The Black Plague increased wealth in Europe. Of course, all you had to do was walk around and pick up money from dead guys.
Thanks for the well wishes, guys, I really needed them.
Today is a little better - a bit more out of the hole I’d dug myself in my head. I went on a walk with a friend this morning, drank a bunch of coffee. The cake was successful yesterday, though my husband said the icing by itself tasted like toothpaste. That was not the case when you combined the chocolate cake and the icing, so yay!
Dad is doing a bit better at home - one of my mom’s doctors once told me that (other than insurance) one of the reasons they try so hard to discharge people quickly is that for every day in a hospital it takes at least three days to recover. So you kind of have to heal from your in-patient recovery once you leave, which makes sense. He’s in a better state of mind, though I do think my stepmom will need to start planning and have an assisted living facility lined up before things take another turn for the worse. This is a way steeper and faster decline than the last time he was sick.
In other news, I’m updating my job profile on linkedin. I think it’s time to consider a change. I don’t think anyone will nibble for a while, but I’d like to have it current (particularly since I haven’t changed it despite a promotion a year and a half ago). I’m burnt out on my current position because it’s so very like previous positions I’ve had, only managing more people and a bigger budget, and it’s not going to change at all in the coming years. So, I can feel myself slipping into doing my job in a very half-assed manner because my team is competent enough I just really keep the lights on. So even if nothing changes immediately, I’ll start building my road out.
Today I boxed up a camera for shipping. It’s worth more than I sold it for, but I got more than I’d hoped for. I’ll take it to the UPS Store tomorrow morning.
The street light in front of our house has been out for at least a week. I kept meaning to call it in ('cause it was out, y’see… 
) because it’s still night when I leave for Seattle. But by the time I get to the orifice, I’ve forgotten. Today I emailed myself, and reported it to Puget Sound Energy.
I got the first coat of varnish on that cabinet top yesterday. I’ll give it a light sanding and another coat this afternoon.
I cut an acorn squash in half last night, and Mrs. L.A. will roast the halves for dinner tonight.
Morning all. Stayed in bed till nearly 9am, nothing much on the schedule so I could afford to. 63F this morning.
talky, glad things are going a bit better. And moving on before you get terminally stale at a job is a smart move many of us don’t (or can’t) make.
FCM, our Golden Corral is closed too, miss the pot roast there. Hang in there today…no dosing with Roxy there.
gotti, hope PWAISDN can find a new outlet for his talents. And hope the unpleasantness recedes.
Have drank my breakfast (Instant Carnation mix) and need to make myself presentable here shortly. All y’all take care now.
Morning, peeps. Happy Tuesday. An exploration of the house this morning showed that the new kitten is at least getting closer with his poopage and peeing. He no longer (knock wood!) pees on the recliner. But I found 2 piles of poop right next to one of the litter boxes. At least he got it on the puppy pads under the box. I know he uses the smaller box in the sun room. Maybe the other boxes are a little too high for him yet? He’ll use them if I catch him trying to pee elsewhere and deposit him in one, but I have yet to see him enter on of his own free will. I’ve also seen him jump a good 3 feet, so he could get over the edge if he wanted to badly enough. Oh, well. Baby steps and all that.
The El Dorado fire is 60% contained and the smoke seems to no longer drift down into the valley. Cleaner air is such a relief! Hope everybody has a pleasant day.
Painters finished before 11 today, but they only had 1 room to do, and it had been started. Plus they painted the pantry doors. Tonight’s challenge is to clear all the kitchen stuff out of the way so they can paint in there tomorrow. Lots of clutter, but if I start at one end of the counter and work my way along, it shouldn’t be too terrible.
Roxy is napping - I’m pretty sure she’s up by 5:30 so it’s not surprising that she’s pooped out by 11:30. I’ll take advantage of the quiet to wash the front windows - it least inside - and rehang the blinds. This evening, FCD and I will reassemble this room - move my desk back into the corner and bring Higgs’ crate back in. But we’re going to take the shelves out to the garage just to get them out of the way.
I have a ham steak for tonight’s supper, and whatever doesn’t get et will go into bean soup later this week. I found a ham bone in the freezer. Lurves me some bean soup! I should also run a load of unders this afternoon. Maybe I’ll start it as soon as I post. Sounds like a plan! 
Happy Toosday!
A chilly 37 degrees at the park this morning. I wore a hat and gloves.
I am a wussie.
Echo is a wussie.
There’s a spot in the park where all the dogs dig. There has to be something down there. Even my two, who are not diggers, will dig there. The park fills in the hole, the dogs dig there again. We have tried putting different stuff in the hole to discourage them, flipped a bench over top of the hole, someone put dog poop in the hole, doesn’t matter all the dogs, and I mean all of them, will dig there.
It’s still dark when we get there in the morning, and somebody had moved the trash can over on top of the hole. Echo flipped out on it, growling at it, sneaking up on it, backing away from it.
Ripple watched her do this, walked over to the can, cocked his leg and pissed on it.
Ripple is not a wussie.
Ripple was also a good boy today.
When we were leaving neither Lily not Echo would come to the gate. They didn’t want to leave. I told Ripple to go get Echo, so he ran out to her and Lily and got them to chase him. Right into the cage where Lily’s mom quickly shut the gate, because Echo and Lily both realized what had happened and tried to run back out. Lily’s mom swears he knew what I wanted and did it on purpose. Could be.
But then as we were leaving, Ripple saw that the gates to the small dog side were open and he ran in there. Took his good old time coming back out and up to the truck.
Brat.
So that was my morning.
I need to call the doctor to reschedule an appointment, and call the vet to make an appointment to get Echo’s stitches out, she also needs a heart worm test, Ripple needs a heart worm test, and Adam needs a rabies shot. I wonder if the day care could just take the stitches out, that would be a lot easier. I know they can do the heart worm tests. Then Adam could go to the clinic, except he really needs a checkup too. He has lost a lot of weight, he’s not skinny, but not husky like he used to be. The vet seemed concerned about it, but I think it’s because he spends more time outdoors and is getting more exercise.
It’s hard to get the vet on the phone, their line is always busy. It’s annoying.
Heh, heh. Old boxline sorter here – I should’ve guessed about “cages”. Also a loader/unloader and even yard-hostler for a while. After my third year I moved up to package-cars, mainly a P800 out in the rural areas. There were lots of large things (axles, farm equipment, etc.) so I got the biggest package car for my route, even though the number of stops was low.
Switch and outlet plates have been reinstalled, Higgs’ crate is reassembled, and I think we’re going to move my desk to the other side of the window so the bookshelves will be on either side of the door. That won’t be done today, but maybe this weekend?
We broke a mounting bracket for one of the cellular blinds, so FCD went to Lowe’s for a replacement pack and a sweep for under the door to the garage.Roxy is still napping - 2.5 hours so far. Yay!
I think I’ll sit a bit and chill.
Made me giggle out out loud : ). Thanks, I needed it. Please give Ripple an ear skritch from me.
Lots of times a day I wish I could just lift my leg and pee on something annoying me. Sadly, there are laws against that for humans. Mores the pity.
Boo
Howdy Y’all! We laundered and then bellied up to the hog trough at two-thirty. Chill mode has ensued ever since. I agree with the dawg philosophy of “if you can’t pee on it or eat it, it ain’t worth dealin’ with.” GC is weird. They give you a plastic glove (one) to wear while scoopin’ food from the trough. I guess the idea is to hold the plate in the ungloved hand. Also, they bring the empty plates to the table. Six were brought to our table. Guess we really do look like hawgs. 
You also have to ask your server for a spoon if you want one. There is one server in particular we like. She was there today and waved us over to her section. We tip good and she knows that. Plus, she really is a nice person. She calls us her two favorite men.
I washed the ash/smoke residual off the car this morning. Even that pounding rain we got didn’t do the job; just left streaks down the side of the car. I’m glad I had reapplied Griot’s silicone detail spray just before all this mess hit; that’s some tough stuff. Still have to clean inside the car and then tackle the RV. I just ordered a new cabin filter and air filter for the car.
More major rain on the way, which I hope helps with the fires. We’re pretty much in the clear here, but south of us is still having troubles, and a lot of people don’t have a home to go to.
Extra skritches given. I told him they were from you.
I think we are going to have to go to the park twice a day. The pups are getting annoying in the afternoon, they need something to do.
I took a nap this afternoon, it’s becoming a habit.
Egg casserole will be dinner. It will be dinner for quite a few days.
It’s filling and it’s keto.
dicey, you are correct in that cracked poppy seeds are the way to go.
gotti, I hope that PWAISDN finds a place to do hair soon. Are house calls permitted in your local mandates?
Mooooom, my manager and I had an interesting conversation this afternoon about what businesses will look like once the plague is over. We both see far less office space required and, along with that, commercial real estate prices taking a nosedive.
wordy, I’m glad that your dad is doing a little better. You’re right in that now is the time to get serious about finding an assisted living home. They usually have waiting lists.
sari, our dog park has a hole on the small dog side that all of the diggers seem to get into. We’ve put rocks in it, filled it with more dirt and shooed dogs away, but it always reappears.
Irked, came home, sacked up the trash and set it on the patio to take out on my way out the door tomorrow, swept the laundry room, kitchen, entry way and bathroom and put fresh throw rugs down.
Tonight’s freezer cleanout supper was ginger-sweet potato soup (I’d forgotten how good that batch was) and I made a spinach-portabella salad and a quesadilla made with some tomato-basil-garlic farmer’s cheese. I’s full. 
Stay safe and healthy y’all!
I survived. I did good, in fact - a few customers were extremely high-touch (not difficult or bitchy, just … time consuming) but I got them through all their myriad questions and in the end they thanked me (and tipped) quite kindly.
I want to be a Ripple, but in reality, I’m usually an Echo. I admire the Ripples of this world.
Evening all. Soccer has been practiced, we ended about 10 minutes early because there were some raindrops in the area, but nothing serious. Rain is expected tomorrow evening and Thorsday. Tuesday mac-n-cheese, with a banana and cheese balls for sides, has been assimilated.
Also mailed the gas bill and am awaiting my Property tax notification, it usually comes around the end of the month, but it’s not showing up, even on their website. If I don’t have it by next Monday I’ll give them a call and ask where it is (it’s in my budget for September and I hate to adjust my monthly budget…)
Sari, Ripple sounds like a cool dude…and a brat…
shoe, glad the customers know enough to tip well when you’ve been patient with them.
swampy, I am now missing my GC; hope they reopen it.
yanks, I goggled P800 just for the heck of it; so now I know something I didn’t know before.
Ok, need to be readin’ and internettin’ some, All y’all take care.
I normally drink my breakfast too 
(also Carnation Instant).
The “front line” crew today were making the callers look like Einstein (grrrr).
VERY blue sky today, and I actually needed sunglasses at 5pm, it was so bright.
Spaghetti for dinner tonight, I had a craving that motivated manufacture of sauce (I do NOT like ready-made spaghetti sauce, it’s much too sweet).
Heard what may be an ultimate 2020 phrase today: “zombie tropical storm”.
Working at home or a client’s home would be the province of the “kitchen cosmos” - often, these are people who only register for cosmetology school so they can get an account with the trade-only suppliers. Properly licensed cosmetologists and barbers here will have two or three licenses to keep up - their personal barbering or cosmetology license, the establishment license for the shop or salon, and probably a business license. Not being able to stray more than a couple yards from the establishment was a sore spot a couple months ago when stylists and barbers were allowed to work outside, as long as it was “immediately adjacent” to their licensed establishment.
And more than once, he’s looked at mobile dog groomers’ vans and wished he could do the same.
He’s got a couple leads, one for a short term “get by for now,” that he might start at next week, and once shops in SF can open at higher capacity (we’re at 25% now) there’s another that may become permanent. And for dire emergencies, there is something called ShearShare, which is like AirBnB but for stylists.
After the ablation procedure, you HURT. I’m like " tell me again why this is a good thing?"
Family members don’t understand. They think you return from the procedure and are ready to climb ladders to drag down all the Christmas stuff from the rafters!
~VOW
We’re going into a cold snap this weekend. Not quite snow, at our altitude, but close.
Thanks to Mooooooooom’s soup plans, I have decided I will make split pea soup in the next days. Need something to keep us warm and put something in the freezer.
Also considering making pasta e fagioli soup. Grilling’s still possible, but grilling in the rain is not as much fun, and corn’s no longer in season.
Stay safe, warm and dry (but not too dry).