Preparing for tomorrow

Tomorrow it's supposed to have snowfall at the morning commute, be frigid tomorrow night, and oh, yes, it's the first night of Chanukah. So tonight has been all about preparing for all that. I already had most of a tank of gas, but the first thing I did upon returning home was to make a grocery list of things YKWIA needed for cooking, things I needed for the latkes, and general things we needed. I then proceeded to go to the Tates Creek Kroger, got almost everything I needed (although I had to get them to stock the half and half from the back and wandered a bit until I found applesauce in the fruit snack aisle). The one thing I needed to go to Fresh Market for was a Belgian endive. On entering the Landsdowne Shoppes, I had an old man who was in the right-turn lane who suddenly he decided to go into the left-turn lane (my lane) while I was occupying it. I laid on the horn, something that has taken me years to really do--I usually tap it ineffectively, and had the satisfaction of not only having him return to his lane, but he startled and I suspect I nearly scared him half to death, which is fine, given how inattentively he was driving. It is so easy to startle Southerners, who cannot fathom why anyone would be rude enough to honk their horn at the person trying to hit them. We as a lot tend to be overly polite, never stick up for ourselves, and do everything in a roundabout way so as to not offend or confront. YKWIA was raised in an aristocratic Southern family, but his Yankee roots are also quite evident. He does very well in places like New York, which would eat me alive. Southerners frustrate him, however.

Anyway, I got the endive, returned, put everything away, and then we ate leeks au gratin, which was wonderful, with a little bread, too. I cleaned up while he made a phone call to a friend, and I proceeded to go through one of my nightstands and consolidate some medications and fill up my pill reminder box since I brought my medicine with me today but didn't take it because I didn't have it pre-sorted. The bag it was in was at least useful; I gave that to a family who needed something to prevent the glitter glue from a cast (hey, we are a children's medical centre) from getting all over a car seat.

The plan tomorrow is to make classic potato latkes with applesauce and sour cream, latkes made from strained cottage cheese (sweet latkes that are very yummy with the applesauce, as I prefer the sour cream with the potato ones) and some zucchini latkes with tzatziki. I've made all three recipes before, but not in the same year, I don't think. I've been making latkes for Chanukah for YKWIA for years as a treat. This year I gave him a nice linen napkin set because his old napkins were in sad shape. He gave me a lovely hooded periwinkle scarf that is fleece and very warm, which will come in handy tomorrow. I did discover that I cannot back into our driveway to save my life. I thought it would be better to be heading out towards the street if we got any real snow, as I have front-wheel drive, but I ran into a branch that was over to the side and I'm sitting mostly in our side yard, but I'm definitely off the driveway with the back of the car a little crooked, on the grass. I think it's a shame that my car, a 2001 Taurus, is just too old to have been outfitted with a backup camera. That is one thing I miss about that Hyundai Veloster I rented. Well, that and Bluetooth. :)

Okay, I'm at a strange angle on my bed, typing, and my neck is starting to hurt. I'm going to sign off and head on to bed. I must get up a little early just in case I need to scrape the windwhield or otherwise deal with precipitation. Hope you're having a good week so far. Good night.

It is very hot out there, and I am cranky

So I went and did my errands. My blood sugar is normal, and I've been running kind of high all week, so maybe my body thinks it's low. I ate a little snack to help if that's the case. Then there was sticker shock. I remember on my way to the co-op thinking, they've got this stuff in with supplements, protein powders, and whey (the lady I called the other day let me know where it was), so it's going to be expensive, maybe as high as $14. And lo, a 16 oz jar was $14.95 before tax. I so should be on the Price is Right--I had A's order at Kroger down to a few cents last night, too. That was the smallest one in granules, the smaller ones were in capsules, and I did check the baking and bulk goods, too. Alas, it was pretty pricey. Despite being an owner at the co-op, I don't go very often, mainly because of the prices. I just don't have the money to shop there much. I usually go when I need a specialty item, like this. The good news is the dough conditioner takes 3/4 cup of lecithin at a time, and then you mix it with small amounts of other things and put it in a jar, but then you only use 1/2 teaspoon of dough conditioner per loaf, so it should last for awhile. The person who created it said each batch she makes lasts about 84 loaves. Also, lecithin is made from soy, and this is non-GMO, at least.

I stopped by Sav-a-Lot, which I rarely have gone into, because it's near the co-op, to see if they had Diet Sunkist, but no. So I drove over to the Chinoe Kroger (where I've applied for a job) and got some, 3 for $5, which isn't as nice as the $1 a two-litre last week, but still, not bad. So now I have a little caffeine in me, and I've eaten a bit, and I feel better. I was kind of lagging there towards the end. That leaves me with about $26 after my bills, so it'll be a rough week or two, although not as bad as the last two, as I have some food, and I have some dishes that I'll have leftovers from to take to work. And maybe, just maybe, I'll have a second job by then, and that will help.

I have about an hour before I have to leave to pick up A, so while it took awhile, at least I got back with a little time to spare, although not enough that I feel comfortable baking the bread just yet. Besides, I have to work on the kitchen first. Not only are the non-refrigerated things still in bags, what is in the fridge, like fruit and dairy, needs to be rearranged, because I just stuffed it in there the other morning. Fortunately there isn't anything really to throw out, except a plastic lemon and lime (the ones with the juice in it), because I looked at the expiration date and it turned out to be from about the time I moved into this apartment, so about 12 years old. Yeah. I need to pay more attention to the condiments, I guess. Glad I bought a real lemon and lime the other day.

I think I'd better go set an alarm to know when to leave, so I don't get into things and forget him, or run late. :)

I am feeling sad and a little frustrated

I just got home around 11 pm from running errands and helping out a couple of friends, only to find a rejection letter in my mailbox for the library assistant position I applied for. Considering the position closed only last Friday and I've already gotten the letter in less than a week, I suspect they already had an internal candidate 'who met the needs of the position' better. And yes, I'm a degreed librarian, so I wasn't sure they would even consider me for the position, even as a part-time second job. But that's why I both e-mailed and left a voicemail for the director, to ask her questions regarding the hours and whether they'd consider someone with a master's in library science, because I didn't want to waste their time or mine, and all I got back was silence, until this very short, concise rejection letter.

I'm beginning to wonder if this time next year, after the hospital becomes an ambulatory care centre, and the library is phased out, if I'll even be able to call myself a librarian, or at least be working in a library. I'm getting pretty darn discouraged, as I apply for job after job without any sort of success. I have had my degree for 23 years, have had my position for 19--I have experience, but not enough supervisory experience, or it's not in the academic or public sector, so it isn't considered. And in those few cases where a medical library position opens up, I suspect they've been snapped up by younger and more recent grads, because the perception is somehow that they're more pliable and dynamic, even though I'm devoted to lifelong learning and have very good tech skills with emerging technologies. I might have better luck if I were to move away from our library school, but beyond liking the town I live in, there's the fact that my family and support system are here, and I include my friends in that, and they rely on me in many ways. And for all the talk of the greying of the profession and how so many Baby Boomers will retire soon, well, it doesn't seem to be helping me. I've never actually worked full-time in a library setting, beyoung internships, and only went full-time (with two different jobs) in my current position six years ago, when I was 43, so I've been underemployed for years, and searching for positions most of that time. As much as I love being a librarian, and the fact that it is something I am very good at, I am beginning to wonder if I should have taken this path, as I've struggled my entire career for stability, often working second or even third jobs, all the while having enough student loans to buy a house with. It's just so frustrating.

It's been a long day in general. I slept very badly last night, and was up for two hours in the middle of the night, and when I did sleep it was with weird dreams of being able to shape and manipulate any sort of rock, gem, sand, concrete, brick, etc.--but not dirt, due to the biomass. I was up by 5:30 or 6 am, and by 6:30 I was at the Kroger gas station getting $25 in gas, followed by an hour-and-a-half trip through the mega Kroger I live near, following a prepared list. The store's so big, and I had to ask several employees for things that weren't stocked yet, or other questions, so I got tired and quit at 8 am so I could run home, drop the things off, and head to work. I finished up a few things tonight at the Chinoe Kroger (which I prefer to go to, as it's easy to get in and out) tonight, after leaving YKWIA's house. I've also paid several bills and done a lot of running around with my friends, taking them on errands, too. I also worked on YKWIA's back, which was bothering him, and we watched and episode of 'Cybil' from years ago.

So now I'm home, I've eaten some bean burritos with cheese, and I'm very, very tired, but the type where you don't readily fall asleep. And yes, I feel bad about the rejection letter. I'm trying not to take it personally, of course, that would be a bit psycho, but at this point I'm wondering if I'm on some sort of list shared by librarians for something I'm not even aware of that prevents me from being hired. I keep trying to have faith that the right position is just waiting and will come along in time to save the day--but it's hard to keep that up for very long. I have 10 months left in my job. I'm starting to feel like maybe it's time to start panicking, and I'm especially afraid of losing my health insurance, especially with our new governor mucking with things like Medicaid and the Affordable Health Care Act provisions. I may have to use COBRA, which is very expensive, and I don't know if I'll be able to. And that's with 6 months of unemployment and (presumably) a severance package. Yeah, the panic's starting to set in.

I guess I should get ready for bed and try to get some sleep. Thank you for reading and 'listening'. I don't want to sound negative, but it's just been a rough day, and I feel better having written a little about it.

Well, I got paid

I resisted the urge to go out at midnight and get gas and groceries. One, that's not the wisest time to be out, especially if you're a woman, alone. Two, I have 30 cents off a gallon at Kroger and their fuel centre closes at 11 pm anyway, and I'd like to use those points when I fill up. So I'll get the gas tomorrow morning. What I did instead was go meticulously through each bill and payment I need to make to see how much I can spend on groceries, and which bills can be paid and which cannot until next time. I then pared my grocery list down to include a few staples, the breadmaking ingredients, and three main recipes to try. It'll come to about $125 (keep in mind the cupboards are pretty much empty), leaving me some for next week for gas and groceries, but not much, so I think the second week will be experiment-free in the food arena. Unfortunately next time includes my rent, car insurance, and cell phone bills, so I'll have about $85 for two weeks for food. But as long as I can make bread, and I have peanut butter, I guess I'll do okay. What was so bad this time is that I ran out of flour, and so this time I'm getting two bags (one white, one wheat), and I'll mix it up a bit as to which loaf I bake at a time, as each bag lasts about a week.

I checked and the fuel centre (which is 1/2 mile away, so here's hoping I can get to it) opens at 6 am, so maybe I can do an early morning run to the grocery before work, as I'm taking a friend to the credit union and to the cable company tomorrow after work so he and I can both pay our bills. (In my case, the Internet, only). So I really need to go to bed, as it's almost 2 am (but I was asleep earlier). But my ledger is updated, I'm also keeping a tally on my phone, and everything's balanced and planned out, so barring any terrible emergency stuff coming up, I know what I can spend. Here's hoping no emergencies arise. Good night.

Waiting to eat dinner

I take a medicine that requires me to wait fifteen to forty-five minutes before eating breakfast and dinner. The nice thing is that I was able to get groceries today and some essentials like deodorant and shampoo, which were running out. There wasn't much left in the pantry, except some popcorn and a big can of pasta sauce. :) I got some fruit and salad makings, too, so that should be good. I ate a very intensive vegetable-laden meal today after almost two weeks of peanut butter and bread, and my system totally balked. But hopefully it will do alright from now on. I was able to get some yeast and vital wheat gluten (the latter is for making whole wheat bread fluffier), salt, sugar, honey, oats--all the things I've been making bread from. I'm going to continue that as a way to save money. While I did eat at the work cafeteria today, I'm going to start doing that less and bring my lunches. I don't have much leeway with my bills, and I will still be behind, but I decided food and gas could not be skipped, and just tried to save wherever possible. I did get 50 cents off a gallon of gas at Kroger, so even though I was on my gas light again, it took $31 to fill the car. Yay!

Oops, I did mean to stop by the pharmacy and see if they had any left-handed braces I could wear at night. I have a right-handed one, and I used it last night, and it felt much better than the left upon waking. I woke up in the middle of the night with my left hand clenched in a fist; that can't be helping. I may go out again later, or try tomorrow. At least that's something I can get with my flexible spending card, I think.

Today was a catch-up day at work, since I was off yesterday, but I got all of Tuesday's and Wednesday's charges in and really worked my referral queue. Tomorrow I'll work on catching up on some other things. I also need to place a book order for the library before the end of the month and also one for our early literacy project. So perhaps that can be done tomorrow.

It's very pleasant outside today, sunny and cooler. After I eat I need to pay some bills and do some things around here, including taking the trash out that I just made from cleaning out the refrigerator to put new stuff in. I had to look up whether to put an uncut watermelon into the fridge or not (they keep better outside, so long as it's fairly cool). I found one that wasn't huge for a reasonable price. I must say my excursion to the Chinoe Kroger was very nice. They've been remodeling, and I think they're mostly finished--the carts were inside and they had real doors again. :) I love it because it's smaller than the one I live near, and go out of my way to stop by when I need anything.

Okay, I'm going to eat now and look at the news, something I've avoided doing all day.

I just crashed for three hours in the middle on the afternoon

and I feel a lot better. I've been busy of late, and while I have been getting rest (as opposed to last week), I guess I needed it. I hadn't had any caffeine all day, and that probably had something to do with it. But I'm good now. Here's what's been happening with my life:

Wednesdsday
1. We had our last class. It was great. I've learned so much teaching it, both from the material and from the participants. Part of the class is sharing our own experiences, and these are the real experts in dealing with things first hand.
2. We celebrated with a potluck of yummy, mostly vegetarian food (even the green beans and potatoes had no meat in them. The fried chicken and baked beans were the only things.)
3. We (the co=teachers) each got a card signed by the class, which was very sweet. Later, I read through everything on mine, and they were very nice. I have it posted on my bulletin board, along with the one my co-teacher gave me. I even kept the envelope because it was nicely decorated.
4. The other teacher and I also received two gifts: a DVD called Courageous that one of the students thought would be good for us to see, and a lovely fairy garden basket, each with symbols meant for us individually, each with plants and then tiny resin items, along with shells and driftwood set in an old dish. Mine had a lounge chair and umbrella with a pool. I've included a picture here. It's on my office desk, and I have to admit, when I went into the office on Friday (I brought it in on Thursday) and found it sitting there, it was a nice greeting. She learned to make them in a class at her local library. She also gave us little oral syringes to water the plants with. She had wrapped the DVD in butterfly paper with butterfly cutouts on the ribbon, and of course I love butterflies. She was happy to find out my middle name ('Eilir') means butterfly in Welsh.
5. After class I took went to my friends' house and made dinner for YKWIA We sat and watched an episode of 'Lost Girl', which I've been enjoying. But I got home at 12:30 am, and so Thursday morning I was still a bit tired.

Thursday
1. A busy day at work, with article requests and other things on the agenda meaning I worked very steadily through my library and data entry duties. I got several things that needed to be completed by Friday done, and felt like I'd been pretty productive.
2. I went to the library and gave in one book that was a bit late and paid the fine (yes, sometimes even librarians tend to keep the books too long, especially librarians, actually). I picked up an interlibrary loan and a hold, and some other books as well. I have a few I'd like to get from Central Library, and meant to go there today (Saturday), but didn't manage to, mainly because I left my friends' house, came home, and crashed.
3. I went to Target and got The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, which I have not yet seen (I never made it to the theatre on this one), on DVD with the gift card my co-teacher gave me in appreciation for teaching with her. spent the balance on groceries such as bread, macaroni and cheese, and spreadable fruit. Oh, and Oreos to throw a little fun into the mix. (She also gave me a Post-It notepad, seen in the picture, which is very useful, as the notes are much bigger than a traditional sticky note).
4. I 'napped'. Fortunately, I got bread at the store, because I didn't manage to stay awake long enough to bake it. I slept till almost 1 am (falling asleep around 8 or 9), tried to get up super-early on Friday, and wound up sleeping to 7 am. I think I was still working on a deficit from Wednesday night.

Friday
1. Another steady day at work. Since I'd slept so long and it was my early day, I forewent a shower (I wasn't particularly dirty), and washed up in the sink a little. My hair is the only problem when I (rarely) do this, because it is already fine and thin, and it just looks oily and flat if I don't wash it every day. So I was a little self-conscious there.
2. I got into my closet and went through a lot of books and filled up the children's books in the clinic that go with our early literacy project. I was very hot and sweaty by the time I was finished.
3. I stayed a little late at work, skipping my allergy shot, which I probably shouldn't have done, but I just felt like making up some time, and then I went over to my friends' house. I watched some more of 'Lost Girl' and visited.
4. I came home a little early, took a welcome shower, made some bread, watched an episode of 'Lost Girl' that we cannot watch together (it has spiders), and went on the bed.

Today
1. I got a call right after waking up that YKWIA needed something from the store (although it was not an emergency, it's just nothing goes much further without coffee, and there was no creamer), so I got ready, got over there, and then went and got it. I explained to him the plot points of the 'Lost Girl' I'd watched.
2. I took A to the store for the weekly grocery run. He gave me some money for gas, which was great, as my gas light came one today.
3. I watched 'Lost Girl' with YKWIA.
4. I couldn't seem to stay awake. I excused myself, stopped and got gas, came home, ate a piece of my bread, and went to sleep for three hours.
5. I got up and went online to do something for my friends.
6. Now I'd like to watch Mockingjay, but first I'm going to make something else to eat (macaroni and cheese) and start some bread going. A reminded me today that I had promised to make them some bread and also bring over some pasta and sauce I've had in the pantry for a nice meal. Whereas YKWIA rarely forgets anything, A rarely forgets anything related to food. :)

Hope your weekend is going well.

I really need to stop eating at the computer

I just vacuumed out the keyboard with a little device I probably bought twenty years ago, then took alcohol swabs and cleaned the ergonomic keyboard I have at home thoroughly, and also the mouse. I got a lot of crumbs out of the keys, some schmutz, and generally got to see how icky the stuff that came off on the swabs was. It was getting to the point where my keys were sticking and kind of gross to try to type on. Now the keyboard is much happier. It's kind of weird because in addition to being curved for an ergonomic fit, it has buttons for things like the calculator, back, forward, to bring up the Internet or mail programs, or even zoom in. I don't use those special buttons much, but they are useful.

So what I wound up doing tonight was getting some rest (I didn't really nap, I just got off my feet and spent a little time under the fan relaxing). Then I went to Kroger and got some very healthy things like veggies, fruit, orange juice, cheese, and Morningstar Farms products. Most everything was on sale, so I scooted in at a fairly low price (not the $29 mentioned in the earlier article, but still, less than I normally spend). I'm trying to save as much as I can for bills.

I dropped some creamer off at my friends' house (half-and-half is a staple there), then came on home and put all the groceries away. A wants me to do some political research, and I couldn't stand the thought of typing on the dirty keyboard much longer, so I went ahead and cleaned it. Part of the problem is it's too high to go under my desk on the drawer, so it's always exposed to anything that I'm doing. But on further examination I've found that the front piece that makes it so high actually comes off, and so when the that's removed and the legs are put down, the whole thing does, in fact, slide under the drawer. Eureka! I think it's more comfortable for it not to be elevated as well. Thank you Microsoft for allowing it to be customised. And I still have the wrist rest and all the special buttons. Silly that I never really looked at the bottom (I only did because I noticed a tag saying there was a health warning under there) to see that the front piece had tabs and slid off. Instead I've been, if I wanted to slide the drawer in, propping the keyboard vertically on the floor against the computer tower/print stand.

I got some Vitamin D while I was at the store. I'm supposed to take 2000 IUs as directed by my doctor, since I'm deficient in Vitamin D (apparently many people are, as I know several people who have been on it or told to take it). So I got some of that because I'd been out for awhile, and went to put the tablets into my pill bottle with the rest of them, and they're not tablets, but tiny capsules, akin to Vitamin E, but smaller. This is going to be fun to juggle in the morning. On the other hand, they go down much easier, I'm sure. That makes a total of seven injections of three different medicines, thirteen pills (eleven medicines), an inhaler, allergy eye drops, a chewable multi-vitamin, and a nasal spray that I"m taking, although the inhaler is as needed. In the summer months I add another couple of pills since my ankles swell in hot weather. Oh, and an Epi-Pen when I start my allergy shots in a week or so. Plus diabetic supplies such as glucose meter, test strips, lancets, pen needles, etc. Thank God for health insurance (which covers everything but the vitamins), and also cell phone applications that will tell you when to take all this stuff. This is one reason I'm so concerned about the loss of my job when the hospital downsizes to an ambulatory medical centre in two years, and also why, if I don't find a decent job by then with benefits, I am happy that Obamacare is an option, because in the old days they would have just denied me health insurance due to my pre-existing conditions.

Okay, I suppose I should go do that research A wants me to do. He wants to know more about the candidates running for Kentucky offices before the primary in May. I should educate myself, too, so we'll just kill two birds with one stone there.

I had a really great time today

dressed up for our trick-or-treating at work. The kids were absolutely cute, everything from dinosaurs to Disney princesses, to Thomas the Tank Engine. One of our departments went as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with disposable turkey roasters on their backs painted green with the appropriate initial, etc. Another did a farmer and his animals. There were super-heroes and super-heroines in abundance. And one lady had a great shirt that said, 'If the broom fits, ride it.' Few of my co-workers really knew anything about the subject of my costume, but I got many compliments, including people who thought I'd do well as a redhead. I realised the wig could be used for Ariel or maybe even Merida from Disney, although the latter has very curly hair. The wig worked pretty well, although like all wigs it was a little itchy and hot. Here is what I looked like:



I got caught up on other things at work that had taken a back burner to the scheduling training. I'm going to go back up there tomorrow for a couple of hours and spend some time up there next week, as well. Since work, I have:

1. Hunted down the ingredients necessary for pumpkin gingersnap caramel cheesecake for the dessert contest tomorrow, as well as a fruit bowl for the birthday baby shower we're having.
2. Brought home a small pumpkin to carve for the contest tomorrow.
3. Gotten all the groceries in, although of course the one bag I dropped had eggs in it. Only one broke, though, and I was able to salvage it for cheesecake.
4. Put the cold groceries away.
5. Taken the itchy, hot wig off.
6. Returned my hair to something resembling it's normal appearance, so it isn't sticking up in all directions.
7. Gotten into shorts and a tank top.
8. Taken my dentures and contacts out, and set them both to soaking in cleansers of the appropriate type.
9. Scrubbed all the makeup off my face.
10. Put all the makeup I had strewn around the bathroom back where it belongs.
11. Eaten some Kroger Tuscany bean salad, cheese, and crusty bread.
12. Sat down and gone, 'whew!'

So now it's 7 pm. I need a little decompression time before beginning to carve and bake. I must remember that 'The Big Bang Theory' is on tonight, back in its regular slot. But in the meantime, I'm going to chill for a bit. If I start things about 8:30 it should work out.

You know its been raining for awhile

When you're taking your groceries to the car and you suddenly realise you're getting wet, and then realise that you hadn't noticed before because after all it's been raining for days and days and you've just become used to it. Is this how people in Britain and the Pacific Northwest are? We don't normally get rain day in and day out for a week or two.

I got my hair trimmed, and it looks nice. I know there is no such thing as 'good' karma really, but it was nice that I let a woman and her little boy cross in front of me and the perfect parking spot opened up seemingly as a reward. Dee Dee did a great job with my hair. Then I went to the grocery and bought some (mostly) healthy food, like hummous, fruit (they had strawberries on sale for $2.99 for 2 lbs), yoghurt, cottage cheese, milk to go with my cereal, eggs, etc. I did get my chocolate-dipped coconut fruit bars, though. I cleaned out the refrigerator and put the new stuff in as well.

I have to admit, all of this rain is making me feel really sleepy. I think I'm going to stop talking about going to the Y because it seems the more I talk about it, the less likely I am tp go. Today I was going to, but it turns out I'm starting my period, and while they usually say exercise is good for that, it's been my experience that if I do any major exercise on the first day of mine, I go into horrible cramping. So no gym today, and no pool. :( Tomorrow's out as well, due to the game, but I'll try to go next week. I'm not going to write about it any more until I actually go, though. I called Brenda just now to see what sort of snacks she's up for at the game tomorrow), and I'm really looking forward to the game. I'm going to call and see if there's anything special I need to pick up on the way tomorrow. Although I still have a lot I want to accomplish this weekend, but I'm going to take a nap, although I'm going to try not to sleep the evening away. Hope you're having a good weekend as well.

A very productive day

In addition to my morning activities I've been to the grocery twice today (once for my friends' two-cart order). I fixed lunch for a friend and had a nice time visiting. Now on my list is to return a phone call from another friend, do the game notes, and if there's time left over, the hand-wash laundry (which is about a third of my summer wardrobe, I now realise).

In addition to the bounty from earlier, I watered and trimmed some of my window box herbs so I use them in my herb bread. There's sage, oregano, basil, and thyme. I'm letting the dill go to seed. My kitchen, where they're out on a paper towel to dry, smells lovely. :)

I do have a couple of questions for those of you out there:

1. Do any of you know someone in our area who would be willing to take in a 12-year-old female Basset hound whose owners are no longer able to keep her? I thought I'd check for a friend, who was trying to find a home for her.
2. When I was a teenager we had soft, non-canned cat food in pouches that we fed our cats. I'm looking for something like that, without gravy, etc. The closest we've come so far is Whiskas or Friskies, but they have the gravy, and the cat is somewhat indifferent to what it's tried so far. When we went to the store today we accidentally got food that was basically canned, but in a plastic container, with many of them in a box today, and the cat turned his nose up completely. He needs an intermediate food, between dry and canned, but the owner prefers no gravy. If you have any ideas, feel free to e-mail me (link on the sidebar) or comment on this post. I've only tried Kroger and Incredipet, but the Kroger was a Marketplace store which has separate aisles for cats and dogs and a very good selection, and Incredipet has quite a good one, too. I've also checked online at PetSmart, and generally online. Apparently most of the 'soft' food has gravy. :( Thanks for any input you might have!

I had some disappointing news on two fronts today

but the good thing is neither is major, and the will be virtually meaningless in the long run. I just have to have a little bit of patience. That being said, that doesn't mean I wasn't bummed. Still, overall it was a good day. I had my doctor's appointment, picked up some medicine from the pharmacy, got some groceries, and got my rent in to the leasing office. It was very productive. I think I almost broke a three-year-old, who'd had a very long day, was hungry and cranky, and probably got home with precious moments before a total tantrum evolved, but he did really well up to that point. Thanks for everyone who tagged along with me and got me where I needed to go.

Yet again the cart at Kroger died, although this time it was right at the U-Scan. Since I was there, I started to put my things on the unit and the lady was like, 'Do you have more than 15 items?' Mind you, I had a bit more than that, but the carts on those things are fairly small. I also had a dead scooter with someone trying to go find me another. Also, there was not a soul in the express U-Scan, and there were five other units free. Still, I packed my things up and Angenette PUSHED the entire thing with me on it with what little tiny juice the battery had helping to the next bank of U-Scan machines (which was busy) so we could properly check out. There was no way to make it to a lane with a real person checking out at all. Thank you, Kroger lady, for protecting your empty U-Scan from disabled people with dying carts. On the other hand, since the thing died completely there at the checkout, we had to leave the thing right there, although Brandon pushed it back out of the way a couple of feet. So at least they had to deal with it.

I have not had trouble with the machines at Tates Creek, but I have at Richmond Road now twice. Last time I talked to a manager who said they had trouble when it was busy or on Senior Day (it was rush hour, but not on a Senior Day that day). Today it was the middle of the day and should have been fine. They seriously need to do something. The thing I objected to last time is both carts I had were showing full charge and within five minutes would show empty. This cart didn't have a very high tech display, and at least ALMOST made it. Because of my last experience, we were actually going to get a push wheelchair cart, but that wasn't available. I think they have one for the whole mega-marketplace store. Note to self, do not try to go on the first Wednesday of the month (I think that's when Senior Day is) ever, if you're in need of an electric or wheelchair cart.

But on balance the day was okay. Tomorrow I'm not going out after all (that was one of the disappointments), and I don't have another doctor's appointment for a couple of weeks, so I don't know when I'll be out again. I may have to get some groceries at some point. So until then it's just me, my apartment, and maybe the occasional visitor.

One more hour or less

I told myself I would go to bed at ten, so that would make thirteen hours I'll be up, which isn't too bad. I decided to do all of my physical therapy exercises, not just the ones with the band, and now my thigh and buttock feel like they're on fire. I broke down and took some acetaminophen. I think I need to increase this to once in the morning and once in the evening, at least. (Yes, Brandon, you told me that.) Got to get those muscles in shape for walking eventually.

So when 10 pm rolls by, I think I will definitely be ready for bed. It's been a good day. I've emailed two people, spoken with three friends on the phone, texted with one of those, and I've seen one of my friends in person. I've gone to an appointment, gotten groceries, listened to music, blogged, watched videos, and played on the Internet. And I've stayed awake! (Although getting a little caffeine in my system did help. But I don't feel too awake, either.)

So now I am down to thirty minutes. I'll start shutting things down. Hope you had a good day.

PS Made it to midnight, actually, although I've been in bed, so we won't count the unwinding time.  :-)

Goodness

Since I left work today I have gone by the bank, done a major grocery run (filling my utility cart, my backpack, an nylon bag, and a regular grocery bag, and paid my rent. It took me almost an hour to schlep the stuff home on the bus, because I narrowly missed one and decided that I should wait for the next (they're 35 minutes apart during the day) despite having some frozen food, because the traffic was so bad I wasn't sure I could make two blocks, the majority of which has no sidewalk, carrying and pulling everything. My back and neck are not happy with me, but at least I didn't bring them the whole way by foot. Now I have put the groceries away (my refrigerator and cupboard are full to bursting, which is unusual; I'm hoping they last a couple of weeks and with winter coming I'm going to try to keep more food in the house). I brought the fan out of the bedroom into the living area and opened the windows. I'm eating some Tuscany bean salad, along with marinated artichoke hearts and mozzarella. Kroger has it on their Mediterranean bar. It's something I treat myself to on occasion.

I fell asleep last night before the so-called debate [I don't think they really follow the rules of true debate], but I printed off a transcript from CNN today. Nothing in it changed my mind in terms of voting, of course. I must admit, though, I will be quite happy when this whole election is over. I'm a staunch Democrat, for example, but I'm getting a slew of e-mails asking for money, even though I tried to opt out of them, at two different e-mail addresses. I haven't been able to give any, and I may not be able to this year, which I regret.

What I am trying to save my money for is the Chicago trip in November. I'm trying to stay an extra day beyond the conference so that I can do some sight-seeing. I think I can swing it (the extra night alone is $200 for the hotel, and that's at the group rate plus taxes, as opposed to the $100 more it normally is), but one of my bosses has to approve the extra day. See, I still don't have a backup person for one part of my job, and the data entry is on a time schedule. I'd been approved for two days, but we're going to have to work something out for me to be away three. Hopefully we'll do that. I have to turn in my travel request form by mid-October. How often do you get airfare and one night at a hotel paid for? Of course, last year I went up to Chicago with $20 in my pocket and neither credit card nor money in the bank, but I was extremely lucky.

I can't see everything I'd like to, of course. I'd have an afternoon and a morning to see things. The four big attractions I'm considering are the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Alder Planetarium, and the Art Institute of Chicago, but I'll probably only be able to do one or two of them. Good thing this gig lasts three more years after this one. :) Of the four, the Field Museum and Art Institute are top of my list. I've been to both an aquarium and a planetarium (although I'm sure these are larger and quite possibly better), but I've never seen a real Picasso or Monet, for example, or a T. Rex skeleton of doom.

Considering how sleep-deprived I've been today

I've been remarkably productive and with it. You see, unlike my normal long 'naps', last night I got at most about five hours of sleep. I worked yesterday, got off at 5, took the bus to the Liquor Barn for some sherry for a friend, went to Incredipet and got an aquarium bulb for me, and then made a rather extensive (for me) Kroger run, about half of which was for me and half was for someone else. I put part of it in a rolling carry-on bag. I was fortunate to get the bus right after I got to the stop--it's iffy in the evenings because they run every 70 minutes. That was about 7:15. I got to my friend's house about 8:30 (have I mentioned that by car it's a 15-minute drive at most?) The buses were full to the hilt--the one I took to the house had five people standing most of the way. I was rewarded for my efforts by a wonderful dinner of matzoh ball soup, a salad, and a pasta dish that was very, very good but filling, so I took part of it with me and had it for lunch today.

I left the house about 10:30, on the last bus out that you could transfer to another route. At the bus stop there was this giant spider web and an orb spider that was (literally) two to two and a half inches, counting the legs. I love spiders, have no trouble with them, but it freaked me out a bit. The wind blew the web loose and it was spinning right behind me. I like bugs, but I don't care for them jumping on me, and that was a concern. There was a bat flying around as well. It definitely seemed to be the time for the spookier of nature's creatures.

I got the last bus of the night and it was extremely crowded too. Mind you, I'm sitting in a seat with a rolling bag, and now two Kroger bags (it was several more), including a two-foot long light bulb. Fortunately the purse hung easily on the handle of the rolling bag, as did the Kroger bags, so everything compacted as well as I could. Thank the Gods I didn't try to go out with my granny cart. It is so much bigger.

But once I got home, I couldn't relax enough to go to sleep. I wanted to blog, but was too tired. All I managed to do was rub some spearmint-eucalyptus lotion on my sore feet, elevate them on a pillow on the bed, with the fan right on it. I managed to get to a point where my back was relatively happy. But I still couldn't fall asleep. I think I finally fell to sleep about 2 am.

So this morning it was a little hard to roll out of bed, but I managed, and even got to work at my usual early time. I worked the referrals, did my library work, and put in my data entry sheets.

Now I'm home, I've eaten (well partway; I had some chili and am making some corn on the cob, but I haven't eaten it yet). I don't feel particularly sleepy. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my evening, and I don't have firm plans for tomorrow either. I'm hoping to fill things up with a couple of errands, some chores, the farmer's market, the library, DVDs, and reading. We'll see what I manage to do. :)

Okay, I'm going to go check and see if the corn is done. Sorry I didn't write yesterday; I was just too wiped to even try. I even thought about doing it in bed on the tablet, but even that was too much effort. Fortunately today I feel much better.

I just powershopped my way through a very large Kroger

I brought 8 reusable bags; I used 7 (plus there was distilled water and toilet paper). I got out of there in 30 minutes, and with enough groceries to actually have some staples for less than $150. I stuck to my list well, just getting some spreadable fruit to go with my peanut butter and hummus and pita I'd forgotten to put down. For a change I got lots of canned veggies, since I can't guarantee I'll be able to make it to the store for heavy stuff during inclement weather, and they don't technically have to be heated. I got veggie chili and baked beans as well. Plus a lot of dairy (please don't have an ice storm/lose electricity), fruit like bananas, pineapple, apples, blueberries, and strawberries, and some salad greens to go with the tomatoes and onions I already have. Everything was absolutely healthy and nutritious (although a lot of cheese, so I guess that's high fat), with the exception of my Diet Sunkist. I don't think I've made such a large run since maybe September, if then. While I was at it I got snacks for the game (cheese, flatbread crackers, and walnuts). I got some regular crackers for putting together with peanut butter for a nightly snack when I take my insulin, and I got some glucose tablets that'll fit in my satchel nicely.

I'm craving dairy. I suspect the stress fracture. I went ahead and got orange juice with calcium and vitamin D while I was at it.

What I did not get: ice cream, sweets (although the fudge looked divine) or anything like that. I didn't even ask if there were any more Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the box Brandon had in his van. :)

Bless Brandon for taking me. He's moving right now, and I know how busy that is. I am now eating something and thinking about getting back to those notes.

Oh, Gods, why did I do that?

I left work today and got a ride to Kroger so I could get a new bus pass (my expires tonight) and some groceries. My co-worker offered to give me her number so I could call her when I was done, since she was headed to Meijer for awhile, but I said, no, I was just going to get a few things.

'A few things' involved three full canvas reusable bags and a couple more regular ones. I managed to take the cart to the bus stop (sorry Kroger cart guys!) much as I hate it when people leave them there. Then on the bus I had to ask for my stop rather than pull the cord because I was busy corralling the bags. Once I got off the bus, I rebagged them (the young lady was very nice but is used to bagging for people who only have to put them in a car). I tied one light bag to a reusable one. I took the bag with the paper towels and toilet paper and threaded it through my satchel strap. Then I started the schlep home. Normally this is a 15 minute walk. From the time I got on the bus till the time I made it into the house it was about 45 minutes. There were many rests, especially after making across the road. I guess I was carrying about the equivalent of two of those big dog food bags' worth of stuff.

The cupboards were pretty bare, and with snow, that's not a good thing. Plus I got some fresh fruits and veggies for playing with the new blender. No dacquiri mix--too much high fructose corn syrup and besides I don't have anything to put in it. So I'll toast the new year with a smoothie. That's just as well--I don't really care for alcohol that much--I like them just as well 'virgin'.

Okay, so today I got paid. I went ahead and got my money order for my rent. I got my bus pass. I also got groceries. that leaves me about $50 for the next two weeks, but the big stuff is taken care of. I'll try to be frugal with what I have, but I can maybe get a drink and some popcorn with the movie tomorrow (I have two free tickets to get in).

Oy. I am tired. I must go recuperate and must eat something substantial, as all I had for lunch was some nachos, a banana, and some broccoli.

Well, I got my exercise for the day

I took the bus over to the shopping centre but pushed the cart with five canvas bags of groceries all the way home. I cleaned out the refrigerator, and I'll take the trash out after a little breather...I'm rather pooped at the moment. Then I'll work on the game notes. But give me a half hour to just sit, with the little massaging cushion on.

I almost stopped in at the gas station to say hi since it was on my way home, but they looked relatively busy and I had refrigerated goods to get home.

That reminds me--must check on my friend who I used to work with to see if he's doing better--he was in the hospital for days but it's been a week since he got out, so I'm hoping all is well.

I should also call my mom and arrange to go to Danville on Thanksgiving.

But right now I'm going to sit for a bit.

I may turn in early tonight

I'm still not finished reading my RSS feeds, but after work I went and did a big Kroger run (for me--6 canvas bags chock full of groceries). The last time I went on a grocery run for me (rather than getting an item or two) was about 4-5 weeks ago, so it was way overdue. I've been eating pizza, which is probably one reason I've put on a few pounds. With the exception of one 20 oz. soda, everything I got was very healthy--fruit, vegetarian patties, some ready-made Indian food, canned and frozen vegetables, various juices (orange with added calcium and vitamin D, V8, and light cranberry), yoghurt, cottage cheese, Special K cereal and milk--even the goldfish crackers were multigrain. Hopefully they'll last awhile. On the one hand, I got a ride from work to the store. On the other hand, I walked about three times my normal distance home because I decided to stay on sidewalks rather than the side of the road since it was dark. I'd planned ahead (bringing my cart on the bus to work with me, along with the bags, dressing in light-coloured clothing, etc.) and with the exception of the abysmal bagging and the detour, everything went pretty well. So now I have a kitchen full of food, some of which I can take to work. I'm spending way too much on lunch (I tend to get salads, and the heavier stuff like cottage cheese, so it's ridiculous. Today I had two slices of tomato with an otherwise light salad and it weighed almost two-thirds of a pound. I wound up paying $6.35 for milk, V8, yoghurt, and the salad. And that's with an employee discount. Plus I got a little macaroni and cheese during dinner and three cans of Diet Coke throughout the day. It's averaging about $10 a day. I can cut that a lot by bringing my lunch.

This morning

I had the forethought to take my granny cart to work with me, which got a few odd looks on the bus and at the hospital, but worked out wonderfully on my way back, when I stopped at the grocery and actually got some food for the house. So even though it was hot (although there was a breeze), it was much easier to cart stuff home than to try to lug it by hand.

Tomorrow I'm going to get a friend his birthday present. I wonder if it will fit in the cart? Hmmm...might be worth a try.

A lovely night off

Because Brandon worked for me:

1. I was able to come home and take a two-hour nap on a nice sunny afternoon.
   
2. I talked at length with a friend.
   
3. I connected with a high school friend on Facebook and exchanged phone numbers.
   
4. I went to the library, returned some books, and got a couple, including the one on Dewey the Library Cat and a mystery called Sherlock in Love.
   
5. Went to Animal House, the pet store, and got some dechlorinator solution and the anti-ammonia chips that go in the filter.
   
6. Went to Kroger, granny cart in hand, and got some food for the house, much of it fruit, juice, organic and other types of dairy, free-range brown eggs, meatless entrees from Morningstar Farms, vegetarian beans in sauce, canned veggies, hummus, Indian entrees, and vegetarian chili. The only non-'healthy' food were a couple of packages of soft pretzels (hey, everyone has a weakness) and some Miracle Whip. I didn't even get ice cream. Oh, and I found some rosemary/mint bodywash (my shampoo is the same scent). I also splurged for the upcoming holiday and got a package of sparklers. :) Let me tell you, I cannot sing the virtues of a granny cart any higher--it's so much easier to lug home four canvas grocery bags of food in a cart than that one time I did so by hand. Oh, and I found a product, a Greek-style honey-flavoured yoghurt that looked intriguing, made by a company called 'The Greek Gods'. The honey one is called Hermes. :)
   

Can you tell I'm trying to eat healthier? Not to mention, have food in the house so I don't bring home lots of snacks from the store I work at. Mind you, not a lot of it is portable--I need to start bringing my lunch; the cafeteria is so expensive, although today I had my pick of anything on the hot bar to eat--we had tortilla-encrusted tilapia (excellent), teriyaki salmon, baked potato, squash--even the soup was broccoli cheddar. I don't think that's ever happened before. There were hot dogs on the roller grill for those who really wanted lots of meat. I passed on the soup and salmon this time, but I was sorely tempted by both. But as a result I had a large lunch, so since I've been home I've had just a little package of salmon earlier and now a little spinach-artichoke hummus on whole wheat pita, and I'm satisfied. :)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WORKING FOR ME, BRANDON!!! I really needed a little 'me' time. :)

Now I'm home, everything's put away, and I'm considering doing some notes. And I have to clean out the fish tank and add some more water. I may concentrate on getting the notes started tonight and deal with anything else later...I did add some fresh water to the tank, it just needs a good vacuuming and then topping it off, and the ammonia chips changed.