Up bright and blurfy in the MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Good morning all!

For the second morning in a row I got woken up the fire alarm going off (no fire, it just apparently felt like it)- it is a glorious sunny morning, and I was just about to get up anyway, but I’d still appreciate it Not Doing That.

As I live in a flat, turning the alarm off involves going down to the ground floor and getting a little key out of the cupboard, then fiddling with the machine for a bit. I discovered the existence of the key today, and I’m very glad I did- normally the couple in the ground floor flat have been sorting it when it goes off unexpectedly (after checking it’s not an actual fire- normally it says it’s in flat 2, which is empty, but appears to have a faulty sensor), but it turns out they’re moving out today! That would leave the new person in flat 3, who doesn’t appear to want to socialise at all, so wouldn’t have known, and the guy in flat 5, who works shifts, is also on the top floor, and is often out. I coulda been messing with that thing a long time before finding the key if it does it again!

I have a batch of washing on, and I’ve got the slow cooker out- it’s getting to be bean chilli weather, and as I finally start back at irk tomorrow, I figured I’d prep some acceptably healthy dinners up for the next few days, because I bet I’ll be exhausted by the time I get home, until I get used to it, after being off so long.

2

The condos I lived in for years had this problem every year, the issue being traced to spiders setting up shop in the detector and deciding to spin webs over the sensor that is supposed to detect smoke. Of course, we would be alerted to this issue only between the hours of midnight and six AM, :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

3

YAWN

Woke at 3 for no apparent reason. It’s now 5:30 so almost time to get up anyway. Alas.

Today’s big plan is painting at Daughter’s this morning. Meatloaf for supper. Whatever else happens will happen.

Happy Moanday!!!

4

Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 74 Amurrkin out and rainyish (very light and looks like goin’ away soon) with a predicted high of 92 and probably cloudy all day. The big plan of the day is to spiff da cave. I took a small spiral cut ham outta da freezer yestiddy. It shall get baked and form the basis of sup. I need to determine some type of side matter. Maybe green beans and scalloped N.O.T. We shall see.

Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, as always, onward into the day! Rah.

Happy Moanday Y’all!

5

Up, showered, dressed in grubbies, and breakfasting. Daughter and FCD have headed to their respective workplaces. Roxy is having toast and watching Abby Hatcher Fuzzly Catcher. on Netflix. When I’m done with my morning reads, I’ll roust SIL, then head down to their house to paint. It shouldn’t take too long.

I’ll need to stop in at Aldi, which happens to be right across the street from daughter’s neighborhood. Then I have to swing thru CVS to pick up some meds for FCD. I should still be home by lunch time. Then later in the afternoon when SIL’s bro is off work, he’s coming back and they’ll haul more stuff over to the house.

Meanwhile - surf’s up! :smiley:

6

I am very sad to report, Dom took a turn for the worse a couple days ago and passed away in the night last night. Thanks for all the love you showed him ! I think it will be awhile before I get another… loosing them is too hard.
from my FB :

Thank you to all who have prayed for Dom. Sadly, God in His mercy called back the little rat He had loaned me. RIP Rats Domino Aka Dom, you were the best little rattie in the whole wide world. I will miss your sweet kisses (Domino sugar) and your laid back, chill vibe. You fought a good fight at the end buddy. Rest well.
https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/118599166_10224600669430419_3503289920516132737_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=M01ZDZ3uPS8AX_LHHQv&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=93ebed8cd6470cdaa92321cbb8f84b7e&oe=5F73B7C7

7

janis, sorry to hear about your pet passing. Never easy.

FCM, enjoy painting.

Nut, ah, nothing like the sounds of fire alarms to wake one… Hope management has been cued in and will do some checking. Had a house alarm that started going off all by itself (I had cancelled the service months before) and finally tracked the wire into the attic space and snipped it.

More blurf than bright. up at 7:30 after going to be near 1am, so I’ll be fighting nappage all day. 50% chance for rain, so soccer practice is in definite jeopardy. We’ll just have to see.

All y’all take care now.

8

Poor lil’ baby - I’m so sorry to hear this. He sounded like a sweetie.

9

{{Janis}}

I’m mildly peeved- we have some bushes and stuff along the edge of the parking area of the flats, and there’s some company supposed to be maintaining them. They’ve not been here in months- why oh why did they show up today and hack back the bushes that were in full flower? They literally only look decent for a few weeks of the year, and that’s when they chose to cut them.

10

So, I’m debating the potential costs & benefits of signing up for an employer-based biometric screening. First, the cons: they’re going to tell me to lose weight. I know I need to lose weight. Having someone “officially” tell me to lose weight is far more demoralizing than me jumping on the bathroom scale. Also, the thought of sharing health data with an employer who is also an insurer doesn’t make me feel good.

Second, the pros: I get money if I do a biometric screening, and money is always nice (even when I’m not sure just how free it is - see employer concerns above). My husband has seen several specialists this year, I’m about to have an appointment with a specialist and we’re in the midst of a pandemic so perhaps having some extra health dollars isn’t bad. Hmmmm…tricky. Very tricky.

11

I am so sorry about Dom. Those critters leave such holes in our hearts.

I have a total blurf for today. However, I have lost 2 pounds since last Wednesday when I decided to cut all the crap out of my diet. I have had no chips, cookies, candy, junk food. It’s not THAT bad, although I still want to smoke.

12

Back from painting. It took a lot longer than I expected, but I think I did a pretty good job. The lighting wasn’t all that great in the hallway. But it was good enough to see that my daughter’s friend who helped her paint on Saturday should not be allowed to paint - evah!!! When she taped off the base and door molding, there were quarter inch gaps. And she didn’t bother removing 2 of the switch plates. And it was obvious that in a few places she didn’t look at what she’d done, because I could see the old color showing thru.

After painting, I wiped down the shelves in the pantry and the hall closet - they were just dusty. Daughter and SIL are going to have to hit the floor with scotch-brite pads to get up all the paint that was walked thru the house. The flooring is that cheap wood-looking stuff with way too many gaps between boards. I’m guessing they’ll have the place carpeted when they can afford it.

Anyway, Home having lunch. Roxy is napping. SIL is packing. FCD is happy that he has internet in his office again - one of the router ports died but the local guy we use figured it out and plugged into another port. So yay!

Always something…

13

I have the MGB dashboard and the Beaulieu ultra-16 camera boxed up and addressed for shipping.

Mrs. L.A. and I took her RAV4 down to the local shop to get a new water pump. She’ll drive the Jeep today and tomorrow. I told the mechanic I’d give him a broken MGB grill that he can put on the car he has at his shop.

14

So sorry about Dom @janis_and_c0 the single worst thing about ratties is their short lil’ life span. They’re like tiny portable dogs, that don’t have to be walked in the rain but still come when called & learn any cute trick you care to teach 'em & snuggle into your hands like their lives depend on it … but only live 2-3 years.

I am remiss on kitteh photos and swear, by all that’s holy, that it is on my to-do list. Like, an actual line item is “fire up laptop/SDMB pics” among the less fun, more adult-y stuff.

But, I got going early-ish because I had a time-sensitive errand this morning, which got my whole day off to a nice, productive start. I’ve gotten ^^ accomplished, plus put another coat of paint onto some scrap wood I’d like to make into a table for my rat room, and clipped both kitty claws and brushed both their teeth … and what an adventure that is with a new pet unfamiliar with the procedure!
It’s not like Nikki enjoys either, but after a dozen years of having to submit, she simply grumbles a bit and maybe yanks a paw back, or pushes against me a bit while I shove a (teensy) toothbrush in her mouth.

She’s such a GOOD GIRL. :cat2:

I’ve also swept, and ate lunch AND have all the fixin’s for a baked tater ready for dinner (that’s two meals in one day, people!) and, the bigger accomplishment, re-hung the magnetic screen door my landlady ripped down when she painted the exterior.
I’d salvaged the sticky velcro, just needed the bandwidth to untangle and smooth it all back out.

I have a maintenance request out for an actual, hinged screen door, but considering it took over 2.5 months for my window screen request to come thru, I expect to get the door sometime after the first snowfall.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how this little table I’m making turns out. I bought bright, deep royal blue acrylic paint, and cheapie sponge-on-a-stick “brushes” and wood glue (which I consider household supplies) but all the actual wood is free salvage. I love MacGyver-ing things into something useful … and I really want to get the rat room into something less chaotic of an organization.

15

I’ve been here, but not posting. Things are insane around here. My MIL is now in Hospice (She has cancer). FIL is just beside himself. So, I’ve had my hands full with my daughter trying to come to terms with the news, and my husband, too, though, he’s handling it better than she is.

The hospital won’t let MIL have any visitors. Only two, and those visitors cannot be switched up/changed. So, it’s FIL, and SIL. My husband, and everyone else, said ‘goodbye’ to her yesterday evening, via speaker phone, as she won’t open her eyes, and won’t talk, but, they said she can hear. So, that’s what they did. Christ, it’s heartbreaking for some of her own children to not be able to see her, before she dies. Damnit. Anyway, they’re going to talk to the DON, and see if that can be changed. My husband is in Pennsylvania, right now. He’ll be heading back this way sometime tomorrow. He’s an OTR truck driver, so, he’s been away for the past week, when all this started happening. It’s always something.

I made a pot of homemade soup beans & ham hocks, along with a batch of cornbread (From scratch, damnit. I don’t do those nasty box mix things, if I can avoid it!) for FIL, and my husband’s sister, and brother, who are here. So, instead of FIL not eating at all, or grabbing something from McDonalds, he’ll have decent food to come home to. My BIL will be picking it up in a couple of hours, and taking it to him. So, that’s all done.

I’m just trying to hold things together, around here. I hope everyone is having a decent day.

16

Happy Moonday!

It’s been a day.

One of my friends at the park got wiped out by the dogs this morning, just as she was stepping on the wet concrete in the pavilion. She went down hard, hitting her head. Fortunately it is only a twisted/sprained leg and a knot on the head. We had to get the paramedics out to get her, she was in so much pain she couldn’t even move.

Another friend got wiped out yesterday, but she landed on her butt.
Still hurts, but not too serious.

Fence guy came and went. He was by himself and got a bit more done. If it wasn’t for the rain I think he would have gotten more done.

I took the other neighbor to the doctor today, then to the drug store to get his scripts.
So has been a busy morning.
I feel like I need a nap.

I rescheduled Echo’s appointment so we can go to the Pooch Plunge next week.
Finally talked to Friend1, she called me. It was a good conversation, as long as I kept steering her away from politics.
Haven’t talked to OAOASO in a week or so, so no idea how all that turned out.

{{{Pearl}}} and {{{Ace}}}

I have stuff to do, but I really really want a nap.

17

{{{janis}}}

Thank you for all of his love for you that you shared with us. It always warmed my heart and that is an amazing thing for wee furry bundle to do from so far.

It always took me a while to be able to welcome a new kitty after losing one. I hope your ‘a while’ is a short one. Again, {{{ }}}.

Boo

18

Lower volume day, which was good, because we were really short handed. Burgers, fries
, and corn on the cob for dinner. It is currently monsooning.

{{{Pearl}}}

{{{{Ace}}}

19

Hello, friends!

I slept ridiculously late again today, and I don’t know why. I got to bed and to sleep at a good hour. Go figure. Then I spent too much time trying to straighten out someone on Facebook. He’d had a knee-jerk reaction to an article he apparently hadn’t even read. No politics here, so I won’t go into the whole thing.

The scale screamed when I got on it this morning. I have gained weight since lockdown. I walk, I lift weights at home, but it’s not as rigorous as going to the gym, which is now closed permanently. The weight is probably why my back hurts. I’ve obviously been eating too much, so that’s where I start.

{{{{{Pearl}}}} Pets just don’t live long enough.

{{{Ace}}} Having so many loved ones facing a loss you share is a lot on your shoulders and heart. Wishing you peace.

20

Almost forgot to share a dream I had last night. I was at some huge B&B with a bunch of people, including a genial Tom Hanks (who had many interesting stories to tell, though the only one I recall had to do with the spiritual aspects of floating serenely in the moonlit waters of the Caribbean) and all the pets, past and present, of all the Mumpers: many dogs, many cats, rats, birds, fish, snakes, and yes, axolotls. I was so happy! No bees, though, but I think that was because we were indoors.