Done Since 2024-10-27

[mdlbear]

N and I are at the start of our second month here in Den Haag, and finally all of us are here, including our cats. If "home is where the cats are", we've finally all come home. It doesn't quite feel like it yet, but it's getting there. I've slept with Ticia and Bronx for two nights now. I can't honestly say I've slept better, or gotten to sleep more quickly, but there's an essential rightness about lying in bed with a cat purring in one's ear that I wouldn't trade for any amount of actual sleep.

A special shout-out to Starwood Pet Travel and Kirsty, our pet travel coordinator.

Internet service will, if all goes well, (and if my memory is correct -- I have recorded two different start dates here in my log, though the first one has it as the 5th), start on Tuesday. Til then we've been getting by on our phones. I'm pretty sure that "unlimited" internet service doesn't necessarily include unlimited fast service once you've blown past some limit they don't tell you about.

Food has gotten better now that G has arrived and taken charge of the kitchen -- and the ordering. Have I mentioned that making decisions is difficult for me?

Neither my brain nor my body is working as well as I would like them to. I think it might be because I'm getting old. I didn't notice any hill, though.

Notes & links:
1027Su
  : Clocks in most European countries fall back by 1 hour at 01:00 UTC on October 27, 2024.
  & awake 2:30ish... woke up with alarms at 7:30 and 8, but turned them off and dozed.
  * up 8:10ish; S=6:49; ... Dutch
  * abiraterone 8:10; rest of am drugs 09:12; pm drugs
  * H2O: ??:c, ??:c, 22:02
  : junk haul (I won't be here for it)
  * 11ish work with N to finish taking apart the bed frame in m's room
    pull down screens in my room and N's (she has two windows that open, but only one
    screen.  Still need screens for G's office, the sewing room, and one in the MBR)
  * Flink order -> we have been Flunk
  * 2min:  install power strip.  Top right-hand corner of desk, so it's a good incentive
    for keeping clutter away from there.  Might wind up somewhere else, but good for now
  * 15min:  install, configure Dell monitor -> quite nice looking.
  @ Phil Lesh, Grateful Dead Bassist and Co-Founder, Dead at 84
  & order stuff from $A off N's list.  
  * burgers for dinner.  Came out pretty well modulo setting off the fire alarm
    -> reason number 27 for having my cane within easy reach.
  * SL:  meat thermometer, more nail clippers

1028Mo
  & awake 2:30ish;  give up 3:10; down 4? 03:57
  * up 07:40; S=6:50; ... Dutch
  * abiraterone 07:45; rest of am drugs 09:28; pm drugs
  * H2O: 10:19:c, 1400ish:c(mostly), 17:10, 
  : CPAP app wants a new account for eu.dreammapper.com because of course it does.
    Old phone still works with dreammapper.com, though.
  : Found the nail clippers, in the transparent (TSA) meds bag.
  * deactivate nextdoor.com.  Start checklist for deactivations in tracking.com
  * bring  * Raven and  * tool bag downstairs
  : Apparently the wall where N wants the hat rack is made of concrete.  Problem.
    Could go on the outside wall; bulky coats might encroach on the wall sockets.
  % 14:38 N has ordered me to take the rest of the day off of anything relating to getting
    the house set up.  This probably makes sense.
    -> except for chasing down the wire transfer to the insurance company :P  -> done
  * 15min:  emptied out the small (int'l carry-on) Travelpro suitcase.  All that was left
    was a kindle and a lot of random cables, mostly USB3 and power.  Put them into a box,
    and put that on the bottom shelf of my desk.
  @ Three Kobolds in a Trenchcoat (Animated Music Video) - YouTube
  : The cats have done well in their exam -- again.  Now if the paperwork arrives on time...
  * opt out of marketing from GM//OnStar, cancelled account.
    -> probably should have alerted M and J first.
  : And the file cabinet is WRONG!  The pins that hold the file drawer front are located
    too high up.  It doesn't come together.  I'll have to ask for the right part.  If it
    exists.    Enshittificatiom strikes again.
  : And the book light doesn't have three levels of brightness, it has two different color
    temperatures.  The details don't match the title.  A single color with three
    brightness levels simply can't be found.  Enshittificatiom strikes again.
  % three $A fails in one day.  Not good for what's left of my self-esteem.
  @ Phil Lesh Was the Uncompromising Embodiment of the Grateful Dead
  * Singing:  Desolation Row.  Complete.  My fingers were in no shape for it, but it fit.
    The Mary Ellen Carter - G's suggestion, N came downstairs to join in.  I needed that.
  * load drugs

1029Tu
  & awake 2:30ish
  * up 6:55; S=8:00; (some)exercises, 
  * abiraterone 6:57ish; rest of am drugs 08:26; pm drugs
  * H2O: 10ish:c, 11:28:c, 14:04, 
  * chair for my room gets delivered. € 160, which is half what the damned thing cost in
    the first place, but what can you do?  paid through iDeal.  Painless.
    ~ Tried to set up a profile, but failed.
  & made account on ebay.nl to order Lenovo ThinkPlus X15 Pro ⅡEarbuds Open Ear Earphones
  @ Seattle becomes first U.S. city where EMTs can administer buprenorphine|Sea Times
  @ Researchers say an AI-powered transcription tool used in hospitals invents things no
    one ever said - ABC News hallucinations for the lose
  * check ALL card and bank balances -> top up AX Pt and Bunq from BECU
  * G and m leave Seattle, arriving 1030We
  * 15min:  clean up living room somewhat - mostly bag the most baggable trash, etc.
  : 21:22 cats' documentation arrived -- clear to fly tomorrow.
  * top 2 drawers of file cabinet finished and installed, so more storage space even if
    the bottom drawer doesn't get done for a while.

1030We 
  * up 05:55; S=6:58; ... Dutch, ... teeth
  * abiraterone 05:57; rest of am drugs 07:05; pm drugs 22:01
  * H2O: 07:09, 9ish:c, 22:01
  * 9am -> 8:40ish meet with N to move mattresses.  Also load my duvet into its cover
  : 09:05 (CET) G and m arrive Schiphol, travel 10:05 by cab to Schildhaven Centraal
  * 2min:  update contacts with N's and G's Dutch phone numbers
  : 10:45ish They're here!  m immediately went upstairs and went splat.  G got the house tour
  : The "sifting" litter boxes that N bought are _totally_ useless.  They have a tray
    which is supposed to sit _above_ the litter, which just catches urine.  Nice idea
    except that the cats can't _dig_ -- I'm not even convinced they'd recognize it as a
    litter box.
  * Contact $A help line about the file pedestal -- gave me the seller's contact info. 
    https://www.amazon.nl/sp?seller=A10KKLR252QEUP Phone number: +86 139 4907 5002
    -> Email: hoobro002@outlook.com
  : 15:39 cats picked up and on the way to the airport
  : 14:15 (Pacific) Cats leave SeaTac for Frankfurt
  @ Patients may suffer from hallucinations of AI medical transcription tools | CIO
  * activate BUNQ debit card.
  * 7pm (Pacific) cats " dropped off at the airport and successfully checked in for their
    flight by Starwood Pet Travel's driver, Chris. 
    Chris says: "The crew has been accepted for their flight! They are all checked in, and
    relaxing in the pet lounge, while they wait for their boarding call! They all seem
    pretty content, relaxed." "
  * 11:48 cats' flight left the gate  00:00 officially in the air!

1031Th  Samhain
  @ Samhain
  * up 7ish; S=8:25;  
  * abiraterone 07:15ish; rest of am drugs 08:17; pm drugs 22ish
  * H2O: 09ish:c, 10:21, 22ish
  : Cats: LHA 491, arriving 09:41AM CET (38m late). At 09:45 N announced "The felines have
    landed", immediately followed by me, m, and G repeating it to the obvious tune.
    -> 7:43 arrived at Frankfurt Animal Lounge
  & deposited a stray check that G had found.  Tax refund from Mom's executor, so fairly
    hefty.  appears to have been the first time I used the USBank app, because it needed
    an SMS verification, which is annoying.
  * SIGN UP for utilities.  Energy (all green) from vattenfall.nl,  water will contact me
  - 18:00 CET Eurofilk
  & (with G) hauled the big cat tree up to my room (it having been decided that it would
    be much better than my little one for Bronx).  The little one is in the MBR.
  * (with N) put together cat barriers for Cricket to keep her out of dangerous places.

1101Fr  Dia de los Muertos
  @ Diwali - Wikipedia
  @ Dia de los Muertos
  * up 5:30ish; S=6:15; ... Dutch
  * abiraterone 05:40; rest of am drugs 8ish; pm drugs
  * H2O: 8:30ish:c, 09:02, 09:20:c, 
  * CATS!  LH986 FRA 08:10 Nov 1 AMS 09:20 Nov 1
    -> NB either the flight number is incorrect, or the predicted arrival time is.
    -> 7:20 no pings, so assuming the cats were NOT on LH986
    -> LH988 leaves 8:50 and arrives 10:05.
    -> 09:48 Cricket, Bronx, Morticia, and Brooklyn have arrived at the handling agent.
    -> and they're here!  (I may have the time on the other computer)
  & Stanford - getting them to stop mailing the magazine will require getting an account
    Request SR01652646 has been created on your behalf.  1 (650) 724-0627 International
  * walk:  with m -- in the direction of the nearest coffeehouse; ~1.3km round trip
    @ HØV Koffie & Conceptstore
  * add two more lines (SIMs) to the phone contract for m and j
  : the cats are back.  It is so good.  Purrs and cuddles!
    Ticia was the first onto the cat tree, and has found _her_ spot in the largest cubby
    Bronx likes to hide under the covers on my bed.
  : take the new bamboo shelves down to go next to my desk -- Bronx used them to get up to
    the top of my wardrobe, then found it too unstable or the slatted shelves too open,
    and didn't want to come down.
  & took a lot of pictures; not enough bandwidth for them to get off my phone
  * pay more to AX after re-checking balances (BECU got deposit on 16th, usb 1031, 1101)

0102Sa
  & awake 1ish, 4:35
  * up 6ish; S=6:02; Dutch
  * abiraterone 04:40; rest of am drugs 6ish; pm drugs 21:44
  * H2O: 9ish:c, 21:43 - probably not worth tracking anymore
  * work on getting printer up -- needed by Su PM at latest for m's ballot
    -> needs USB2 A-B cable; fortunately I have one in the microphone bag.  Might have
       been intended for the Tascam interface, but it's new; there may be another.
    -> plug and fsking play!  Didn't even need the PPD
  * take the new bamboo shelves down to go next to my desk
    -> there are two screws missing that will have to be searched for.
  * 15min:  organize desk area using bamboo shelves; clear off side table
    I don't really like having my tool bag on the bottom shelf, but I like stability
  * 15min:  empty large suitcase (already about half done) into backpack to go upstairs
 nbfpack Travelpro carry-on into large Travelpro.  Take upstairs or put in storage rm.
  * write to Hoobro about the manufacturing defect in their file pedestal
  * assemble Hoobro printer stand (with some difficulty and a little trepidation, but...)
  & 2min:  query $A for contact info about the missing half of my headboard.

Comments

[gorgeousgary]

Wow, it's already been a month! Glad you have the kitties to snuggle.

[jenk]

Yay kitties!

[freyjaw]

Hooray! Feline overlords!

[figmo]

I can see why you moved to The Netherlands. I am very worried about the state of the US and the world right now. I seriously wonder if California will do something like secede from the US. I fear we'll have WWIII.

I'm hoping beyond hope that some uncounted votes for Harris will turn the election around.

[mdlbear]

I am also worried. Very few people have the resources to do what we did.