This morning's effort

I started out my morning with plants, of course. We went to Meijer for a few things last night and my roommate really liked a purple calibrachoa he saw in a hanging basket. I told him they liked sun, but this morning I was double-checking and they do well so long as they get about 6 hours of decent sun. The front of his house is direct morning sun, so I wasn't sure last night, but since it gets super-hot on the other side of the house (sunnier, but to the west and slightly south), I decided it was worth a try to get one and experiment on the front. So I went back and got the very one he'd been looking which is hanging in a nice, compact ball with plenty of room to grow. I would have liked to get a couple of pink geraniums for the porch, but they were looking puny. The begonias in 4" pots looked pretty, though, so I got a couple of pink ones and a couple of small pots (I've got a couple of more here should they outgrow them), then drove home carefully (plants in car!), potted up the begonias, watered them, hung the calibrachoa and cut off its tag. Here is the result:

How I'm doing #HealthyatHome

So I'm about two-thirds of the way through my third 'week off' due to Coronavirus, as I alternate being at work for a week and a week off. The first couple of weeks off I used personal time off, but I was rapidly using that to try to deal with it, but this time I broke down and applied for unemployment benefits since my hours were reduced by half. Since that could take awhile, I'm not sure how financially that will work out. It seemed a better idea since I'm not sure how long we'll be operating on this plan. The governor is opening things up very slowly, starting with healthcare, but it could take some time to get back up to normal levels, and even so, we need to do it gradually to protect patients and staff.

I'm actually getting ready to listen to Governor Beshear in just a couple of minutes. His 5 o'clock briefings have become part of the routine for many Kentuckians, as it is carried on TV, radio, and online in many media settings. He actually took off yesterday for the first time since this began with Kentucky's first case.

I've been home except for going to the grocery, pharmacy, or pet food store. Yesterday I did some re-potting of plants. Two friends, Brenda and Feliz, dropped off plants for me in a socially distanced way, where I didn't get out of the house. Brenda gave us a hyssop plant and a dill plant. Feliz had some really tiny cherry tomato and jalapeño plants, just sprouted, and I put them in pots, which I'll have to re-pot as they're going to get bigger, I just got them out of the cups they were in. I also potted up two African violets I got at the grocery during a run for essentials.







I also have a new orchid blooming:



So my bedroom is full of plants:

It has been a very busy weekend

Here's what I accomplished:

1. Went to the pharmacy. Got to see my plants.
2. Got nitrogen put in my tyres and discussed my treads and whether it was worth getting an alignment or rotation now or just waiting till I get new tyres, which will have to be soon, although I'm not sure how I'm going to swing that.
3. Repotted the aloes.
4. Repotted the orchids.
5. Did my laundry on Saturday and my roommate's on Sunday. Managed to do that and the kitchen linens with the very last of the detergent.
6. Moved a couple shelves in front of the library windows so I could put the orchids on them and they could get some actual light (eastern exposure). I'd temporarily placed them on top of my bookcase headboard, but they were between the windows and couldn't get any light. A grow light might have worked, but there's a painting that could be damaged by the full spectrum light. So I decided to try this. They are behind the nightstands, so it's a little crowded, but it passed muster with my friend.
7. Went to the library and took some books back and picked up my roommate's hold.
8. Took the other two shelves and summer clothes to the storage unit.
9. Cleaned out the car.
10. Did a boatload of plastic dishes.
11. Went through the clothes I was given and pulled out the ones that needed mending.
12. Incorporated the new clothes into my existing clothes, and put away laundry at the same time.
13. Organised my closet and prepared some things to take back to storage and to donate.
14. Organised the cedar chest and the clothes in the footboard of the bed. The kitten has been pulling my bras and other things through the little divet that's used to open the drawers.
15. Put the coverlet back on the bed, which will hopefully deter him, as it will be out of sight, out of mind.
16. Watched several episodes of a cartoon series.
17. Generally straightened up my room.
18. Took a nice long shower today.
19. Swept and mopped the floors.
20. Did the regular dishes.
21. Took out the trash and recyclables.
22. Cleaned the bathroom.
23. Entertained the kitten, who was inconsolable that he'd been closed out of the bedroom while my roommate slept because he was gnawing on him.
24. Packed my lunch for tomorrow.
25. Laid out my clothes for tomorrow (I don't do that very often. I should.)
26. Actually blogged! Twice!

Things that got put off till tomorrow:

1. Go by the bank.
2. Go over the grocery list and see what we already have.
3. Shop at the grocery store for Thanksgiving (we already have the Quorn roasts).
4. Get some cat toys for the kitten and food for the older cat.
5. Complete replacement of the cat litter (once we get some from the store).
6. Clean out and organise my nightstands.
7. Take things out to the car that are to be donated or go to storage.
8. Double check the smoke alarm/CO monitor. I think the batteries are in wrong, and it'll take both of us to change the batteries, as I'm not tall enough, even with a stepstool. I got some new batteries.
9. Call in the morning and reschedule an appointment to finalise the draft of my revamped will--with my boss' announcement I didn't feel I could ask to leave early the next business day with so little warning and get a good reply.
10. Get the duvet cover on the duvet and get it on my roommate's bed (it takes two to do well) and take back my heavier blanket.

So on November 11th

My boss came into my office, and among other things said there had been complaints about my plants, that my office was a jungle and that they were afraid it would draw bugs. I needed to get them out of there. 2/3 of them are toxic to cats, and we have a kitten who's about seven months old who hasn't learned not to eat them yet. I wound up packing everything up and with the help of three co-workers and a couple of carts from materials, took them out to the car and took the majority to a pharmacy I go to with a nice southern window that is run by people who love plants. At least I can see them sometimes. One plant I kept but then checked the toxicity lists and decided that I needed to take it that weekend as well was the peace lily that the hospital gave me on the occasion of my mother's funeral. So I was pretty heartbroken. I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach. I was also told I didn't dress up enough, even though I've worn the same style of clothes for years and considering I had about 68 cents in my account at the time, certainly couldn't go out and get a new wardrobe. I was also told I would be losing my office, not because of anything I did, but because someone else needed it. I'm not as upset about that--it was the way it was told to me as an offhanded remark, that I couldn't have kept the plants anyway because I'd be in a cubicle away from the light, that was hurtful.

The plants were, of course, what bothered me the most. Some I'd had for years. The shamrocks brought a lot of joy to people in the library for years--they were constantly admiring them. They're deadly to cats. I've made peace with the loss of the plants now, as it's been 13 days. And I was able to get some plants home--I now have 12 orchids, three African violets, three Thanksgiving cacti, a red velvet Echeverria, some aloes, and a bamboo plant at home. I'm not sure I've got them where they can get enough light, so I'll be monitoring it.

On the same day I got the bad news, there was a concern that the kitten, who dearly likes orchid bark, had eaten some and gotten a blockage, but that turned out to not be the case. Still, I removed all the bark that I could from the house, and once I got paid I ordered some sphagnum moss, and I spend some time yesterday repotting 9 of the orchids with moss instead of bark, topping off another couple, and repotting the aloes. So we're bark-free.

As far as my greatest concern from that meeting, it was what to do about the clothes. Now I have wonderful co-workers and work-friends. I had no less than four people contribute clothes that were either bought by them, repurposed by them, or repurposed by friends of theirs. One brought a huge bag over to the house full of khakis and nice blouses. I went from having five sweaters and a couple of velvet pants for the winter to a whole wardrobe, and I appreciate all the help immensely. It reminds me that the majority of people I know are good, and while I was feeling a little bullied by my boss (I'm not convinced anyone complained, I'm thinking she just may not have liked what I had).

So I'm dressing up some now, there are no plants or shelves in my office (it feels empty, but I've rearranged my desk now that I have more space, so everything isn't as spread out). I should lose the office around the beginning of the year, and I've come to terms with that. They're going to do some alterations to the cubicles since we deal with confidential info.

It was a hard couple of weeks. But this week has been better than the one before. I got a lot done and one of my co-workers helped me get caught up on a lot of offsite requests. I was useless for a couple of days after the talk with the boss and got behind. But I'm back in the black now, so to speak. Next week I'll have to really work on the surgery pre-authorizations as I'm only three weeks out and a lot have been added on. I try to be four weeks out, although I'm required to be out two. And nothing in our talk was about my performance or anything. It was all about my personal choices. I did what I could to comply quickly. And it turns out my boss is leaving next month, so I'm just going to try to keep a low profile till that happens.

One of my co-workers hit the nail on the head as to why the plant removal devastated me. Surrounding myself with nature is my way of beating stress, and I deal with insurance companies and scheduling with outside bureaucracies. I took all the little knick-knacks that were on the shelves (and the shelves) away, as well as the stones I'd had. There's a clock and a few motivational sayings on small plaques, as well as the wall art that shows any real personality to my office. The wall art will eventually have to go away when I move. But for now, it cheers me.

Not sure I'll get to the tub of photos today, but...

I'm making progress on the list. I had to rearrange the bed headboard and the nightstands to incorporate the CDs and player back into the room. I've also dusted and rearranged four shelves of books, leaving two shelves until I'm finished with all of the bookshelves in the house. (Mind you, I started dusting two shelves a week when I moved in September 2017). The reason why I did four this week is I got a reprieve from last year because these included Hebrew bibles and a prayer shawl, and I was menstruating. And that's ritually impure in terms of handling sacred objects in Judaism. So there's just the two, but they have a lot of random stuff on them, so my friend's going to help me go through those. But whew, almost finished!

Here are the results of the great CD return:

Got my office (finally) just like I want it

So I had the parking in the back of the building on Monday and brought in another little bookshelf and the prints I won at auction, and the latter have been put on the wall.  Those, along with what I had, the plants, and the little radio/CD player, mean I have a bit of a jungle to de-stress my environment, can play music quietly, and overall counteract the more hectic parts of my job.

I'm very fortunate to have an office of my own (it's due to the reams of patient information I deal with and the phone calls I make to insurance), and it's a purple office, which is a plus, with lovely afternoon light.  I'm getting better at taking pictures without any patient information at all, I must say.  My desk itself has lots of cubbies to separate things, a computer, a scanner, and a calendar--very productive and not full of knick-knacks.

Here's what it looks like now:

Oops, got to go clock in.  I've been on my phone hotspot and I need to shut down and get going with my day.  Have a great day!

So since I last posted

I moved the kitten-toxic plants to work:

From home:



The office from the door. The peace lily the hospital sent to my mom's funeral is to the right on the other side of a chair out of the camera's shot, and it is blooming. Note that I carefully made sure no patient info was showing or exposed. It was hard. Folders, magazines, flipped papers, and photo frames were invaluable.



Here are some close ups:







The plants are very stress-releasing, which is good. Depsite that I had a breakdown the other day at work. It wasn't a good day. A series of events triggered it, but I just sat down in my office and cried. A co-worker helped me feel better. The next day was better, I went from 26 offsites at the beginning of the day to 19, and at least made progress after everything came to a crashing halt the day before. But I was so glad to leave work for the weekend, to get some rest and try to recharge. I'm going to try to speak with my boss Monday about some of the challenges I'm running up against.

The kitten continues to delight. Saturday morning I got a laser pointer (a cat toy that can easily be put up so the dog doesn't eat it), and he has discovered the red dot. He is adorable. He's on the tail end of a little viral kennel thing. The other cat is just starting with it. Meanwhile, totally unrelated, I believe, YKWIA has been fighting some sort of sinus gunk for three days, and I woke up sneezing this morning. So the dog is the only one of us not sneezing at the moment.

One last thing...our department at work is going to do Halloween as Disney characters of various types. I chose Maleficient, and I got my costume in the mail right about 8 pm last night (the US Postal Service cut it pretty close, but delivered it on time.) Here it is, sans any green makeup I'll actually do for the face (I haven't figured out what to do with the hands yet, as they should also be green. Gloves? Makeup? I don't want to get the latter everywhere.

Hmmm...

While a beautiful early bloomer, hellebore, also known as a Lenten rose, is usually poisonous. This one is blooming in a courtyard right now right in the middle of the University of Kentucky Chandler hospital, which sort of surprised me. They are beautiful. But it does remind me of the time I found a castor bean plant growing in another courtyard, one at my grandmother's nursing home. Castor beans contain ricin and are very toxic, and it was right in a public area where infirm people with dementia frequented. I did alert the staff, but I don't think they took me seriously. We should probably educate people at healthcare facilities and landscapers about certain perils of poisonous plants. Granted, many people think anything natural is good for you. But there are a lot of plants which, if eaten in sufficient quantities, can make you very ill or even kill you.

Ouch!

So I fell off a short ladder hanging the hooks to bring the hanging plants down a bit. But I think I'll be okay. Thank goodness I didn't hit anything hard. But it does look better than this morning. They'll get plenty of light and I'll be able to reach them to water. Funny thing, I looked down before I stepped and thought I was on the bottom step already. Afraid that wasn't the case. But having fallen down an entire staircase before, I'm beginning to get used to that awful feeling when you realize there is no step and you, like Wile E Coyote, are about to fall.

I started my morning drilling holes in my ceiling to hang plants. I have now demonstrated that you can knock over a blooming orchid multiple times and even have it fall down behind some boards and blocks, and the blooms and plant survive. Here's to having a little more room for the plants to spread out.  Somewhere in this apartment there are at least three iron 'barrel of monkeys' s-hooks that I've had for 25 years, but good luck finding those, so I got some nice iron hanger hooks with an open globe spiral in the middle.  Unfortunately, I took a tumble while hanging them.

I have not put a hook into the ceiling in the bedroom yet, but I do have one, and I purchased an extra iron hook for that.  But I think I'll wait a little before getting up there--I'm a little sore.

Here are this morning's results:

Before hanger hooks

And this is with the iron hangers:

With hanger hooks

I put the middle one lower for a better composition but also I can switch the bottom hook around, as those are shamrocks (Oxalis) and grow towards the sun, so they need to be turned daily to keep from being on just one side.

I don't have ice, but I do have ice packs--I think I'm going to put it on my left shoulder/neck/back, which took the brunt of the fall.  Then I'll get up and start working on eliminating the entertainment centre.  It's been a good day--I took some friends out to Texas Roadhouse for salmon meals and then we went to Howard Curry Shoes, Rite Aid, and K-Mart getting new shoes, corn pads, and flip-flops (respectively) for a friend who's on his feet an awful lot, has to wear dress shoes most of the weekend while doing a standing job, and whose feet has been giving him fits.

I've got about an hour and a half until I go back to get him and take him to a meeting.  So there's the entertainment centre full of books to deal with in the meantime, but first the icing and the lying down.

What a day!

• Did laundry very early in the morning.
• Went to my meeting at the career centre/unemployment office, handed in my paperwork, went through a seminar on job searching and résumé-building, and asked some questions I needed to know more about.
• Went to Lowe's and got a 2-foot stepladder that is rated for my weight, some swag hooks to hang plants from, and some knobs to try on the floor lamp, since the one that came with it fell, hit something, and disappeared somewhere under the bed or in the aether, for all I know.
• Came home and tried a knob, but unfortunately it doesn't fit.
• Forgot my rehab equipment and had to drive back to get it--but I just got out of the parking lot, and if I'd left the spirometer and the other thingy, I do live practically across the road.
• Had a kick-ass session with pulmonary rehabilitation; I pushed myself, and oddly enough, did much better than normal (maybe it's the steroids).
• Got something at McDonald's and watched nearby geese with their goslings.
• Got a temporary job offer finalised that I accepted (and I think will work out for both me and the employer).
• Sent my e-mail address to the folks I sent the computer back to. They sent a $15 credit to Amazon to me for my trouble. :)
• Called UK parking to get some clarification on their tags.
• Picked A up from work, took him to the doctor, went home (I'm across the road), found a job to apply for, started working on it, and then picked him up from there.
• Took my friends to the credit union, the grocery, to pay a bill, and home.
• Helped my friends pay a bill online (I do the techy part, but they pay the money).
• Texted with a former co-worker.
• Applied to a job which was posted today at a local university.

So here's the deal. My former workplace is really busy, someone is on maternity leave, and they need someone to help, so they changed the offer to full-time for about twelve weeks, via contract work, for a much better pay rate than I was previously offered. I was willing to take on the duties given that offer. They will work with my appointments and any interviews I need to go on. I start Monday, working a normal schedule, starting at 8 am. The parking is at the University of Kentucky, and they thought the single-use scratch-off tags might work, but I called UK Transportation Services and explained that I would be a contracted employee working full-time on a temporary basis, and she said that they do offer regular tags at a monthly, rather than yearly, deduction, which would be almost half the price of those scratch-offs, and I'd just have to go ahead and come down and set up an account with them. I need to call tomorrow to find out 1) can I get one before I get my badge, so I'm ready to go on Monday, and 2) where on earth do I park if I need a tag, as I don't see a visitor section to the garage that the main office is in, and the actual visitor garage is a good deal away, so it would behoove me to check. As far as the unemployment goes, I would simply stop filing for benefits after this week and then re-activate the claim after the temporary position ended. I have a full year to actually claim benefits, but I'm limited to 26 weeks of actual benefit payments, so they'd resume (assuming I haven't found another job by then), and that will get me almost to the end of the year in better shape than I would have been.

In the meantime, I'll continue to look for jobs. I've applied to eight so far, since being on unemployment (two this week alone, and I've only been required to apply for six so far). All but one was library-related, and both of this week's are. One is a public librarian in Owen County (an hour's drive away), one is at Transy, here in Lexington.

So what else to do today? Our inspections were put off till tomorrow, and the house is about the same as it was the other day, but not too bad. I might move a few things around, but no major rearrangement. Mainly I want people to be able to walk through without causing issues--so I need to move the hand truck with the cursed cinder block (my toe did partly turn black) away from the middle of the living room. There are also a few things that can go in the walk-in closet. And there are those plants to hang, but I don't know if I should do that just now, or wait till tomorrow when there's a lot of light in the window. That may very well depend on whether I can find a 1/8" drill bit for my drill. I think they're in the closet with the drill, but I'm not sure. The plan is to hang three plants in the living room window (and there's already been a hook in the middle before) and one in the bedroom. The stepladder should allow me to do it, as I think I have eight-foot ceilings (except the hallway, which is shorter), and I'm 5'4" tall, so that gets me close, anyway, although I have those short Tyrannosaurus arms, so close may not work. If that's the case, A may need to help me later.

Tomorrow there's the parking office, an appointment with a friend, and otherwise I think I'll just hang around here and work on the apartment some. Maybe I'll try to go to the pool early in the day so that I can enjoy it with some peace and quiet before all the kids come out, and start exercising in the fitness room as well, now that I know I can kick butt with my breathing techniques on the equipment. Okay, I think I'll go look for that drill bit.

A rainy sick day

There's a fairly decent, steady rain falling right now, and it's gloomy and cool. I've got the windows open because I'm still running hot, with a small desk fan on me. I woke up about 5:30 am coughing pretty badly, got up at 6:45, took the over-the-counter medicine and fed the fish (they're getting the hang of the fact that food comes from the heavens after the light goes from nighttime blue to daylight), and went back to bed. At 9:30 I called YKWIA, because I have some medicine of his, but he said to just bring it later when I take someone over there. I also called the pharmacy, which had left a message with my home phone. They forgot to put one of my medicines in the bag (which explains why it wasn't there; I was afraid it had fallen somewhere in the car), so I'll have to go get that later, too, as it's a cough suppressant that I need. They'd tried to get me before I left the parking lot, but the number they had was at the apartment, so I gave them my cell phone for future reference. I then took my antibiotic and steroids, all my regular meds, and waited a few minutes (one of my medicines requires that before eating to work), then ate some burritos for breakfast.

Even the golden algae eater is out. It's doing a great job at uncovering the rocks, which were green and are now their normal colours.

So I don't have to be anywhere till about 3:30 pm. I feel worse today, actually. I'd like to watch something like 'The Handmaid's Tale' or 'A Series of Unfortunate Events', but I'm just not up to that, or reading. I may listen to some music. But I don't want to sleep the whole day away, even if I'm not up to doing much of anything, including working on the apartment.

I've watered the inside plants (the outside ones are getting a pretty good dose of rainwater, even the ones under the porch near the living room, as it sometimes blows in). All five of my umbrellas are in the car, so hopefully it won't be raining quite so hard when I go out.

Yes, I know, it's time to deadhead.

I just feel awful. I'd like to start adding news stories here again, but I just am not up to that today. And I'm trying not to whinge. Sorry, I'm not particularly interesting in my writing today. But at least I didn't have any appointments today or any real plans.

I think I'll go put some soothing music on and go back to bed for awhile. I can get up in an hour or so and take a shower, anyway, get ready, and then maybe I'll feel better, or at least clean out some of this nasal congestion. Take care.

I dropped my friend off at his appointment

and came home to wait for the UPS guy (or gal) some more, and a UPS truck was coming down the street as I was going up it. At first I thought I missed the delivery, but there was no note when I got home. So now I'm waiting, eating soft pretzels (always remember the salt goes on before you heat them up, I don't know what was going on in my head). I had thought to get my allergy shots today, but I thought waiting for the package might be better. Besides, I'm still itching from last time, which I think was Tuesday of last week, maybe Wednesday. The build is on the last level before going to maintenance. I'll get it tomorrow after rehab instead.

I haven't just been waiting around. I went through and got two boxes of books ready to go off the entertainment centre, found a disc I needed, lost it within five minutes, found it again, and I've done my pulmonary exercises. It is a little warm here, as I thought it would be cooler, and we're already in the 80s, and I didn't call in the air conditioner. I'll do that tomorrow and use the morning to pull things out of the closet so it's ready for them and they don't have to do it.

I had the windows open earlier, though, and it was pretty pleasant, and I did enjoy getting my last electric bill, which was less than $40. That's a plus. I've got fans, two in the living room (one is a small desk fan) and one in the bedroom. So I'm not suffering or anything. I would open the windows, but I probably won't be home too long, as my friend is across the street practically at the doctor, and while our family doctor does often take awhile, and afternoon appointments can drag, it's better than it used to be. If I lived on the upper floor, I'd probably just leave my windows up much of the time and sleep with them open. Alas, I am on the ground floor, but on the other hand, I don't have to do much in the way of stairs, just a few out to the parking lot.

I had a little caffeine and am not quite so sleepy, although the afternoon sun coming through the living room windows is very pleasant. The plants look happy, and the fish have been doing well over on the other side of the apartment with the water change I did the other day. I need to test the tank today and see how it's doing. But (knock on wood) they're all alive for now, even the algae eater. I did discover the other day that my heater wasn't actually on, which was good when the water level went down, but it was pretty chilly (we had a frost advisory, after all) and the water was cool, which is fine for the goldfish, probably. Now it's on 72 degrees, which is in the range for both types of fish, and everyone's much more active.

Tonight I need to go over some insurance paperwork and prepare things so I can send response out tomorrow. One has to do with porting my life insurance I had through work (I cannot convert it to whole life, as it's an insane price for that), and the other has to do with AFLAC.

I have my eligibility review plus a class at the career centre (unemployment office) next Tuesday morning. I have a notebook with my applications and the sheet that tallies everything, so I think it'll go well. I have to remember to request my next benefits cheque on Sunday. It doesn't open till 10 am on Sundays and I go over to YKWIA's at 11 am, so sometimes it's hard to remember. Last time I did it on Monday. I'm not sure if it was delayed in any way--it was in my account by Wednesday. That's pretty decent. I heard about a job with the University of Kentucky the other day that I applied for sometime last fall or early winter, I think. But the others have been referred and are in process. Here's hoping.

Okay, I think I'll go work some more on the house. Have a great afternoon!

I spent an hour in the middle of the night lying in bed awake

So I'm not quite awake this morning. On the other hand, I have:

1. Given YKWIA a wake-up call, as a workman is coming today.
2. Taken all of my medicine and checked my blood sugar, including updating my diabetes log program, which draws it off my meter through Bluetooth (I haven't been doing that, and I'm much more compliant when I do).
3. Eaten breakfast.
4. Fed the fish and turned on the aquarium light.
5. Added the last of the potting soil to the window boxes, now that the soil has settled a bit.
6. Watered the plant, inside and out.
7. Checked the job boards, the librarian job list, the unemployment office's website, and UK for jobs.
8. Checked my e-mail.
9. Gone through my Facebook feed.
10. Listened to the radio.
11. Tracked a package.

The package is out for delivery with UPS right now. I need to work on that entertainment centre, so that may be the big project of the day. I'd like to wash the dishes (there are only about five). Later, I'm going to take a friend to the doctor (which is probably when the package delivery will be attempted).

I have to admit, though, between my allergies and sleepiness, I just want to take a nap, but then they'll certainly come with the package. If they knock, I won't hear them, most likely. If they ring the doorbell (yes, I live in an apartment, but have an actual doorbell), I probably won't get to the door in time. It's absolutely maddening.

Okay, I've been on the computer way too much today already. Time to do something useful.

I got up early this morning

for an appointment with, ironically enough, my sleep doctor, who was on the elevator with me as we rode up to his office. He's pleased with how much I use my CPAP and ordered more supplies.

I got gas (I was on my light again), came home and took my medication and ate breakfast, and then went over to YKWIA's, as he was going to go to a library programme, but he had a lot to do at home, so he decided not to. Instead I came home and worked on a job application, this time for a non-library job at the hospital across the street, a patient access job I was pretty well qualified for that is full-time from 3:30 pm to midnight. So I got that in, after having to go through a math and vocabulary test, and so I can tick that off. I just got the mail, and one of the things I received was the mandatory eligibility time, which is next Tuesday at 9 am over at the career centre. I have a notebook full of my job applications, so I'll take that with me.

I also got my AFLAC continuation papers and a duplicate card for UnitedHealthcare. So it was productive mail today, with just one advertisement, from Spectrum (Time Warner Cable).

A is going to call me in a little while for a ride. I think this afternoon I'll work on the entertainment centre, which my counselor and I agreed on as the next step in the de-hoarding process. I'll be able to break that down and get rid of it; it's about 30 years old. :)

I don't think it actually got to the mid-30s last night, but I covered the window boxes with Hefty bags, and so I took them off this morning after my appointment.

Okay, I guess I'll listen to some music and check with A on his schedule. I'll write later, hopefully.

We have a frost advisory tonight

So the window box plants are covered with Hefty bags. The game was great, but I'm very tired. I think I'll chill for a few minutes and listen to some music while waiting to go get A around midnight.

Despite the cool weather

I am very hot. I went to Meijer and got some jute twine and opened the windows and screens and anchored the window boxes so they won't blow over. It occurred to me that every year the bedroom one does at least once or twice, the living room near it does occasionally, and while the one nearest the building door (and therefore the most protected) usually doesn't, we'd anchor it, too. That was with upright plants, but this year the sweet potato vine, petunias, and calibrachoas will all trail, meaning they'll be front-heavy. So that made it more important. All that moving plants, opening thing and closing them, going outside to run the twine around the boxes and the like, made me very hot. Fortunately I was at Staples the other day and found a Honeywell 'air circulator', aka, a fan, just like the one Jackie let me borrow at work. I have that blowing on me, and I'm enjoying a task well done. The proof, of course, is if I can get through the season without one spilling.

While I was out I took Brenda's suggestion and went to PetsMart (Meijer had the 19 cent fish, but they looked puny). PetsMart had 29 cent goldfish that were about two inches long. I got five. I also got a golden algae eater, which I know nothing about, but it was very inexpensive and should love my tank. All in all (and this was with an $7 bottle of water conditioner) it was less than $12. So now they've been prepared, gotten used to the water, and swum out of their bags and are exploring. They seem happy, as does the other fish that had been in there. I'll have to read up on golden algae eaters.

Okay, it's almost time to take A to a meeting. I think I'll go watch the fish swim.

A storm's brewing

And the wind really picked up,  so I ran outside and put the window boxes on the ground.  The one on the right flew off the sill overnight and was upside down on top of the plant this morning and so I righted it,  put it back up,  and hurried to work.  This evening I swept up the lose dirt,  packed it back in,  and watered them so it would be a little heavier.  But this was a pretty high wind,  so hopefully this will help.  They're very pretty,  even if the one is a bit flat now. I put a broken piece in the soil to see if it will root.  We'll see.

A few random things from today

1. I discovered my betta had died today. I'm not sure if I'll replace him; it's only a three-gallon tank, and while it has a filter and bubbles and all, it's not ideal for a fish, and one can't go in the same tank (a 29 gallon long) with the goldfish because he'd probably fight with them, as bettas are terribly territorial.
2. I went to move my flamingo plant today in order to open the window and there were hundreds of ants (with pupae) underneath. Gross. I put the saucer on the windowsill next to the ant bait so they can either go outside or take the bait that's nearby. It was swarming too much to take it out through the apartment and the hall to the outside, so I just used the window screen.
3. I have a terrible sinus headache that has lasted for hours. It looks like it'll storm, and it's definitely supposed to rain tomorrow, I think. I'm going to lie down in a little while and see if that helps, after taking some ibuprofen.
4. I've visited a friend and helped him with a few things. He wasn't feeling great either and decided to lie down, so I came on home. I'll go back about 7 pm to help feed the animals and see if he's doing better.
5. I saw a great interview by a young woman with autism with Channing Tatum earlier. She uses a pad to communicate. It was her first interview, and she did a great job. She's got quite a sense of humour. Her name is Carly Fleischmann. YKWIA showed it to me, and we both liked it.
6. I usually pick a grey horse for the Kentucky Derby, if there is one running. This year, there are actually four on the roster, at least three with the same sire. I'm going to go with Creator, I think. Yesterday the odds were 10-1. I'm going to make sure I get up in time to watch the Derby. What can I say, it's a big thing here in Kentucky. Even if you're not partying or at the tracks, you're probably going to tune in for the actual race if you can.
7. I learned that I am incapable of using a 2-bladed razor, apparently, without doing bodily harm to myself, so I went to the store and got a five-bladed razor and some more shave cream to prevent 'cuts and nicks' in the future. I had a time stopping the bleeding, and finally slapped a giant Band-Aid on it. Maybe I should have looked for a styptic pencil as well.
8. When I went to open the window, I also discovered my aloe had lost its root structure, and while it is still alive, has nothing to anchor or nurture it, so it is essentially the unwalking dead. I rather like aloe, so that's sad. On the other hand, I took some bits that had fallen off my Christmas cactus and put them in dirt, oh, a couple of weeks ago, maybe, and one is budding. Yes, budding. So not only has it rooted, it's getting ready to bloom.
9. Having a headache is detrimental to my grasp of grammar--I had to make three corrections to this post, and two weren't typos. :( Hey, it happens sometimes when I'm tired or in pain, what can I say. At least I proofread both before and after I post.

I guess that's it for now. I'm going to go rest and see if I can take care of my headache. I'll probably write later.

Oh, dear

So I came home and immediately noticed that I had mini-blinds. That in itself isn't a problem; I knew I was getting them and I wanted them. But, I thought they were going to put them in next week, giving me the weekend to excavate the bedroom and to move the plants and boards and blocks from in front of the living room windows. Apparently they worked around the plants and the mess. I decided to go ahead and put the geraniums, which are quite large (there are three, divided into two window boxes, having overwintered two years now) out onto the sill outside. While I was out sprucing them up and watering them, the maintenance guy who put in the blinds drove up and assured me that he hadn't moved the plants, but that he'd had to take my sheers down because they go on the inside of the windows just where the blinds need to be. I told him that was fine, and apologised for the mess, but he said that was no problem. I must admit, I am embarrassed. I actually had dirty clothes on the bedroom floor, for example, including underwear.

Anyway, I like the blinds. The sun was streaming nicely through them when I got home. The weird thing about them is that while the bedroom one fits the single window, the blinds in the living room are not two singles, but one large one (there are two windows, together, making one large space). It's kind of nice, but I didn't expect it, although if I'd really looked at my neighbours' windows, I would have already figured that out. Fortunately too, I don't have cats anymore, as cats are death to blinds. I did move out the geraniums (after talking to him and calling the office--my leasing agent had told me the reason for the blinds was to make everything look uniform, and I wanted to make sure the plants were okay). She's off, but the assistant said she'd double-check when her boss gets back Tuesday, and in the meantime, go ahead and put them out. So the only thing down in the sill now is my antenna for the TV. The blinds allow a lot more manipulation of what people see, but with the geraniums being so tall, the blinds could only be down about half to two-thirds of the way down, and I wanted the chance to put them down completely. I also rearranged the other plants so there's more space, and the ants are terribly annoyed, as I removed their source of water, the fountain. I put one of the bushier plants in front of the window so that I had a bit of a screen between the window and me sitting at the computer.

The forecast is 70s in the day, 50s for the evening for awhile, and sunny for the next few days, so I think the geraniums will be fine, and they were only moved about four inches in front of where they'd been, so the sun shouldn't burn them. The bees and other insects have already shown interest; they were trying to get through the screen earlier, big bumble bees, because two of the geraniums are blooming. All the rearranging will help me be able to open and close the windows better.

It's 6 pm. 'Grimm' is on at 9 pm, and I'll be going over to YKWIA's for that, probably about 8 pm. I think I may lie down for about 45 minutes right now. It's cloudier than when I got home, but the windows are open and the temperature is pleasant, although I'd like to be nearer to the fan. I still plan on getting things done around the house thie weekend, though.

Kind of pooped

I got over to the auto repair place around 2:30. As soon as I got off the bus it rained, but by the time I got down Industry Road, it was sunny, although lightning in the distance. I decided to go to Gumbo Ya Ya for lunch, seeing as I wanted somewhere cheap and tasty, and I just wasn't in the mood for anything heavier, like salmon and baked potato from Texas Roadhouse. I hadn't eaten since about 8:30 this morning, and was quite hungry. I had a large spinach and mushroom étouffée, two pieces of French garlic bread, a drink, and a praline, all for $11. Not too bad, hmmm?

As soon as I got home, I decided to move the geraniums at least temporarily outside (it's not supposed to get to freezing in the near future, but it's close over the weekend, so I may bring them in at night). I cleaned off the dead parts, turned the pots so the greenery would grow the other direction (they've been pressed up on the other side of the window). I added some dirt and watered them thoroughly, so hopefully they'll stay in place even with the wind.



So I've had the brakes fixed, had my birthday lunch, and started the re-potting process. I need to clean the house and do the other re-potting, go to the grocery store, fill the fish tank, etc. But for right now, I'm going to take it easy. I have already walked 9,444 steps, which is 4.58 miles. I need a break!