Outstanding Example of an Amateur

The doggos pulled the sheets off of the bed. Also, there’s a small hole in them. Sigh. This is why we can’t have nice things.

Overslept my alarm to 6:30 AM. I don’t have food for lunch. Maybe I could make some soup (done).

I decided to go back to sleep for an hour after taking the dogs out. I set up my new alarm clock, so maybe that will help get me up? It did.

I emailed my therapist because there is someone at work with they/them pronouns, whom I accidentally referred to as "her". (Not to their face, thank goodness!) I asked for tips on how to remember their pronouns, although I put a post-it note on my computer. She said that she thought that the post-it note was a good idea, but that I probably will slip up, apologize, and use the right pronoun.

I've decided not to make the Basil Tomato Corn Bake. I have pizza for dinner, so I just need something for lunch tomorrow (my BistroMD order should come tomorrow), so I'll pop over to the local grocery store and pick up a Lean Cuisine.

I joined an online Web site called BookBrowse. They offer reviews of the best fiction and non-fiction books. I found a non-fiction book about a writer and a cat that I bought.

It's almost the end of work and that means feeding time at the zoo. (And it is a zoo!) Oliver got into my face: "Hi! Remember me! I'm hungry!" I promised to feed him. They’re going to get fed late though because I want to make and eat my pizza first. (I eat first because I take the dogs out after I feed them.)

I read an article in the New York Times about a plus-size influencer who founded a company called MegaBabe. She sells anti-chafing thigh cream and boob powder (and a bunch of other stuff). I thought that they would be good for Sardinia, so I ordered them.

Someone chewed Gracie’s supposedly chew-proof collar. Bella had a piece of it, but I don’t know if she chewed it off. Sigh. So I ordered a new one. Actually, I should order two. I have a spare collar though. No, I don’t see it. I need to get the pet junk drawer better organized. I ordered some drawer organizers. We’ll see how they work. Expensive though.

The pizza was good: California Pizza Kitchen Margherita pizza. I love Margherita pizza. And there are leftovers for tomorrow. Now I’ve started the pet feeding process.

Well, Gracie can indeed get out of the yard. She pulled her leash out of my hand and ran over to some people across the street. Bella got out when I was trying to get Gracie back in, but she at least came back in. My heart is racing. I ordered chicken wire, a staple gun, and staples from Home Depot for delivery tomorrow.

I looked into electronics recycling because I have an old monitor and TV to get rid of. They are having a recycling day in September. I need to remember to register. They also will take lawn mower batteries, so I can get rid of the old ones that don’t work.

I got my stoneware from Costco. The ones from Macy’s supposedly was delivered on last Friday, but I don’t see it anywhere. Did someone take it? Hell. No, okay, the ones that I got today are the Macy’s ones. I got the Costco silverware. The Costco stoneware is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. Whew. I’ve never had a problem with porch pirates, but it could have been the first time.

I’m sweaty and beat. But I’m wide awake. I need to cool off. I guess that I’ll clean off the kitchen table. I want to order new chairs for the kitchen table (I put my knee through one of the cane ones), but I want to wait until the kitchen is clean. I can look though. Okay, I found chairs that I like. I didn’t want upholstered chairs because cats. But I found some nice wooden ones on Wayfair.

I ordered Lean Cuisine from Walmart because I also needed soda. I paid for express delivery tonight (received).

I ordered a Doggie Lawn, which is a patch of real grass that you can put indoors to help potty train Gracie.

I'm looking at glassware on Costco because I broke a few glasses. (Well, I left some out and Bella broke them. I'm lucky that she didn't cut herself.) But I think that I should wait until I see what stoneware I decide to keep.

I'm going to start the nighttime feeding process and go to bed soon. I'd like to get up at a decent hour to get outside. Though they're saying scattered thunderstorms tomorrow, so I'll have to play it by ear.

Woke up at 6:30 AM and took the dogs out. Went back to sleep for a half-hour. I'm nice and shiny clean.

Okay, I did something a little crazy. I had a favorite stoneware set at Macy's, which I ordered (not the really expensive one) and one at Costco that I liked. So I ordered both, and I'll keep the one that I like best and return the other one.

Well, crud. I had a front tooth crack while I was eating and come out. I have an appointment this afternoon at the dentist to look at it.

I’ve been going back and forth with my primary doctor and my psychiatrist about my fatigue. The primary doctor is out until the end of October. The psychiatrist asked me if I had sleep apnea, and I told her, “Yes, I had gotten a CPAP right around the time that my mom died but couldn’t cope at the time,” and she made a referral to a sleep clinic. Have I said lately that I love my psychiatrist? She also lectured me about how what I eat can have an effect, and I ordered BistroMD as the healthiest stuff that I can eat without cooking. I think that I want to make some Tomato Corn Basil Bake in the meantime. If I get my act together, I could go to the Champaign Farmers’ Market tomorrow night for tomatoes and zucchini (and I think that there’s onions?) (I think that I want to use frozen corn because it’s easier.) I have a basil plant in my backyard. I can work on the kitchen and bathroom while the thing is baking. It’s fairly easy to make.

The dentist recommended an implant. They did a scan of my teeth, and they will put in the implant in 2.5 to 3 weeks. They will put in a temporary tooth called a “flipper” at that time. They know about my trip in the middle of August. Meanwhile, I’m short a tooth. Sigh. Apparently my insurance company is fighting paying for my bridge that was previously put in because one of the teeth was extracted with different insurance. They’re arguing with them.

Now I know why the pets run out of water so quickly; Gracie plays in the water dish and spills it. Not sure how I can get her to stop doing it, but at least it isn’t someone drinking a ton of water. I need to put a separate water dish on the counter for the cats that won’t get spilled by Gracie.

Cool. I got my other lantern. And my MREs (“Meals Ready to Eat,” developed by the US Army. They can be stored at room temperature and have their own special heater.) I had to buy a set, so I don’t know what I got. Hmm, I need to stash some silverware to use. I’m thinking of replacing my silverware too because I’m low on forks (I have no idea where they went), so I can snag some of my current silverware.

Fed us all. Gracie kept on barking at a neighbor (and her barks are piercing), so I dropped the leash and let her and Bella run around the backyard. It worked; she quieted down. It’s in the front yard that I have to worry about her getting out.

Okay, I ordered silverware from Costco.

I read an article about retirees who are into video games. I’m not a gamer. My game time ended with text-adventure games, which shows how long ago THAT was. I asked ChatGPT for some recommendations for someone who likes text adventure games, and it recommended “80 Days,” which is a steampunk version of Around the World in 80 Days. That sounds like fun. It has a few other recommendations that sound interesting. But I’m reluctant to get into any of them because I don’t need a distraction right now.

Not sure what to do now. I should start bringing stuff down into the basement, but it’ll be easier after I get the garbage out tomorrow. I’m feeling tired. I could try on some clothes to figure out what dresses to bring to Sardinia. Oh, I need to package up the duvet cover to return tomorrow.

I was wondering if I should get a crate for Gracie, but she likes my bed and doesn’t usually have accidents in the bedroom. But I should have a crate in the basement for my power failure stash because Zara would not like interacting with the other critters. Maybe a collapsible crate? I wishlisted one on Amazon, but need to check if Gracie could fit in there if needs be.

I think that I will just go to bed and do some stuff in the morning.