Tuesday - COVID402

Another work day, plenty to do and it feels like not enough time to do it.

Bex reminded me tonight that a year ago, there was an ambulance in our driveway because I thought I was allergic to weed.  What a year it's been.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Monday - COVID401

 It was definitely Monday all day.  Not much to write about today - did not get much accomplished other than what was absolutely necessary.  

One highlight was receiving the spices I ordered so we can refill the spice jars.  

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Sunday - COVID400

When I went to bed last night, my legs and the tops of my feet started cramping.  Magnesium oil helped me finally get to sleep.

I set an alarm so I wouldn't sleep the morning away and had a hard time getting up because my hands, feet, legs, and back all hurt.  I finally got up when Oliver laid on top of me and then got off and started meowing in my ear.  I started some coffee and took some Ibuprofen with my vitamins, drinking plenty of water.

Chores were slow.

After a couple cups of coffee, I tried to do some video training but was too tired, so I sat down with crocheting and promptly took a nap.  For three hours.

I went out later to pick up groceries from Jess and was able to talk with Mom and Dad on the drive home.

I was wide awake but think I can get to sleep now. 

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Saturday - COVID399

It was a very good, very long day.

I overslept, which was bad, but I recovered.  Got chores done, got dressed (!), ordered Starbucks in the car for Tamily and myself, picked up in Healdsburg, and brought it to Tamily in Cotati then helped them set up their booth for the craft fair.  

Met Jess at Park n Ride to travel with her to Mandi's new house for painting the kids' rooms.  We started with lunch, and then got busy.  I ended up washing the inside of the cupboards I could reach (no stepstool to sit on for the lower shelves) because they hadn't been cleaned by the previous owner before they vacated.

I got to talk to Mom when she called to tell me about a great drive they took today.

I was having back and leg pain after working in the kitchen, and so I took some Ibuprofen and meditated in Mandi's car for a while, enjoying listening to the sounds of their new neighborhood.  Very few cars passed, I heard faint voices, doves cooing, birds tweeting, and an occasional bark.  It's so peaceful in their new neighborhood.

The house is cute and I'm so happy for them.  

Jess and I headed back late, and I decided to pick up Amy's for dinner before heading home, but nope - line too long.  In N Out had the typical long line.  I tried Jack in the Box in SR, but too long.  I ended up at Windsor McDonald's and was pleasantly surprised to have Lorna passing me my food.

I'm pretty tired but happy.  It was a good day.  

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Thursday/Friday - COVID397 and 398

Thursday was another blur of work.  I fell asleep on the couch again and was too tired to update the blog before bed.

I did get to make a trip out to the feed store and decided to take Bella with me for the drive.  She continues to gain confidence and enjoys being near me.  When the runner put the bag of feed in the back of the car and saw Bella looking at him from the front seat, he exclaimed that he would have brought a treat for her if he'd know she was there.

Her new bed was delivered earlier this week.  I've noticed that she has been flipping her beds over and creating a type of hammock, so I thought she might like a raised bed that will be cooler on warm days.  Of course, I forgot that she is still a timid little thing and she would have nothing to do with it.  I put a blanket and her favorite toy on it, no go.  I placed treats on it (she is such a chow hound) to encourage her to get onto it, but she can reach the furthest treat by putting her front feet on the bed but does not need to climb up to get it.  Thursday I put her soft bed on top of the platform, and she promptly pulled it off.

Today I tried holding the treat to encourage her to get all four paws onto the platform.  She would not do it herself, so I picked her up and gently put her down on it, giving her a couple of treats while praising her.  She gets off as soon as she can.

Today was a very intense work day, including a long Zoom meeting as we all work through details and create plans and stay on top of some intense client work.  I ended the day with a client phone call and was happy to stop for the weekend.

Dinner just for me as Bex and Q were out, and then I caught myself starting to doze on the couch and am heading to bed instead of enjoying the warmth of the afghan I'm working on.

Tomorrow's a busy day but one I'm looking forward to.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Wednesday - COVID396

I got up with the alarm today and got an early start.

It was a busy day again but mostly productive.  I did some weed whacking during a lunch break.

Looking forward to the weekend already!

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Monday/Tuesday - COVID394/395

It was a Monday.  And there was really nothing remarkable about the day except being focused on work for hours and hours when all I need is to be able to stop that for a while.  But I don't because money is the way this frigging world works.  Or at least I think it is.  I haven't figured out another sustainable, healthy way.

So I was tired and decided to just go to bed at the end of that long day.  

Today was another work day.  The good thing is that I had a breather at the end of it.  I got the office hours in and then finished a transcription project for the time being.  I took a real lunch break today and had something to eat and went out to tend to the garden.  After my boss explained to me how to prune my lemon tree properly, and with the extra care to the soil I've been giving it to help it recover some neglectful years, it is looking great now.  There are tons of blossoms and buds on it and I am hopeful that they will stick and produce lemons.  I admire the garden plots and the new blueberry bush and am planning the seeds that I am going to plant and put into the greenhouse to fill the rest of the pots that are waiting for more good produce to begin.

I want to really try to grow luffa this year.  I've got the seeds.  Just plant 'em.

After work while there was still light in the cooling evening after the goats and chickens were tucked in, I sat down and looked at the wobbly chair on the pottery wheel.  I found the right tools, and enjoyed every moment of slowly removing each screw with a manual wrench - no socket, no electronics.  It was quiet and smelled good outside.  I got the chair off and think I can figure out how to make it work now.  Or fix up the board that was underneath it - possibly the original seat that had been wrecked a little to mount the other.  I took a look online to see what a replacement seat would cost.  Um, no.  It's crazy.

I crocheted and caught up on a couple of TV shows.  And it's late but I'm not tired and yet I know getting into bed will feel so good when I get there.

Here's hoping for a good rest of the week in these uncertain times.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Sunday - COVID393

Up a little later today but not too bad.  I had things I wanted to do before Tammy arrived and I wasn't sure how early we would be able to start.

I got some transcription done but it was slow going because the house was cold, which means cold clumsy hands.

Coffee helped.

Tam come up and we headed out to Sebastopol to pick up my blueberry bush.  It was a great drive.  After putting it in the back of my car, we stopped by Harmony to get some potting soil for it.  We drove out to a cute house that was recently listed for sale, but then turned around before we got to it.  The further we went, the more we realized that not matter how cute it is, no matter what a good price it is, it is not wildfire safe.  Neither of us could imagine living that far out on a dead-end one-way street.

We took a break to eat lunch at home then got the blueberry bush and potting soil out of the car and onto the dolly for its trip to the back yard.  We tipped over a wine barrel I've kept filled with water to keep it from falling apart, cleaned it out, put it on a rolling stand, and filled it halfway with soil.  We maneuvered the bush into place, cut away the plastic around the roots, and filled in the rest of the soil, then gave it a good watering.

It was a lot of work so we took some time to relax and visit before Tam needed to head home.  I love spending time with her.

I worked a little more and then headed out to pick up groceries from Jess and visit for a while in her beautiful back yard.

Bex cooked dinner and I dozed a little while we watched a show.  

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Saturday - COVID392

 I was up with my weekend alarm.  I had transcription to do today and wanted to finish - got halfway.

I did a little yardwork and some house projects.

Late in the day, Bex helped me get the garden beds planted.

The half barrel that is holding water is hopefully going to contain a blueberry bush I'll be picking up with Tam tomorrow.  

Pizza for dinner but it gave me a stomachache.

Other than that, we're staying safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Friday - COVID391

I was so tired last night that I walked straight past the computer and went to bed without updating the blog.

Up on time, and very intense and sometimes emotional work day.  We will all be very focused for a while as we move into a really big transition.  There's no way to get a handle on when that transition will be final, so I am focusing on what's in front of me right now and being as effective and efficient as possible while I wait for the ground to settle a little under my feet so I can figure out which way to go next.

I realized last night that I have finally conquered the mouse issue that arose when we were evacuated for a month last year.  No sounds, no sightings, no evidence left behind.

It wasn't the containers for all of my bagged food, though I know that helped and I will always use them in the future.  I love how organized my cupboards are.

It wasn't the bags of peppermint and cinnamon that I purchased from a website guaranteeing that this would take care of the problem.

It wasn't the plug-ins that I put all over the house, nor the battery-operated device that vibrated and flashed strobe lights and emitted a sound that I couldn't hear intermittently.

It wasn't the diffusers that I had going 24/7 in three different rooms.

It wasn't my diligent application every day of peppermint and cinnamon oil to bits of paper towel in every cupboard and drawer, though I did see some reduction.

It was the unopened bars of Irish Spring - which is so fragrant that the scent is still strong in the box - that I placed in cupboards.  I realized last night that after I did that, there was absolutely no more evidence of mice, and it even took care of a lingering issue I've had with tiny bugs that would show up from time to time.

Easy, not annoying, inexpensive.  

I still nab an occasional mouse outside near the water heater, but that I can handle.

I went through my yarn and crochet mess next to the couch last night and reorganized everything.  

We are staying safe and well.  I hope you are too. 

Thursday - COVID390

I slept a little later, but the sun is up earlier and earlier, beaming into my eyes either from the window or reflected in the mirror.

I got to work right away.  We have not only lots of client work to do and tight deadlines, but some changes coming that I'll know more about tomorrow.

After I lost track of time and didn't stop office work until nearly 6pm, I ate the last of my leftover chili and finished a transcription report project.  There's another one waiting but my butt is numb from too much sitting today.

I did get some weed whacking done but did not set my one-hour timer so I got up as often as I should have.

I'm looking forward to the weekend and hope tomorrow brings some clarity.  Lots to do!

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Wednesday - COVID389

Busy busy day, starting soon as I was up.  Work is picking up, which is good but challenging.

I went to the feed store this afternoon.  While sitting in traffic (I have not missed that and am disappointed seeing so many people out now) I noticed an automotive shop with a 60's era Mustang in one of the bays.  The phone number of the shop was posted, so while I sat at the light, I called to see if this was a normal part of their business.  It is.  Bex and I have some ideas for how to get Loretta running again, but this shop can handle a classic car, so it could be an option in the future.

I stopped by the vet to pick up flea meds for Bella.  While I waited in my car, I saw a woman holding a big bundle of fuzz, clearly a puppy but a BIG puppy.  It was a St. Bernard and just laid back in her arms on its back like a big furry baby.  I overheard her telling someone it is 17 weeks old and 20 pounds!

More work in the afternoon.  

I wanted to work on the garden some more but that will need to wait.  I did get a little more weed whacking done.  There are two batteries charged up and ready to go tonight, so there will be more I can do tomorrow.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Tuesday - COVID388

Another busy and focused work day.  It feels this week like there are not enough hours and not enough energy to keep up.  I know this will pass.

I'm trying to remember to set my timer to take hourly breaks.  I remembered a few times today and was able to get more weed whacking done, a little clean-up of old spots and then moving to the driveway area.

One thing that bugs me is the Americaunas are still not laying.  I've incorporated red pepper flakes as recommended for the last several days, and nothing has changed.  The coyotes aren't around - at least I don't see evidence or video - and the foxes are even rare.

I'm ready to get to bed a little earlier tonight.  I'm hoping tomorrow is a little more relaxed.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Monday - COVID387

It's been a long, busy, disjointed, somewhat discombobulating day.  I feel like I got plenty done, including finishing weed whacking around the raised beds and weeding out one of them, but nothing significant.

At about 10:30 pm, I realized I'd forgotten to put the trash cans out, so I roped Bex into a drive down to the street so I didn't have to do it alone - and then saw that my neighbor had taken care of it for me.  I typically put them out when I get the mail, but I forgot to do that even.

Time for sleep.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Easter Sunday - COVID386

I was up a little late and it was a nice and mild cool morning.  The animals had no complaints and I enjoyed walking to the barn without needing to make my way through a narrow path with high weeds on either side.

I picked some mint plants and put those together with carnations and eggs for Tammy.  I grabbed some gas on my way out of town and stopped by Tammy's to deliver plants and eggs and pick up some of her eggs.  I feed soy-free crumble to my chickens and the farm where she volunteers does not (yet?), so we trade.

It was a nice drive down to Novato, roads relatively clear and the weather perfect.  I took my time driving through downtown, remembering the original stores and restaurants that used to be there, noticing those that have been in the same place since the early 70s and before.

I got to see what Dad has done to his bike and admire the new step side on the truck, then got to visit with Mom and Dad through the window using phones.  It was really nice to see their faces and be able to talk.  Now that I have the bathroom situation handled, I plan to go down on a regular basis.  I miss our weekly dinners.

On the way back, I took back roads and ended up going through Petaluma.  I was sad to see a tent city had sprung up near the old Pomeroy plant, though glad that they had a relatively safe place to stay.  This is a symptom of uncontrolled predatory capitalism and we need to figure out a way for all of us to live better and have safety nets that prevent this type of tragedy.  Too many of us have forgotten the value in community and taking care of those who need it so they can participate too.

Mandi and the kids came up this afternoon, and I headed back out to bring some things I'd set aside for them while decluttering - some games and videos and crafts.  I was also able to give Mandi and Sis their late birthday presents and see AJ doing his best to stay as still as he can.  I quietly gave him some hard candy (with his mom's knowledge), sharing a little of what Mom and Dad had given me earlier.

It was a long day with more driving and outside time, so I'm headed to bed before 11.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Saturday - COVID385

I slept a little later and then kept Oliver in because he had a vet appointment this morning.  Of course, he appeared healthy and normal as usual - none of the funny coughing he was doing last night.  I kept the appointment to be sure there was nothing wrong.

I closed my bedroom door, as he was snoozing in there.  As soon as I got the carrier out of my closet, he got up and walked to the door.  Oops - can't leave.  He doesn't fight hard getting into the carrier, though he does not make it easy.  Soon as the door was closed, he started to complain, which he continued throughout our drive.

He's fine.  I collected his vomit from last night so the vet could see it (and I had been able to send a video of his cough the night before).  It appears that he just got some grass stuck in his throat or something that went down irritated his throat.  He's healthy.

I stopped by Home Depot for curbside of a couple things I ordered online while waiting at the vet's office, then stopped by the library, then home.  I got some weed whacking done in the back yard and worked on more transcription.

Late afternoon, I headed back to Jessi's to get a few more groceries from a mini order we made.  I got a chance to visit for a little bit.  Then back home for dinner and relax, then work again.  I was able to clear the garden area of weeds around the raised beds.  Next will be pulling weeds from the beds and preparing to plant.  I'll need to start some seeds in the greenhouse and will probably put the seedlings in there until after the 15th when the frost danger is supposed to be cleared.  I have a couple of onions that sprouted, so I'll separate those and get them in the ground.  I'll also plant the carnations in their designated planter.  

I'll be visiting Mom and Dad tomorrow for Easter, and plan to stop by Tammy's on the way back to exchange eggs (my soy-free for her soy-fed) and drop off her carnations and maybe some mint if I didn't weed whack it all this afternoon.  There is a pot with mint, though I'm not sure how much is there right now.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Friday - COVID384

At this hour I can't remember much about today.  It was a work day.

Oliver is not feeling well, so I scheduled an appointment for him to go to the vet tomorrow morning.  I'm hoping he feels better by morning.

I did get to the gate today!

I may let the goats munch in the old garden area.  I'll need to stay with them so they are safely supervised.  This is a wild area now that I am reclaiming.

I'll work on the weeds in the back next and keep up maintenance on what I've cleared already.  Everything grows back quickly and I've already had to spot cut a few areas this week.

Falafels for dinner tonight and a nice chat with my dad.  I'll see them on Easter Sunday for a window visit.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Thursday - COVID383

I was up on time with the alarm this morning, which was a good thing.  I almost did chores right away but put them off for a cup of coffee first.  I should have done chores right away.

I got an early call from the dentist's office in response to the voice mail I'd left last night about the lost filling.  They could get me in.  In a half hour.  I said I wasn't sure I could make it, and was given 45 minutes.  So I booked it to get chores done and ready to go.  I made it in 35 minutes.

The bad news is that the tooth needs a root canal and cannot be refilled.  I have no insurance left for the year and not enough CareCredit to cover it.  I was denied a requested credit limit increase.  But I'm close to being able to do it, so will work toward getting that done as soon as possible.  I don't want to put this off the way I used to.

Jess ordered groceries for us this morning and they were delivered this afternoon, so after work I headed down to pick them up from her house.  Driving through town, I slowed for a man crossing the street ahead of me.  To my delight, he rushed to his truck, kissed his dog on top of the head that was waiting for him in the back, and opened the driver's door to get in.

It was nice to see Jess for a little bit.  

It was a quiet evening and I'm going to bed a little later than planned.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.