know that you get what you pay for, but it won't get used much.

I read an article suggesting using Acorns or Stash to squirrel away money for travel. (They save money by rounding up purchases.) I might do that.

Sigh. Bella thinks that the freshly dug and spread dirt where the stump was is for her to dig in. She was not listening to my "no".

I think that maybe I'll work on packing tonight. I have the mother lode of charging cables that I need to organize. Plus some clothes. And I need to set the lock on my suitcase. And find and fill some extra bottles of shampoo and conditioner because I'll be gone long. I'm trying to decide whether to take the solar-powered charger. It would be nice to have at the beach, but on the other hand, I don't want to flash the fact that I have a solar-powered charger at the beach. I found another one that I’ll take. Aargh. I need a paperclip to set the Roam luggage lock, so I just ordered paper clips. I guess that I'll set it tomorrow. Hmm, I need to snag a pair of shorts and a t-shirt to stick in my backpack in case something happens to my luggage, but I'll do that right before I go. Actually, I could stick it in the carry-on bag, along with my sandals. And maybe one of my swimsuits.

I tried a Vanilla Bean Skinny Mix in some water, and wow, is that delicious.

I was going to nap, but I realized that I need to feed Gracie now because she needs to fast for her spay tomorrow. I’ll just sit here for a moment.

Bella is playing scary watchdog. She’s a pushover, but she does sound fierce (and large). Gracie’s yaps, not so much.

The dogs are fed. I’m soaking the cat dishes. Oliver likes to jump on my back with his claws out, and I hissed at him. I told him that I would feed him anyway because I’m nice. I should make some food too. We’re all fed now. Nap time.

Bella stole a can of cat food. She hides under the bed with it because she knows that I’ll take it away from her, comes out and sees me, and goes back under the bed. Goof. I found out where she was getting them from and hid them in a recycling bin. I need a way to stash them in a cabinet. Must rearrange the kitchen.

Slept until 12:30 AM. I'm going to find my new vibrating alarm clock and go back to bed.

There was a young possum running across the yard, and Bella grabbed it. Apparently they die of fright when she picks them up. Bella wanted to bring it inside, but I said, “No”. And Bella didn’t get a chance to pee.

Zara was suspicious when I went in her room. I had to open the closet and pull her out, but I got her in the carrier.

I’m hungry, but I’m going to have a fasting blood test done after I drop Zara off for her dental appointment. (I had to get up early anyway….) Dropping her off took longer than I expected, given that I got there right when they opened. Got gas for the car and got my blood test done.

Tired, tired, tired.

I did find one white crabapple tree for sale, but it has to wait until the garage is built. Almost everything in the yard needs to wait until the garage is built.

It's feeling hot upstairs already, so I need to bring the laptop downstairs for the afternoon.

There are some abnormal results on my blood test and urine test. Some of it was dehydration, so I'm trying to remember to drink water (which I don't like). Hmm, I wonder if there's a way to get my Apple Watch to remind me to drink. I installed a reminder app on my phone, and it also installed it on my watch. I'm concerned about a reading that said that my platelets were small. My mother had multiple myeloma. But my platelet count was okay. The statin seems to be working; my cholesterol was within normal ranges.

Zara came through her dental procedure well, with a lot of extractions. I'll pick her up at 5:30. Picked her up with two pages of post-op instructions. She was glad to see me but got grumpy when the vet tech showed me how to give her the pain meds and ear meds. (She also has an ear infection.) The bill was almost exactly what I guessed. It was a lot but not shocking.

The plus side of getting up early is being able to feel accomplished before I even start work. But it’s 7:30 and I’m collapsing. I was going to go to the store to get hot dogs and string cheese to cut up as rewards for Bella (the training class is tomorrow night), but I just can’t. I’m going to go to bed early and get up early. The grocery store opens at 6 AM.

Got the garbage out. I still need to swap out Zara’s litter box for a clean one.

I’m resisting going upstairs to post because it’s as hot as hell today. I should bring my laptop downstairs or set up the new one. But not tonight.

The water reminder seems to be a bust. I need something that is as aggressive as my meds reminder to remind me to do it now.

I woke up at 2 AM to clean. Told the housecleaner that I was sick, and went back to sleep until 8:30 AM. I'm still having IBS issues.

I'm going to be super busy this weekend because I'll need to clean and pack. I'm going to try to get the house cleaned by Saturday night. I need to go get money for the pet sitter tonight. The forecasters are predicting rain at 5 PM. Note to self: go to the library to pick up books on Saturday. And my brow appointment is at 4:20 PM at Ulta.

I could get a pallet of white stepping stones from Home Depot, but I need to figure out how many I'd need.

Oh, I made a major screwup at work. I'm ready to retire now. Sigh. I'm feeling at the end of my rope.

I talked to the trust person in the bank. They said that all my assets outside of the trust, including the car, must be under $100,000 to avoid probate. Otherwise, all assets must be in the name of the trust. I will need to file a trustee's deed for the house. She recommended that I consult with an attorney.

I'm stymied at work because the statistics that I've been posting to the Web pages have errors. I'm glad that I don't have to fix the errors.

I keep forgetting to mention that I want a sprinkler system put in outside because I want to overseed the whole lawn in the fall, and that will be a lot of watering.

I received my blueberry bushes!

Just remembered that I need a laptop sleeve for my work computer because I'm going to try to bring it with me as well as my personal laptop. (My backpack will be heavy, but oh well.) It's too late to order from Amazon before my trip, so I placed an order with Best Buy for pickup. It's ready for pickup, but I'll go tomorrow because my appointment at Ulta is nearby.

I feel like crying, but I think that I forgot to take my meds this morning. Sigh.

It's freaking humid out. I wish that it would rain and clear the air. Oh, the forecasters say that it's raining, but it isn't raining hard.

Now it’s pouring. We ran into a neighbor. She said that someone else also lives with the neighbor whom I talked to yesterday, but I’ve never seen her. She asked when I’m getting the puppy. Bella noped out over the rain. I put the plants on the porch outside to benefit from the rain. I’m going to put them out back this weekend so that they can benefit from any rain next week.

I don’t really feel like running errands in the heavy rain, so plan B is to go to bed really early and get up early to go to the bank tomorrow before it closes.

I need to feed the cats and myself (done). I fed Bella before I took her outside.

Bella is very wet.

I was going to work on the kitchen a little until it got a little later to go to sleep, but my stomach is upset. I did find out how to add bleach to my washer for the white towels, but I want to wait until I'm nude after a shower to add bleach in case it splashes. (I don't particularly want bleach on me, but I could wash it off.) I need a measuring cup for the bleach though, so I'll order one from Walmart along with more pads for my spin mopper (done).

Now I'm going to post and go to bed.

Added: The orientation for the dog training class is next week, while I'll be out of town. I just emailed the registrar about it. I'm getting the feeling that my taking the class is jinxed. (I had to drop out of the one in the spring because my car was broken into.)

Out with Bella. My shade plants are growing like crazy. My herbs are doing well too. And a couple of the tickseed plants have tiny blossoms!

Cats: About time that you came back in and fed us. Ack! Oliver ran into Zara’s room again. I finally got him out by going into the room and waiting for him to make a tactical error. He went into the bedroom but left of his own volition. Lily is in here. That’s okay; she’ll leave me alone. Nap time!

Hmm, the shelter from where I adopted Bella has a husky who likes cats and other dogs (and humans—he’s like Velcro), but he’s BIG. I was looking for a dog that’s a comparable size to Bella. I’m weakening on getting a puppy. Would Bella get along better with a puppy? But the next transport is the Friday that I’m flying back from the conference, so that won’t work. I found a four-month-old puppy that caught my eye.

I kind of want a path with pavers and solar lamps, but that would cost $$$.

Aargh. Bella got into my cleaning rags and is ripping them apart.

Napped. Apparently Oliver was in here, but he snuggled up next to me.

Worked on the kitchen. Filled out the order form for the Symphony. However, my envelopes aren’t sticking well, so I ordered more from Amazon.

Showered. I’m trying to glue the tooth back. I can’t get the glue to work. I’ll need to call the dentist tomorrow and see if they can squeeze me in to reglue it.

I've been working on the kitchen, but have a headache, so I went upstairs to try to contact a housekeeper (I found someone who also does pet sitting and organizing! I hope that she's interested!) and post. I'm wondering if I should go to sleep early, but I should make more progress on the kitchen. Bella is not happy that I'm cleaning off the floor. I think that I'll take my nighttime meds and work while I'm waiting for them to kick in.

Hmm. Hibiscus is safe for pets. I’d love a container or two of them. But I’d have to winter it over indoors. I wonder if I could suspend a grow light from the basement ceiling? I’d like bougainvillea also. Hmm, it's mildly toxic to dogs. (I do have to worry because Bella eats plants.) On Lowe's site, I found a long grow light with a fixture to hang it from and a timer. That would work.

Now I’m thinking of a retractable awning for my patio-to-be so that I can grow plants on the patio. But I want it to be rainproof. Hmm.

I think that I cracked the dog code. Bella was refusing to come in the kitchen. I couldn’t figure it out, but then it occurred to me that it might be that the ceiling fan was on? I turned it off, and then she came in.

Got up at 7 AM with my alarm. Took an ice-cold shower, which sucked. I need to clear some stuff off of the basement stairs, and then I'll call Ameren to fix the hot-water heater. Lily, Oliver, and Bella attended my shower. Lily is a climber; she was at the top of the shelves in the laundry area of the bathroom.

It’s another gray and rainy day. I’m looking forward to my lunchtime nap.

I got a little money from my check. Placed a grocery order, including cat food and cat litter, and a Costco order for dog food.

Another thing to do in retirement: make printables in Canva and sell them on etsy.

I attended a webinar about the non-financial aspects of retirement, and the speaker gave a list of thought-provoking questions. It was very interesting. I took tons of notes. He said that people spend a lot of time thinking about money and where to live, but not the other aspects. I requested What Color Is Your Parachute in Retirement? from the library. I was able to get Purposeful Retirement for free with Kindle Unlimited, so I'll read it now.

Holy cow! I received a ton of plants for my garden. One set was the coral bells for my shade garden, but I think that the rest is tickseed? Maybe bee balm?

Tried to nap but couldn’t sleep. I think that the excitement about my garden kept me awake. I need to expand a garden bed, so I need to charge the tiller.

Got my food. Yay. I no longer have to eat Ramen and canned food. (That reminds me that I should replenish my stash though.) And the cats have food and litter. I need to get more litter when I get more money though. (All the boxes need to be changed out, and I have three jugs of litter.)

The Ameren guy came by and turned the pilot light on the water heater back on and told me how to light it myself in case it goes out again. The furnace is working.

Geesh. The rain is coming down in buckets. I don't think that I'll be able to plant my new plants today.

Hmm. There were a series of attempted vehicle thefts on campus that sound a lot like what happened to my car. They are targeting Kia and Hyundai cars.

Took Bella out, but it was pouring, so she noped out onto the porch.

Someone working on the slides for the presentation at work tomorrow told me of a change that I needed to make. I had to wait until he unlocked the file though, so I left work early with the plan that I would log on tonight. Meant to sleep for two hours but slept four.

The dog and cats were hungry and in my face. Fed us all. (I eat last so that they’re more likely to let me be.)

Found a new social group to try: the Illinois Club.

Oh crud. I forgot to buy napkins.

Okay, tweaked my slides and practiced the presentation. Wow, I'm going to be talking a lot!

I think that I'll post, take Bella out one more time, and go back to sleep.

Woke up at 8 AM. It’s starting to rain. They are predicting snow in Chicago this week, but not here. Bella is squeaking her squeaky ball. Got us all fed.

I spent a bunch of time finding my new moisturizer in my suitcase, but I finally found it. I’m ready for my voice lesson early.

Had a really great singing lesson. My teacher is awesome. Zara fell asleep while I was singing. Aww.

There was a groundhog in the neighbor’s yard. Bella was defending us against him or her :)

Had lunch. Now it’s nap time. Overslept my nap by an hour. Bella and I are both yawning. A smoke alarm is chirping, so I need to see if I have batteries for it.

Wrote the travel agent to get my Mexico cruise under my Holland America ID. Oliver and Lily are upstairs with me.

It's strange how different the household is without Mimi. I'm sorry to say that it's better because Oliver and Lily really wanted to come upstairs where I am during the day. Oliver isn't trying as hard to get out too. Lily is showing me her belly. Now she’s on my lap and purring. Oliver likes to lie in Mimi’s spot on the chair.

I need to get the quarantine aquarium set up and cycled. And I need to figure out what to do about the water in the aquarium while I’m gone. I might have to stage buckets with heated water upstairs. The pet sitter unplugged my fish tank, probably because she thought that it was bothering Mimi. That's not good.

I bought grass seed and topsoil repair and fertilizer from Lowe's for delivery tomorrow.

I have my Italian ready for Tuesday. I hate to tell my teacher that Mimi died. She loved Mimi.

Need to feed the beasties. I’m way dehydrated, so I’m swilling carbonated water. Lily is licking out the can for Bella’s food. We’re all fed now.

Hmm. I need to run a misdelivered Amazon box to my neighbors (done). Then I’m thinking of going to bed early. I don’t know why I’m so tired, but I am. Lack of sunshine today is probably part of it.

Bought some collapsible walking sticks to take on the trip. There are some walking tours, so they might help. (And yes, it's before the boycott starting at midnight, but if I think of something that I absolutely need to have for the trip, I might have to break the boycott.)

Overslept but got up in plenty of time for my shower. Oliver was walking on top of the shower, peering in and meowing :)

Yay. The vet will take Bella for boarding. Sigh of relief.

Now I'm thinking of waiting post-Trump to have solar installed. There is more likely to be tax credits.

We have a Friday "watercooler" Zoom call. Were were talking about Little Sleepies pajamas, among other things, and they have an "around the world'" one that I'd like to get for spring. But I'll wait until I get back.

The pet waste people cleaned up the yard and did a good job. Now I need to pick up after Bella until I board her. It's kind of tough at night. Maybe I'll take my phone and note where she pooped so that I can clean it up in the daylight. Oh, the joys of dog ownership: so much revolves around poop.

I think that I'm going to be too tired to pull an all-nighter to clean, so I'll go to Plan B and get up at 5 AM to clean. Music is a must! Tonight, maybe I could open some boxes and enter info for the pets' microchips and pack and other low-key stuff. Oh, and scan my music for my singing lesson.

Hmm. I should get some protein bars for my flight. I'm probably going to DoorDash when I get to Miami, but the flight is three-and-a-half hours. And I need something to eat in the morning.

It's kind of quiet and peaceful upstairs in the afternoon sun, listening to the burble of the aquarium.

My dad said to hold off on construction because if there is a recession, you should be able to get good deals. I hadn't thought of that aspect of it. He thinks that we should know if there will be a recession by the end of the summer. But I really want the fence replaced, which requires the garage to be finished so that I know where to end the fence. Hmm.

Oh! I can get Google's User Interface design course for free from the University. All I need is the time, which I don't have. Maybe a little later down the road.

I'm getting involved in new and interesting areas at work (involving with different areas of the system on which we work). That is making me happy.

I was feeling like I perked up a little but now I'm yawning.

Yeah, I need to get to bed early. My patience with the critters is fraying. (Bella ate Lily’s food. I gave Lily more food, but Oliver, who had had a full bowl of food, tried to eat it. Meanwhile, Bella was looking for a chance to eat more of the food. And I was getting cranky.) I think that I need sleep.