Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year!

Well, we made it. Another year has come and gone and we're still here. Some will take that as a blessing. Others, not so much. In either case I just want to wish my two or three readers a very Happy New Year! May 2013 be your best, happiest year ever!

Monday, December 17, 2012

Bringing You Up To Date

Let's see. Where to begin. (Is that a question?)

Charlie has been adopted. I had him neutered and had his eye fixed. (He had entropion, which is common for the breed.) As I said in my previous post, he was trying to kill my cats and causing me incredible stress. I arranged for him to go back to Animal Control where they assured me he would not be euthanized. While there, he was noticed and adopted by a family that has another dog. So Charlie has his forever home and a playmate.

The girl who wanted to adopt Charlie had a cat, and her mom told her she had to find a home for her cat before she could adopt Charlie. I decided to adopt her cat, Himz. He's a great cat that has fit in very well with me and my extended fur family. He seems very happy and secure with us. I think it was a real good "trade."

I'm sorry that the family felt they needed to get rid of the cat before they could adopt a dog, but it has worked out well this time, thank God.

As for Rebel, I don't know his status. He may still be with the foster. I hope he has been adopted. He's a cute little dog.

I finally got to Fort Hood to get my car registered, again. I'd had it registered several years ago, but it expired. I wanted to re-register it so that I can start making regular trips to the commissary and PX where, I hope, pet food will be cheaper. I already know that canned dog food is cheaper by about 10 cents a can. That's $3.00 per month savings. Is it worth it? That will depend on how much they want for dry food. I've been buying 13-pound bags of cat food at $13 per bag, and I'm going through about eight bags a month. That's expensive for me. I think I'm going to switch to another type of food that is sold in a 16-pound bag for about the same price as the other. (I try to feed my pets the best quality food that I can afford.) After I see what the PX and commissary have and how much it costs, I'll decide if the trip is worth the cost of gas - approximately a gallon to get there and a gallon to get back.

I also want to check out Fort Hood's Rod & Gun Club. I want to see if they have a shooting range that I can use. I still haven't gone to fire my new pistol, and I really need to. I need to know how it feels to fire it before I'm forced to use it to defend myself - God forbid that ever happens. There's a private range not far from my home and I could go there if I have to. But I'm going to check out the R&G anyway.

I'm still tired all the time and still missing the appointments I make to find out why. Still planning to make it in to see the doctor one day, eventually.

I did get in to see the dentist, finally. My fears were validated. Treatment will cost much more than I can afford, even with my dental insurance. I did get two very broken teeth removed. The worst part of that was the novocaine shots! There was no pain afterwards, either. I was given a prescription for pain pills but didn't need them.

I'm sure there's more to write about, but I'm tired and my brain isn't working at 100%. (Not that it ever does!) So farewell for now.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Charlie the Dog

For the past week I've been fostering a dog that I thought I might adopt. I can't adopt him, though, because he wants to kill my cats. Because of this, I've had to keep him tethered constantly - indoors and out. Well, indoors and mostly outdoors. When I take him into the backyard to pee, I let him off the leash, but only after making sure there are no cats out there that he can catch. There have been a few close calls, and my cats are extremely frightened and terribly unhappy. I, on the other hand, am extremely stressed. Charlie will go back to animal control soon, but I've been promised he won't be put down because he's been vaccinated and neutered. Charlie is a shar-pei, by the way.


Charlie used to belong to my neighbors - the ones who live in the house behind mine. He was a backyard dog for a few years. He was neglected - put in the backyard to be a pet and left there, alone for most of those years. I never saw the family do anything with him - no playing or visiting. For awhile they even neglected to feed him. He was dangerously thin.  I had to call Animal Control to get them to feed him.

A few weeks ago Charlie and his companion, Rebel, a wire-haired terrier, got out of the backyard and were roaming around the neighborhood. Animal Control picked them up. The neighbors knew that Animal Control had the dogs but decided not to go get them. Charlie and Rebel were marked for euthanization.


Someone rescued Rebel. She took Rebel in as a foster. But Charlie is a big dog and people don't often adopt big, older dogs. So I did. I knew Charlie was a great dog, but I also knew he might be a threat to my cats. So I asked Animal Control before I took him if it was okay to bring him back if it didn't work out. Jessica, who works at Animal Control, said yes. And after Charlie was vaccinated and neutered, she promised me he wouldn't be euthanized. I was right. Charlie wants to kill cats. As I said, there have been a few close calls, so I'm being very careful now. Charlie is with me in the house, and he's tethered to something so he can't get at the cats. The cats have learned that he's dangerous, but they also have learned that, when he's tethered, he can only go so far.

So here I sit, listening to Charlie bark at one of my cats, stressed out (me and the cat) and hoping someone will step up and offer to foster him. Someone will, eventually.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Sore Hip and Sleeping A Lot

For some reason my left hip has been bothering me for the past few days. It's like a pinch, and it happens mostly when I'm sitting or lying down, or in the process of sitting or lying down, or in the process of standing up. In other words, it doesn't bother me when I'm standing or walking. I have no idea what it is. I keep meaning to reschedule my doctor's appointment but keep forgetting until it's too late and the office is closed. I suspect the pain will stop just before any appointment I make.

Been sleeping a lot, too. Today I decided I wasn't going to get up until I was ready to get up. That was about 7:00 p.m. Other days I have gotten up when I felt like going back to sleep. Every now and then I need one of these extra-long sleeping sessions. Otherwise I feel even more tired than normal (i.e. normal for me).

I've been procrastinating doing some things I need to do, like grocery shopping and mailing an important package. (It's merchandise that was defective. I'm sending it back to be replaced.) Fortunately, this is one of those times when my procrastinating hasn't left the dogs and cats with minimal food! They have plenty of food. In fact, so do I. But there are a few things I need in addition to mailing that package.

An old friend who I really would like too see was in town a couple of days ago, but I was sleeping and didn't get his phone call. When I had my Blackberry phone, I could turn off all sounds but the ringing of the phone. That was great because I would still get phone calls when sleeping, but I wouldn't be awakened by other sounds, like emails and such. But with my even-more-expensive iPhone, I can't do that. I have to turn off all sounds or no sounds. I have chosen to turn off all sounds rather than be awakened by unimportant things. And this is why I missed my friend when he called to say he'd be in town. So there's another down side to my chronic fatigue - missing phone calls I don't want to miss.

I have several wasp nests in the eves of my house just outside my back door. I don't want to bother them, and I probably won't, but they're right in a spot where I'd like to inject some expanding foam because of a gap in my house where the older part of the house meets the newer part of the house. I don't know. Which is more important: dozens of lives or my house gap? I think I'll put off filling the gap until the wasps have left for the winter. (They might be hornets. I can't tell the difference, and and don't think a lot of other people can, either. What do you think?)
This is the largest nest, and the
one that's closest to the "gap."

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Psych and the Internet

One of my favorite shows on TV now is Psych, and my favorite color is green, so when I got my I-really-can't-afford-it iPhone, I wanted to get the cover that Shawn has on his iPhone in the show. I checked on Amazon.com and found it. It wasn't expensive, thank goodness. Some of the other cases I saw that I liked cost a small fortune. So now I have the official Psych cover on my iPhone.
That's Buddy on my shoulder. He mostly wants to be held when I'm trying to do something on the computer.

With some effort I've finally hooked up my DirecTV DVR to the Internet. There's no extra charge for this, except for the price of the "connection kit," which consists of an electronic box to pick up a wifi signal, and a couple of cables. The kit cost a little less than $40. (It used to be $80.) It would have been real easy to do if I'd read the instructions thoroughly before I started. But when it comes to instructions, my masculine side emerges, and I skip them. Eventually, though, I had to look them over. I also looked at the online instructions on the DirecTV website. Now I'm connected. After I finish doing my daily computer ritual things, I'll go check it out to see how it actually works. (After you connect it, you have to wait a bit for it to download what it needs to actually connect.) What I'm most interested in is watching movies over the Internet on the TV instead of the computer. I paid for Amazon Prime, but haven't watched many movies because I don't want to watch them on the computer.

I didn't go to see the doctor yesterday because the appointment was canceled - not by me! I'll have to call and reschedule. I should have done that today but I completely forgot about it until now.

The grass I planted in the backyard is doing very well, but the weed are growing up among the grass, so I'm going to have to mow. I didn't want to because the grass is young and fine and I'm worried I'll kill it. But the only way to get the weeds mowed is to mow the grass.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

The Air is Cool Once Again

Got the air conditioner fixed. It was the capacitor, as I suspected. Seems like this happens every couple of years. Fortunately, the repairman doesn't have to come into my dirty house to swap out the capacitor. It's in the part of the AC unit that's outside. It doesn't cost much, either, thank God. It will probably be around $70, if I recall correctly. The dogs and cats are happy. Especially the dogs, who don't weather well in the extreme heat.

Didn't sleep well last night. Probably because of the heat. I did have a fan aimed right at me all night, but it's not the same as AC. The fan can't get rid of humidity like the AC does.

Doctor's appointment tomorrow.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Coughing, Then A Headache.

I was coughing more than usual this morning. I always cough a little because I have allergies that cause the mucus to drain into my lungs while I'm sleeping. But today I coughed a lot. I was a little worried that, maybe I'd caught a cold. But the coughing has stopped. Instead, now I have a headache. I think it't the weather. It feels like it's the weather. It was sunny this morning, then we got a heavy thundershower. Then it was sunny again. Now it looks like the rain could come back. Good news is that the temperature lowered to 80 degrees F (26.6C).

Bad news: My air conditioner just quit working. That means I'll be calling the repairman tomorrow. He's probably overdue for a visit anyway!

I watched the movie "Red Tails" yesterday. It was very good. See it if you haven't already.

I thought I had more to write about, but I guess I don't.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Saturday

Can't be more creative with a title than that. Not much happening.

I made an appointment with my doctor for Wednesday. Going to be very proactive about this chronic fatigue. That's the only thing bothering me, other than the usual growing older aches and pains. I think. Seems like there's something else, but I can't identify it at the moment. Ah well. I have a few days to think about it.

I've done some research and thinking about Roscoe's knee. I'm thinking that he'll probably need the surgery. I'm going to call the vet and ask him what the chances are that it will heal naturally. I'm betting they're quite low. I think he was just letting me put off the surgery because of the cost. I'm going to ask more directly this time. I don't want Roscoe to suffer if he doesn't have to. Of course, he'll be in pain after the surgery, and he'll need special care and physical therapy. But I made a commitment when I took him in. This is something I have to do. (I wish every pet owner was like me in this regard.)

The newness of my iPhone has worn off. I like it. It's interesting and fun. I even got Siri to read me a bedtime story a few nights ago! I had to ask twice, though. And she told me about her friend - I forget the friend's name. She was in the bedtime story, so I asked Siri about her. She was a brilliant psychologist but she's retired now. That's what Siri told me.

Can't think of any more to write about. It's been a boring few days.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Very Busy Yesterday, And Very Tired

I got a lot of things done yesterday. I finally got my driver's license renewed. It expired on my birthday last month! I wanted to get my new license with the "veteran" designation - something that's new for Texas. So I procrastinated, planning to dig out my DD 214 for proof of my honorable discharge. I procrastinated too long. I went a couple of weeks ago to renew my license, but that's the day my car died, so instead of renewing my license, I went to the car mechanic. By the time I was done having my car taken care of, it was too late to go back for the license.

I also got some merchandise mailed - it was something that I ordered by mistake and had to send back. If you know me at all, you know I don't get out of the house much, and usually like to put things off until one day when I must leave - usually because I'm out of food. And that's what happened yesterday.

I also tried to borrow some money, but didn't have the necessary paperwork with me, so that had to be postponed. The people I went to borrow the money from have now called me three times to see if I'm coming back!!! They really want that interest I'll be paying.

I got some groceries, too, yesterday. I'm good for a couple of weeks now! And so are the pets.

The final thing I did resulted in some bad news. I took Roscoe to the vet to find out, once and for all, why he's pooping in the house and having trouble standing up and walking. Well, it appears he has a torn ACL in his knee. Instead of trying to explain, I'll just give you this link, where you can learn all about it, if you like. For now Roscoe is taking some medications, but he will most likely have to have surgery, which will cost a minimum of $800. The vet said I'd be able to make payments. That's one of the benefits of being a steady, paying customer.

I'd stayed up all night the night before (Sunday night). Not really by choice but because I couldn't really sleep. I watched another movie on my iPhone that I didn't like much. It was a "chick flick," and I don't usually like those much, but I already had it so I watched it. It was "Love and Other Drugs." Because I'd stayed up all night, but yesterday afternoon I was exhausted. I went to bed at about 7:00 p.m. And I fell asleep real fast! Got up today at 4:00 p.m., so I'll probably be up all night tonight, too!

Monday, July 9, 2012

Up All Night

I had intended to sleep a little bit last night. In fact, I even "went to bed." But I couldn't sleep. First, I had eaten a large, fast food dinner only a few hours earlier and it was weighing heavy on my abdomen! Also, I didn't take anything to help me sleep because I didn't want to sleep all day today. Then, since I wasn't sleepy, I decided to watch a movie which was two hours long (and I didn't even like it much). Then I started playing Words With Friends, to which I'm quickly becoming addicted, with a friend in England. And now it's just after 6:00 a.m., and I'm awake. The good news is that I'm actually not tired! That's different!

Today I have some things to do, beginning with going to get some money. Then I have to mail something, drop some things off, and buy some food. It won't take all day, so I'll be able to come home and sleep if I get too tired. Oh, and I have to remember to call the doctor. I also need to talk to the vet about Roscoe. I'm getting worried about him. He's having trouble walking to the point where he poops in the house when he can't get outside. Funny he hasn't peed in the house. That's weird, now that I think about it. I really need to figure out what's wrong, and then take care of it.

If you want to play Words With Friends, my user name is "arealwacvet." Don't be upset if I decided not to play. Eventually I'll get tired and want to step away from it. But I'll come back, eventually.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

I've Been Real Tired

I've been real tired, lately. Even more tired that usual. I've tried to make an appointment with my doctor, but they say they're going to call me back and never do. I'll try again tomorrow.

I have been busy trying to get used to my knew iPhone - a phone I couldn't afford and shouldn't have bought. But when Virgin Mobile said they were going to offer it, I decided I wanted it. I confess - I have coveted. I coveted "apps" that I saw advertised but that were only available for the iPhone. So now I have the iPhone and some apps and it's getting old. So is Siri. I wanted to play with Siri, and I have. She's no fun. You'd think Apple could have programmed a little fun into her.

Sorry this is so short. As I said, I'm really very tired. I don't think well when I'm tired.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Not A Great Day

Not a horrible day, by far, but not great, either. I woke up at about 5:00 AM with heartburn (acid reflux) because I've apparently forgotten to take my omeprazole for a couple of days. I got up and took some Tums, which helped. When I have mild acid reflux I burp a lot, so when I finally got out of bed at 8:00 AM I started burping. One of the first things I did was take my omeprazole, of course! Incidentally, when I have a bad case of acid reflux I have the burping (which tastes like rotten eggs), a sour stomach, and eventually I'll throw up. I'm only telling you this in case you have these symptoms and don't know what's going on. The way I found out what I have was by describing the symptoms to a friend whose son has the same problem. Eventually I would have made it to the doctor, of course. But it turned out that I didn't have to.

My not-great day continued by finding out that something I'd ordered a few days ago and was waiting anxiously to receive was the wrong thing! My bad. I'd misunderstood the description on the website and ordered the wrong thing. So I had to call customer service. That's seldom a pleasant experience, and today was no different. Once I got a person on the phone to explain to me why I bought the wrong item, it was easy to fix it. But it was like pulling teeth to get to talk to a person. I found out that, with most of these automated phone systems, all you have to do is sound confused, or try to confuse the phone system so it has no idea what you're trying to do. I have now ordered the correct item and have packed up the incorrect item so it can be shipped back. Back to waiting anxiously.

Then I had to call yet another customer service person about my mortgage. Again, it was like pulling teeth to get a human being on the line. I finally did and got the answer to my question - a question I'd submitted via their "secure messaging system" two days ago and, this morning, got their "answer," which was a cut & paste from their FAQ. Well, I didn't have a FAQ, I had a personal situation requiring a personal answer.

And now that that's all over with, I have a thing going on that requires that I take some imodium. If you know what that is, you'll know why I'm not giving details. Just letting you know the last symptom, if you will, of my not-great day!

I'll end this post with some good news. I have another tomato growing on my little tomato plant! Yay!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Grass

My backyard has never been real grassy. Especially with the dogs going out there, and my lack of frequent mowing. Now, for example, the biggest part of the back yard is covered by wildflowers. (I blogged about this awhile back.) But I've been spreading some grass seed in the bare areas and it's growing very fast and very nicely. I don't know how rugged this new grass will be - if it will be able to stand up to the dog and cat traffic. I sure hope it can.
The secret, I think, is to keep it moist - the ground and the seeds. After I saw how well it was growing, I sprinkled more in the bare spots. Hopefully that will make this area look even better. Now I need to sprinkle a bit in the front yard. Maybe. I have a different type of grass in the front and think this may just look weird if I grow in in with the other grass. Maybe I should spread it everywhere, and not just in the bare areas.

I went grocery shopping yesterday. I spent about $250 and bought few groceries. So what did I buy? Pet food, of course. A betta fish to go in the aquarium formerly occupied by my crawfish (RIP). Other pet supplies. Cheap floor mats for my car. (I only need one but you can't buy just one.) Instead of the carpet kind, I got the rubber ones. I figure those will be easier to clean if I should spill another Mocha Java Chiller from Sonic. I got a small broom to sweep the concrete outside in the gazebo (cloth with mosquito netting). I got some things for the yard - bug stuff and more grass seed. Also some grass killer for my crabgrass and for a small area near the porch where I'm going to kill the grass and put down white rocks. It's an area about two feet by tree feet. I had a pretty bush there but it died. I think termites ate the roots, if they do that. So anyway, now I have to go get groceries again! Not a problem because I have procrastinated so long in renewing my driver's licence that it's now expired. Tomorrow I will go see about renewing it.

It rained a little this morning. I only know that because I slept poorly and woke up at 6:00 AM when Buddy threw up on the bed and my leg. I got up and ate some breakfast. Then at 9:00 AM I went back to bed and slept for a few hours.

I ate an apple a little while ago. I heard that "an apple will wake you up better than coffee," so I tried it. They (whoever they are) were wrong. At least in my case. Maybe it's the chronic fatigue. I really need to remember to call the doctor about it. I have been meaning to but keep forgetting. I know the VA has a sleep clinic. I suspect I'll end up there eventually.

Last night I watched The Green Hornet. I hadn't seen it and it was on one of the movie channels I pay for, so I recorded it. (I wrote that I "taped" it and then changed it to "recorded." That's a habit I'm trying to break, since we don't actually "tape" things anymore!) So I'm about 45 minutes into the movie, and I'm wondering, when does he get the ring and the shiny green suit? Doh! Eventually I realize -- that doesn't happen to the Green Horne. That's the Green Lantern! Okay. Oh well. Glad no one was around to witness that!


Friday, June 29, 2012

White Picket Fence

I want a white picket fence around my front yard, but for some reason, I'm having a hard time finding someone who is willing to build it for me. I wonder why? How hard can it be to build a little fence? I could do it myself, but I don't really want to put in the main posts. That involves digging, pouring cement, and ensuring the posts are straight. After that, it's just hammering boards together.

The reason for the fence would be to keep the dogs in the yard when I open the front door and let them out. I do that now and they wander away. Celie, my 13-year-old girl, isn't too bad. She stays close and will come in when I tell her to. But Buddy, the 8-year-old chihuahua, wants to go exploring, and pooping in the neighbor's yard. I'm afraid someone will shoot him if they catch him doing that!

A few days ago I spread some grass seed in my back yard, in the area that's mostly just dirt. It's coming up already! Yay. Now if I can just keep the dogs and cats off of it for a little while. That shouldn't be too hard because they don't want to go out in this heat, anyway!

I'm out of cat food so I need to go shopping today. It's already 5 PM, so I guess I'll be going tonight. I don't mind. I do a lot of shopping at night. This time of the year it's cooler, of course. And I don't have anywhere to be so I don't have to worry about getting up in the morning! Ha! I don't do that most days, anyway. I usually get up around noon. Occasionally I go through a spurt of getting up "early," but not lately. In fact, lately I've been even more tired than usual. In fact, I feel like taking a nap right now.

I watched "Iron Man" on DVD  yesterday. I liked it more than I thought I would. I don't usually go for that genre, but since I'm a Netflix member, I'll order and watch movies I otherwise might not. I mean, I'm paying the monthly fee, so I might as well order movies!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

I Crack Myself Up!

I just watched a Russian flash mob dancing to "Puttin' on the Ritz," so that song is stuck in my head. I don't mind, though, because whenever I get to the line "puttin' on the Ritz" I sing it like Peter Boyle did in the movie Young Frankenstein. And when I do that I crack myself up!! I crack myself up a lot! Good thing, too, because few other people or things do.

It's very hot here in central Texas. I don't think anyone is surprised. My front lawn is turning brown, so I think I'll turn on the sprinkler for awhile this evening. It was quite green before I mowed. I sprinkled some grass seed in the back yard and have been trying to keep that wet so it will germinate. No, I didn't sprinkle any sod over the seed. I'll take my chances.

I've volunteered to transcribe interviews with women who served in the military. I've received my first interview and really need to start transcribing. It's hard to start anything like that when you're tired all the time. I had an excuse when I was waiting for a power cord for my MacBook, but I've got that now and can start at any time.

I frequently buy pre-cooked hamburger patties from a local store called H-E-B. Last time I went shopping they didn't have the plain, quarter-pound burgers that I usually buy, so I got "cheeseburger" patties instead. I didn't like them as much. They're okay in a pinch, but the cheese tastes like Velveeta and the burger as a whole is quite salty. I like salty foods, but this was a tad too salty even for me. Today I'm cooking a big pot of ham and beans. Yum! I love ham and beans. (Sorry, God. I hope You can forgive me.) (Is it okay to eat ham? I don't think so. I think God's rules on what we eat still hold true today. But that's something for a different blog post.)


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

I'm Here

One of the cats chewed through the power cord for my MacBook, so I couldn't recharge it. I used my Kindle to order a new cord from Amazon.com, and it arrived today. Yay! If you have a routine that you follow every day and something happens to disrupt that routine, it can be very disconcerting. I missed my computer. Among other things, it helps me to feel connected to the outside world. In case you don't know, I'm becoming a hermit. I don't go out much. Only when I have to, like to buy groceries. Anyway, my MacBook is back, and so am I!

Yesterday I mowed the front yard. It was overdue. I did it early enough that it wasn't extremely hot out. Some of you in cooler climates might think it was hot, but if you've lived in central Texas for awhile, you'd know that it wasn't! It was only about 80 degrees or so. I also got the Weedeater out and trimmed the lawn. It worked well for most of the job. Then the plastic line that actually does the cutting slipped back into to holder and I couldn't get it out. I also couldn't open the holder, so I was forced to give up. I am now offering that Weedeater - which I believe to be possessed by a demon - for free to anyone who wants it. I will post in on a Facebook "for sale" page when I'm done here.

The backyard is a field of wildflowers -  wild petunias, to be exact. They're purple and too attractive to mow. I mowed a sort of path through them so the dogs could get around them. And I mowed a few of the plants that were in a more shady area and were further apart. What I mean is that there are a lot of these plants in one area where they are packed tightly. The ones I mowed were in an area where there was a lot of space between plants. They probably wouldn't have blossomed like the others that get more sun.

These pictures were taken awhile ago, when only a few plants had bloomed. There are more flowers now.


Here's something funny. I have tried to grow petunias in hanging pots on several occasions and can never keep them alive. I guess I either water them too much or too little. But here I have dozens of wild petunias growing on their own in my back yard! 

Awhile back I heard about whipped cream-flavored vodka, and I thought this might taste real good in a white russian "cocktail." I was wrong. Whipped cream-flavored vodka is very, very sweet. So is Kahlua. Put them together and the drink is too sweet to enjoy. At least, it was for me. So my recommendation is that you don't bother to experiment with flavored vodkas (there are a lot of other flavors). I'm sure someone will come up with a drink that calls for these liqueurs. If you want to try them, wait for those recipes.

I also did an experiment. I'd heard that having something pleasant to smell while you were sleeping would make your dreams happy. Since I have suffered for some time with unhappy dreams (I don't think they're bad enough to qualify as nightmares), I decided to try it. I got some air fresheners in a scent I could stand (many of them give me migraine headaches), and put them near my bed. It worked! I didn't have any of the usual unhappy dreams until a couple of nights ago. I guess that means it's time to replace the air fresheners. The absence of unhappy dreams lasted over a month - which is about the live span of the air fresheners, so I will give the "pleasant aromas" the credit for affecting my dreams. I urge you to try it yourself if you have bad dreams, and please let me know what happens.

That's all for today! 

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Peanut's Finally Getting Spayed

I almost went back to sleep, but I didn't. It wasn't easy getting out of bed and getting into the shower, but I did it. Peanut flew out of the bedroom when I opened the door. I had to catch her again before she managed to eat or drink anything. She knew something was up, because it was not easy to catch her. I had to tempt her with cat treats. I eventually caught her and put her in the carrier. She was not happy being in there, but she finally settled down when she realized there was no escape.

What a relief to finally have her spayed. No more whoops litters!

After dropping Peanut off, I went and got some dog and cat food. I didn't do all of my grocery shopping. I still have to go out and do that before I pick Peanut up. I can pick her up anytime after 3:00 PM today.

Yesterday I took a little nap on the couch. I don't do that very often. Still, I managed to fall asleep pretty quickly last night, at about midnight. I've had at least one (possibly two) dream about wearing a sleeveless dress, but I hadn't shaved under my arms. I seldom shave under my arms, and I never wear anything sleeveless. Again, it's weird what my brain comes up with when I'm sleeping. I do enjoy my dreams. It's like my own little nighttime soap opera.

"Falling Skies" is back on TV. The second season started on my birthday! I recorded it and watched the first hour last night. It was as good as I hoped it would be. I'm a big sci-fi fan.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

It's My Birthday

Today is my birthday. Today I start my 60th trip around the sun. I've enjoyed the first 59 trips, but I hope this one will be a little more eventful than the last few. I really need to get out of the house more. I have a new gun and a new camera. Those are two reasons to get out and do something.

I slept all day - again. I woke up with a real stiff neck that hasn't gone away yet. I put some Aspercreme on it, but I haven't taken anything like aspirin or acetaminophen. I probably should.

Mom called to wish me a happy birthday. No one else did. A few people wished me a happy birthday on my Facebook page. I deleted my birthday from my page a few days ago because I didn't want a zillion people to post on my wall. I wanted only sincere wishes from sincere people. Is that weird? Probably.

Tony, my English friend, sent me an ecard. Those are always nice. And I got paper cards from my friend, Faith, my brother, Ken and his wife, Hazel, and my mom.

Next year I turn the BIG SIX OH. I should plan something real big. If I win the lottery I could throw a big party for a bunch of people. But I don't have a bunch of friends to invite, so that won't happen.

Of course it's also fathers day. No reason for me to do anything special for that since my dad passed away many years ago, and my grandfathers are also gone, of course.

I have volunteered to transcribe interviews with female veterans. I received my first interview to transcribe in yesterday's mail. I think it will be fun listening to women talk about their individual experiences while serving. This first interview is with a woman who served in WWII. I'll transcribe it this week. The transcription is a project by WIMSA, the Women In Military Service to American foundation. I'm registered.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Добро пожаловать!

Добро пожаловать в мой русский читателей.

Not So Tired

I find I'm losing patience for a lot of things. Grammar and spelling, for one. Bad grammar and spelling has always bothered me, but now I feel strongly like smacking the heads of the people who continually make the same mistakes. I'm not talking about big mistakes. I'm talking about the little things that we all should know. What bothers me even more are people who are teachers, or who are becoming teachers, who don't know the difference between words that sound the same (your, you're; their, there, they're).

Until recently I didn't consider myself real intelligent when compared to others. I guess it's things like Facebook - where you have to be able to spell - that have shown me that I'm better at spelling and grammar than most people - well, most of the people on Facebook.

It bothers me a little that I'm feeling smarter and superior. Even more that I want to "preach" spelling and grammar to these people. Don't they care that they are making these mistakes? Don't they want to be able to spell and punctuate correctly? Don't they want to look intelligent to their peers? Sometimes I don't think they care at all. And sometimes I envy that. Ignorance is bliss, it's said, and maybe these people are happier because they don't worry about spelling and grammar.

When I do correct them, I try to do it tactfully. Really I do. I've now created a Facebook page preaching and teaching grammar and spelling. I figure, this way I can correct someone and not have it appear to be a personal affront.

The NRA sent me a hat. I didn't order it, so it's free. But you know they asked for a donation. They're not going to get one. I'm too poor. Also, I don't wear hats, except for the occasional umbrella hat. It's a nice hat. Embroidered with a US flag on the side. I'l never wear it.

Why does the diet soda I get at a fast food place taste sweeter than the diet soda I drink at home? They must add more syrup in the restaurants than they do in the cans and bottles. Maybe they do that because  they know there's going to be ice mixed in at the restaurant. If you drink from a bottle or can, you don't add ice, and if you pour from a large bottle into a class, there may or may not be ice.

Too Tired

I'm really too tired to post today. I almost skipped it, but changed my mind. I slept all day. I didn't sleep well during the night. I think it was because the bedroom was too warm. So I got up early this morning to use the bathroom and decided to turn on the air conditioner. I lied back down, put on my sleeping mask, and went back to sleep. Slept until 5:00 PM. I'm still extremely sleepy.

P'zone was good, as usual. But they've quit including "dipping sauce" (marinara sauce). That sucks. I always dip my P'zone in the marinara sauce when I eat it. Fortunately there was marinara with the cheesy breadsticks, so I used that. I don't know if the extra charge for the marinara sauce will be worth it. I may have to quit ordering from PH once and for all. They're already too expensive. Now they want to charge for sauce?


Friday, June 15, 2012

Waiting For the Pizza Guy

I just ordered dinner from Pizza Hut. They're too expensive, but they deliver. I never order their pizzas anymore. They're not worth the price. PH has gotten quite stingy with its toppings over the years. Instead I order the P'Zone and/or the "hot" wings. I never order the hot hot wings. I always order the mild hot wings. I expect the food to be here in about a half hour.

I slept even later today than yesterday, in spite of having yet another appointment to have Peanut spayed. The problem is having to get up in the morning. It's the hardest thing I do. So I called the vet, apologized for not showing up, and arranged to have Peanut spayed on Tuesday. Only this time I'll take her in on Monday afternoon and she'll stay the night. That'll be better for me for two reasons: first, I don't have to get up before dawn and; second, I don't have to keep her locked up, alone, in the spare bedroom all night. I hate doing that.

The plan was to stay up all night last night, but at about 2:00 AM I started feeling sort of sick, so I went to bed. When I woke up a few hours later, I still felt weird. Not so much sick as like I might be having a mild anxiety attack. Is there such a thing as a mild anxiety attack? I eventually went back to sleep and, by 3 PM, when I got up, I felt better. I was going to stay up all night so I could get Peanut to her appointment this morning.

I picked and ate my tomato today. I didn't exactly mean to pick it, but I went to touch it and it came off. So I ate it. It was good! Don't know why I didn't take a picture. Just didn't think of it.

I really need to go grocery shopping because eating at Pizza Hut and Sonic is too expensive. (I went and got a burger from Sonic yesterday. I like that they have a sort of "drive thru" so I don't have to get out of the car. That means I don't have to shower!)

I watched "Running Scared" - a real old movie starring Billy Crystal - because one of my online friends recommended it, and because I'd never seen it. It was okay, but not special enough, in my opinion, to have warranted the recommendation.

Going to go wait for food now.


Thursday, June 14, 2012

I'm a Horrible, Horrible Person (Still)

Blew off another vet appointment this morning. I'm still having trouble getting out of bed early, even if it's for something important. And having Peanut spayed and vaccinated certainly is important. My sincere apologies to the Animal Birth Control Clinic in Waco for not showing up to my/Peanut's appointment. But your loss is Coryell Vet Clinic's gain, because they can get me in tomorrow. I'll pay more, but that's the penalty for missing the ABCC appointment today.

This also means that I won't be doing any of the things I was planning to do today: grocery shopping, renewing my driver's license; having a free oil change. I put a real nice comment on the Facebook page of the Chevy dealership that fixed my car for free the other day. They then thanked me for the kind words by offering me a free oil change! Stanley AutoGroup in Gatesville! I won't be getting any cream for my white russian, either.

I "dispersed" nematodes last night. Started when the sun went down so it would be relatively cool. I have no idea if they were alive, or if they're going to be effective, so we'll see. I only used half, and I offered the other half to my neighbor. She said she'd take them.

So I ended up sleeping until noon. Don't know how I'll handle tomorrow's appointment. The most effective way for me to get to an early appointment is to stay up all night. Of course, it's best if I sleep all day and get up in the late afternoon. Otherwise, I'll be very, very sleepy by 7:30 AM. But I will get there. I have to. No more kittens for me!!!

Oh, hey! My tomato is almost ready to be picked. I tried to grow a tomato plant upside down, doing something I saw on the Internet. It worked, but I only got one tomato. And it's almost red enough to eat. One more day, maybe. Here are some pix from about a week ago.

The upside down soda bottle was the idea I saw on the Internet. Originally I had it hanging where it didn't get a lot of sun, and that may be why I only got one tomato. I've since moved it to the shephard's hook you see in the photo, and now it get a lot more sun. I'm going to get some stuff that's sprayed on tomato plants that is supposed to make them grow more tomatoes. We'll see. First I have to see if I can find some. This is a "roma" tomato. They're smaller than your standard, garden-variety tomato, but darn they're good! If you haven't tried them, I strongly recommend that you do.

I usually read my blog posts a couple of times to make sure there are no typos. I haven't been doing that. My apologies if you have found any.

I think that's all for now. I hope you have a great day!!!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Wednesday Update

I finally found the lifeless corpse of my blue crawfish. It was in one of the cats' litter boxes, of all places. It hadn't been eaten, swallowed, and pooped out, if that's what you're thinking. No. It had been carried in there, for some reason. I guess I was right in thinking that it climbed out of the tank and was then discovered by one or more of the cats. I hope there's a crawfish heaven and that he's/she's at peace. (I don't honestly know if it was male or female, but I'm leaning toward female because of descriptions I've read on the web.) Now that I know for sure it isn't hiding in the tank somewhere, I can use the tank for something else. Maybe a betta. Maybe a half-dozen tiny fish of some sort.

I don't drink a lot of alcohol, but I was curious when I saw an advertisement about whipped cream-flavored vodka. I wondered how that would taste in a white russian. I bought some of the vodka as well as some Kahlua. I didn't buy any cream, or half-and-half. I have tried the vodka straight, and I have had a black russian. Both were incredibly sweet. Tomorrow I will get some half-and-half and finally try a white russian. I hope the half-and-half tones down the sweetness a bit.

I got the cats a catnip toy. This is a larger-than-normal cat toy and holds a lot of catnip. So far only two of my cats have been interested in it. Both are my senior cats, each about 10 years old. For some reason the younger cats aren't interested. I wonder if that's common.

Dreamed About Farts

I usually remember most of what I dream. Sometimes I don't remember the whole dream, but I do remember certain things - things that stand out. Last night I dreamed about farts. I was standing with two other people - one man and one woman - and we were discussing farting. I said I never farted in public (which is true). I don't recall what the man said, but he said something about farting in public, and I don't think the woman said anything at all. Isn't it odd how the mind works. Isn't it odd how my mind works!

Still no crawfish. Or is it crayfish? They both mean the same thing. The important thing is that he's gone, obviously dragged off somewhere and possibly eaten by one of the cats or dogs. I'm not broken hearted, but I am sad.

Peanut gets spayed tomorrow. Yay! I think she's pregnant, but not too pregnant for an abortion. I don't like the idea of aborting any kittens she's carrying, but she needs to be spayed, and I'm not disciplined enough to keep her locked up so that she doesn't get pregnant in the first place. My failing.

I got up today at noon. Didn't want to, but forced myself. Now I'm very tired. I didn't nap the other day like I'd planned. I probably will today. I'll lie down for awhile and see what happens.

I have some nematodes that I really need to "release." They've been in the refrigerator about as long as they can be without dying. I'm going to spray them onto the lawns and hope they start killing fleas and flea larvae. Nematodes are microscopic worms that are used to, in my case, kill garden pests. The ground is finally wet enough for them, but I have to wait until it's cooler outside. I'll wait until sundown.

I think I'll get a betta for the tank I was using for the crawfish.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Good Sleeping

I went to bed at 10 PM yesterday. I've been taking ibuprofen and melatonin to help me sleep. I take the ibuprofen because I've been having some pain in my left arm that, occasionally, keeps me from sleeping. Also, ibuprofen makes me drowsy. And the melatonin is a natural sleep aid. So the two together ensure that I'll be falling asleep quickly. I'm tired (i.e. sleepy) all the time, but I do occasionally have trouble actually falling asleep. Like so many people, when my head hits the pillow my mind starts to race, thinking about seemingly everything going on or that has gone on in my life!

I slept until noon, and don't recall the two-hour intervals of sleep that usually make up my night. In other words, I slept better than normal.

I can't find my "blue lobster" (which is actually a blue crawfish) in its tank anywhere. It's only a 10-gallon tank, and there's nowhere to hide, so I suspect he managed to climb out. If he did, he then fell somewhere (to the ground?). I have looked around the tank for him but can't find him. I suspect one of the cats found it and he's gone to crawfish heaven. He hid like this once when he was in the 55-gallon tank, but he eventually showed up again. I hope I'm just not seeing him but, like I said, it's a small tank. Crawfish are known for climbing out of their tank if it's possible. I thought it wasn't. Maybe it was.



There's a big storm just starting. I appreciate it because it give me a reason not to have to do any outside work!

The storm is here now. LOTS of rain. And wind. Satellite TV signal is gone. Can't get any webpages to load, so I guess the storm is affecting the internet connection, somehow. I already had this page up when the Internet went down, so I can keep typing. I just can't publish until the Internet comes back. Can't upload the pix of my crayfish until then, either.

Ah, the Internet is back.

I've lost my train of thought, so I'm going to publish and go.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Monday, Monday

I'm going to try something new. I'm going to try to remember to post every day, even if all I have to write about is getting out of bed. I've been wanting to keep a record of that, anyway, because of my self-diagnosed chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Today I awoke to the strong smell of poop. I figured maybe one of the cats had used the litter box and the smell had just made its way to my bedroom. (It happens.) But then it seemed too strong for that, and lasted too long. My next thought was that one of the kittens had pooped in the bedroom. So I turned on the light and got up to look. To my surprise, there was DOG poop on the dog bed and on the floor next to the dog bed. Celie, my 13-1/2 year old dog, had pooped there for some reason. Celie is housebroken. She has been ever since she was a young pup. And she has 24-hour access to a doggy door, which she regularly uses to go outside and relieve herself. But not this morning. Now I'm worried. Why is my girl suddenly pooping in the house? Is she losing control of her bowels? God, I hope not. At her age that's got to be a very bad sign. I guess it's time for a visit to the vet.

 I'd taken something to help me sleep at about midnight, so waking up to the poop smell at 7:00 AM was way too early. I'd thought about going back to bed after I cleaned up the mess, but stayed up, instead. I've been extremely tired all day -- more so than usual. I'm about to lie down now and see if I can have a nap. 

I've seen a new feral cat and one kitten playing in front of the empty house across the street. I'm going to see if I can gain their trust, catch them, and have the mama cat spayed, and both of them vaccinated. I put out some food, but have only seen mama cat eating it, and only one time. When I checked the next day, all the food was gone, of course. I put some more out yesterday.

I also have a feral at my house that I need to catch and neuter. He won't let me near him. When I did manage to get close enough to touch him, he scratched me. It will be hard to catch him. If I put out a trap with food, one of my cats will, no doubt, spring the trap before the feral (I call him "Squint" because he has eye issues) has the chance.

 It appears that Peanut's milk has finally dried up. Just in time for her spay appointment on Thursday. Yay! She's the only one of the original feral litter of four that hasn't been "fixed." She got pregnant (my bad) before I could get her spayed. I think she's pregnant again, but she'll have a kitty abortion on Thursday, if she is.

 I'll try to remember to give some background about all this in my next post. I'm too sleepy now.

I went to Bush's Chicken to pick up lunch today. I didn't have anything in the house that I wanted to eat. I really need to go buy some groceries. I planned to on Friday, but my car had other plans. It quit working before I got to the grocery store. No big problem, but I spent an hour at the Chevy service department to find that out. Why didn't I do grocery shopping that day? I don't know. I must have had a reason. Maybe I just didn't feel like going out again. If I haven't gone by Thursday, I'll go then, in conjunction with my trip to the vet to get Peanut spayed and vaccinated.

 My driver's license expires on Sunday. I've procrastinated a long time and should have had it renewed by now. That's on the list of things to do by Thursday, too.

 Going to go nap now.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

My Bad

I know I said I was going to post about my surgery and recovery, and I still plan to. I don't know why I haven't done it yet. I will. Sorry for the delay.

Just know that everything went fine and the doctors removed a 38-pound tumor! No fooling!! I have pictures, and I'll post them when I finally write about the surgery.