Done last week (20170820Su - 26Sa)
2017-08-27 10:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mdlbearEven at 95% or so the eclipse was pretty spectacular -- the twilight was deep enough that the owls started hooting, and it was noticably cooler. Actually the best part was watching Naomi -- it was her first solar eclipse, and she was enthralled.
We are not going to miss 2024 if we can help it -- we'll start planning and make reservations in 2023.
We are still having problems with the cats. Cricket simply won't tolerate having Ticia in "her" space -- N's room -- and Ticia attacks when she's hissed at rather than backing off like a sensible creature. It may be a couple of weeks before we can let the two of them share common space again, and it would have to be with both bedroom doors locked so that neither of them feels like their private space is being invaded. Even then it might not work.
Bronx is a troublemaker.
Other than that I've mostly been puttering; taking boxes out of the garage, putting up shelves, etc. G" took out the recycling yesteday, so we no longer have a huge box of flattened cardboard in the middle of the kitchen. I took the two boxes (so far) of donations and a box of G's stuff out to the garage. The hallway, living room and bedroom are still pretty cluttered. I have ordered more shelving components from the Container Store.
Mentally, I don't think I'm doing all that well. Lots of anxiety, mostly about the cats, finances (especially medical expenses, which are a lot higher than I'd expected), and Colleen. My self-confidence is completely shot, and my self-esteem doesn't seem to be much better.
0820Su
* up 6:42; W=200;
* 10am: check sun position -> perfect view from the front deck. We win.
* Installed Colleen in the brown lift chair, after rearranging the room to put it in the
corner next to the closet.
* spent an hour or so in the garage and pod, mostly looking for the transformer (power
brick) for Colleen's lift chair, but finding some other stuff as well,
* 15min: found the tea+spices box and a box of stuffies
~ found the power brick, sitting by itself on a shelf rather than in a box. After
ordering a replacement, of course, about an hour before. Grumph.
: Colleen has spent essentially the whole day in our room; I've spent maybe half of my
timne there. Ticia came out and wandered the house, eating some treats and hanging
out on window sills. Much less worried now.
: Bronx still has a fever - vet called.
* The movers arrived; the pod is empty and cleaned. Awful lot of stuff. Brought in a
few boxes of eggs, and the card stock.
& Hot shower, on N's orders, for my back. Right QL is complaining.
0821Mo
* up 5:30; ; shower
* 9:50 wake N for eclipse
~ Solar Eclipse. Total in parts of Oregon Peak ~10:18
APOD: 2016 August 21 - Map of Total Solar Eclipse Path in 2017 August
@ Oregon eclipse — Total solar eclipse of Aug 21, 2017
* Watched the eclipse with Naomi. It was her first, and she was thrilled. It was the
deepest one I'd ever seen, and very impressive. We could hear the owls hootine.
: Missed the callback from the vet - left voicemail, but it doesn't show up as a missed
call in the log!
-> Called AT+T; case# CM20170801_126970091
@ Pronounced husband and wife, in Totality - The Washington Post
* Out for dinner at Christopher's - all three of us.
0822Tu
* Up 7ish; W=200;
* out for kibble, litter, milk, and a few other items.
@ Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food - Harvard Health Blog (ysabetwordsmith)
several links to meta-analyses but not much in the way of specific advice
@ Conflikt Filk Convention - Hotel
: Bronx has a leather fetish - he loves shoes and N's leather purse.
* 2:40 Bronx - SWAC (N)
-> mostly healthy - he got significantly better over the last couple of days.
@ Island Senior Resources
* j's bed arriving this afternoon. UPS? -> truck. It's big.
x 11am Steve dentist
* 15min: brought in serger. Was also looking for moving wrap, but couldn't find it.
: All four cats are loose. Cricket is in a corner, but not freaking out or running for
safety. This may work -- we'll take it.
* take garbage up to curb
* 15min: spent some time screwing down wooden shelves, after Bronx and Cricket managed
to knock one off its supports.
0823We
* up 7:15; W=200;
: more missed calls. Tested using both landline and Colleen's phone: I can call it, but
it can't call me. -> apparently pulling the SIM and re-inserting it fixed it.
& trying chat with AT+T
-> re-seated the SIM card, and that fixed it. WTF?
* Put in another call to the plumber
& yelled at by Colleen about ordering her drugs from express scripts; N intervened after
she caught me once more making a cringing apology. Eventually gave C the phone
number, and she called them. No need to make an online account.
-> Instead of "sorry" when I'm overloaded, say "busy".
-> Just because I'm only comfortable online, that doesn't mean that everyone is.
Colleen is only comfortable on the phone, and I can take advantage of that.
-> more generally, I should stop trying to do everything for Colleen (and everyone
else!) and let people do things themselves.
* call plumber -> I'm to call back if I haven't heard from him by next week.
~ (C and G") basil needs planting, and hemlock needs pulling up.
* request new card from Union Bank -> online - just a couple of clicks
* (G") get replacement placard for C
-> all we have to do is go into any vehicle licensing office with C's ID card.
Freeland Vehicle Licensing Office 1504 S. State Highway 525 Freeland WA 98249
(just north of Main St. on 525, on the left; open 9-4:30)
@ The truth has got its boots on: what the evidence says about Mr. Damore’s Google
memo (elf) detailed refutation
@ #icanhazpdf - Twitter Search
Meet the Robin Hood of Science | Big Think
The Robin Hood of Science: The Missing Chapter Aaron Schwartz
The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (CC available) - YouTube
* humira
0824Th
* up 6:05; W=201.6;
* empty MBR trash; bring empty cans down from curb.
* let kittens out of N's room
* hang display boxes - * the dark one above #10, * the other above the baker's rack.
@ Terrorism Deaths by Ideology: Is Charlottesville an Anomaly? | Cato @ Liberty
Oklahoma City and 9/11 dominate the stats; breakdown by *incidents* rather than
fatalities would be informative, in addition to fatalities minus the outliers.
* container store order conf# 899105165378. They no longer have wire shelves longer
than 4' -- WTF? And the 4' items cost extra to ship. Ordered 5 12"x4' shelves with
brackets, and two
* out with N for a little shopping. pantsu for C, meds and housewares for N.
0825Fr
* up 6:25; W=198.8;
" QOTD: If you don’t back up your files, you don’t own them, you’re just leasing them from
Fate. "
: Phone back to not receiving calls.
-> worked after a reboot, so this has nothing to do with the SIM
* Finally connected with Bathfitters, but only because I happened to notice the missed
call on the log - I'd used the wrong debit card for the deposit (personal BECU rather
than household or my UB account, which is the one I gave them this time.
* 9:30 alarm set - start working on getting Ticia into carrier for vet
* 10:20 Ticia - SWAC. Ask them to prescribe something for Bronx - still congested.
his fever is back too.
-> Bronx: another round of the injectable antibiotic.
Ticia: throat irritated. Maybe acid reflux?
* Went into Whidbey Telecom asking about why the house phone's calledID wasn't showing
up -- turns out I'd had it blocked. No idea what I was thinking; possibly mistook it
for some kind of telemarketing blocker. But why would I think that?
* ship package. UPS ground, a little shy of $20.
@ Solar-powered cats create furry feline sundial | @GrrlScientist | The Guardian
: G" took the recyclage to the recycling center in Freeland (Langley is closed Friday)
* interviews with two potential housekeepers. We'll go with the first if her references
check out; the second had scheduling problems and seemed nervous and timid.
* install electric blanket. C still doesn't need it; I had it on L. Less padding.
% also, it adds weight. Not quite as good as a weighted blanket, I don't think, but
it's comfortable and comforting.
0826Sa
* up 7am; W=198.8;
@ A Yale history professor's 20-point guide to defending democracy under a Trump
presidency — Quartz t(kyburg)
@ How to build a natural home legally. - THE MUD
NEWSFLASH: STRAWBALE MEETS U.S. BUILDING CODES - Down to Earth Design
@ Thriving off-grid in the UK - THE MUD
* pay amex
: Bronx likes to lie down behind me on my desk chair.
% I don't get back support, but I get kitten. Fair trade.
* 15min: organized and consolidated Elfa brackets.
@ 3,700-year-old Babylonian tablet rewrites the history of maths - and shows the Greeks
did not develop trigonometry
# note to self: do not try to make coffee and tea at the same time. Coffee Earl Grey
is _not_ a thing.
* 15min: shelf hanger strip up in bathroom (wall behind toilet); standards.
Could have put 54" standards above the toilet if I'd had them.
* 15min: rummage in garage. Brought out Blackroot and a pull-saw; still lots of stuff
missing. No idea whether any of it will ever turn up; presumably the wire-shelf
brackets will, but no idea how long that will take. Couldn't find the "walking
sticks" box; probably deeply buried at this point.
* 15min: installed wood strip for coat-hooks in the hall closet; key hook strip.
* 15min: found a box of cookbooks for C, & the "walking sticks" box (which includes
coats and the Stagg mic/music stand). Brought up both.
@ Debunking the Myers-Briggs personality test - BBC News
Goodbye to MBTI, the Fad That Won’t Die | Psychology Today
Nothing Personal: The questionable Myers-Briggs test | Science | The Guardian
* Found Colleen's purple recipe binder, along with other stuff from her red table, in a
box in the linen closet.
: another altercation between Cricket and Ticia. Cricket doesn't take well to T
invading her space, and T doesn't have sense enough to back off when C hisses at her,
and attacks instead. *sigh*
no subject
Date: 2017-08-27 10:05 pm (UTC)— Sage
no subject
Date: 2017-08-27 10:50 pm (UTC)Virtual hugs are always in order. (Sometimes I get into a "don't try to comfort me; things are not okay" state, but I'm not on the net at that point.)
no subject
Date: 2017-08-28 03:45 am (UTC)— Sage
no subject
Date: 2017-08-28 04:52 am (UTC)They haven't done much for our cats -- introducing a new kitten (well, teencat) actually did better -- but it varies and all. (It would help if Flicker didn't think that running up at other cats was a win-win situation: either they freak out and she's successfully bullied them, or else they will run and she can chase and then they turn around and chase and she runs. *SIGH*)
Good luck!
no subject
Date: 2017-08-28 09:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-08-29 03:53 am (UTC)Fingers crossed they'll work, though! Feuding cats are definitely stressy.
no subject
Date: 2017-08-28 11:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-08-28 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-08-28 09:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-08-29 06:28 am (UTC)NOTHING
like totality.
Trust me on this. If you can be in totality for the next total eclipse? DO IT.
no subject
Date: 2017-08-29 03:55 pm (UTC)