Grateful for your update, CM, and I continue to send warm wishes to your roommate! Cm you are doing amazingly well! You are setting a very good example for me!

Tillie, I am grateful you could get the dishes done. I'm running my dishwasher right now. I went to sleep right after work and guess what? I am out of kitty food! I gave her some snacks and some dry but we know what she wants. Bf says he'll head over here for me. I never left the house today. And I am out of everything. The two of us will go grocery shopping tomorrow night.

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that my friend's husband will do the electrical work for me. I'll bring the chandeliers into the house tomorrow.

My lap desk makes a big difference in my productivity. Such a cheap little thing and it helps me so much.

I have errands to run tomorrow including going to the post office. I have my friend's package to mail and some little Thanksgiving activities for my girlfriend's children. (The ones I went to the museum with earlier this week). I figure they like to get mail.

Okay I need to get things to goodwill. That's a Sunday project. Sunday I have to take a student to the airport. Normally I don't take them to the airport but she's special and she is taking her cat with her. She's a very nice girl and a bit of a nervous wreck: kindred spirit.

Okay I'm going to bed as soon as the cat food is dropped off. See you all tomorrow!

Good Late Afternoon Everyone

Thank you for the update CriticalMass.
Kitty snuggles are the best medicine.
Scooter has been snuggling with me a lot.

A cane also helps with managing balance to keep you from teetering.

Got all the dishes washed today, weren't all that many.

Tiny drive by update

Roommate got home yesterday. She's still pretty under the weather. Had a lot of nausea so eating is tentative but very gradually improving. She was able to cut the pain pill in half today to start weaning off them. I had gotten her a cane yesterday at her request. They are so good to have when one is trying to get up from bed or chair because it gives a point of stability and takes some of the strain off the back and abs.

Animals and I survived - kitties seemed pretty disconcerted the last 3 days. They like me but I'm "NOT THE MOMMA!" as that little dinosaur kid on the TV show used to say. They were glad she returned and have been snuggly with her.

We're just coasting. I have a newsletter to do for the bunny club. It's so much easier now that I don't have to fight the computer every step of the way. Roommate is still sensitive to noises as a light sleeper so I'm trying to be quiet as a churchmouse.

My home clutter has fluffed a bit because I was using the sofa as my ops base then I had to cart unfinished stuff into my bedroom. Trying to go through magazines and papers when I get spare moments.

Tatoulia, I'm sorry that repair guy was hitting on you and being so annoying! I would give him a low star rating for that behavior. Totally unprofessional.

Good Evening Everyone

Because the B is next to the N and the S is next to the D.
My fingers do that too, hit the letter beside the one I intended.

WTG! getting bags to the car and litter box cleaned! 😀

So sorry to learn that sad news about your Friend in Missouri (((HUG)))

That would be so nice to have over night guest for a while.

We are proud of you too for working on your home and keeping it clean and tidy 😀

Managed to take a shower this afternoon.

Okay I would love to know why when I type and my phone changes it to abs. Sorry!

I took the photos of the light fixtures abs am keeping my fingers crossed that my friend's husband decides to make a little money before Christmas. I also took up a big bag of donations to my car. My trash is out and Miss Kitty has a clean box. What a difference using the liners. Both of our lives are much more pleasant.

I heard from a 97 year old that I write to. COVID19 has hit her facility and her fellow residents and several of the staff members including the cleaning lady are infected. I feel so sorry for her. She is worried sick for them and scared for her own health. She lives in Missouri.

I got my bedroom completely pulled together before my ladies arrived. Boy they are fabulous. They brought me lunch abs may I say, not a moment too soon. There's enough for tomorrow, too, so I'm particularly excited.

We went through the holiday schedule as I want to make sure they come the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I need them to come Monday or Tuesday before Christmas. My friend who is moving back home to Japan is staying here on the 23d. I was hoping to convince her to stay through Christmas. In truth, I was hoping she would stay here for two weeks. But she will have a rental car that she'll need to return and she flies out of NYC to Tokyo on the 27th. I've done that flight. I much prefer leaving Boston and going through Toronto. That's a nice flight. She doesn't work and lives alone and I'm not nervous about having her here. I know she likes to share a bed but one of us will get my bed and the other one will be on the foldout. I have no preference. I will have to purchase a comforter for the small bed. The nice thing about that is that once I use it, I can donate it as almost new. Pretty sweet.

I'm proud of the fact I got some household things out. What a relief. I'm also proud that I'm focusing on my house. I'll have to see when the painter wants to do my kitchen. I get paid a week from tomorrow so I can't have him in before then.

They are on their way! Then I'll run up to garage abs take pictures of light fixtures. My coworker's husband is an electrician and although he doesn't take many side jobs anymore, he did ask for picture of my ceiling abs pictures if my light fixtures. All a very good sign. My coworker used my cleaners on occasion for her mother. I do hope her husband says yes. I'm prepared to pay a lot, I just need someone decent. He works for one of the hospitals do I can't just hire his company. I had no idea he was an electrician. I knew he had a good job but not beyond that.

My bedroom is all picked up.

Good Morning

YEA! Tatoulia!
WTG! doing PUPA!
Happy you still like your chandeliers in person.
Hope all goes well for your Friend and her Cat on their trip.
So sweet of you to be there to help her.
Have a great cleaning Lady day. 😀

Hi CriticalMass

Hi Subclinical

Ok I'm ready for another great day.

Plan during work breaks: completely fix bedroom. There's an odd sock here, odd coin there. Get it fine for cleaning lady and myself. Minimum effort. Maximum greatness.

Congratulations SubC! What a beautiful day. Amazing tough work and I bet you are so proud of your students. I hope you are proud of yourself, too. Tillie I am sorry about your pain.

I had a good day. I got my chandeliers and they are fabulous. They are in the trunk of BF's car. I'll bring them here after cleaners come tmr. I went to the museum of fine arts with my friend and her kids and it was lovely being with them and having their perspective. Very little of the museum is open right now. A co worker saw me as I left so it was great to see him! I ended up taking BF's car to the museum because it's so humid out there today. After I got home I met up with a student who needs help getting her cat into the carrier for a trip on Sunday. This was a practice run. I walked in, picked up the cat, put her in the carrier. So hopefully it will go well on Sunday when I take the two of them to the airport. On my way to her house, there was a girl who went into BF's shop because a man was following her. So I walked her home. Then on my way back from the cat rehearsal, I saw one of our neighbors so I walked with her. She is all alone right now. Her son died last year and her granddaughters aren't helping her at all. She raised half the neighborhood and her granddaughter's daughter and she's alone. She mentioned how she loves my postcards. So we walked slowly back home together and it was nice.
I came home, showered, and then unfortunately did nothing.

I did get my recycling out. But I haven't taken my bags to the car and I haven't gotten any more of them together.

Due to Veterans Day, the cleaners asked to come tomorrow.

I need to just start. Hellooo badgers.

What a wonderful day you had Subclinical! 😀

Fantastic topics of discussion and great results too with them coming together even with differences.

It is hard at times not to over indulge or over demand.
Sometimes we think we are doing it right but always second guessing ourselves.
The results lay in the child's response (((HUG)))

That's so nice and telling that your room is the chosen morning hang out place. 😀

I have been laying down, doing nothing.
yadda yadda yadda pain.

Good evening.

I had a really good day at school today. I needed it, it has been a while!

Simplification/obscuring of details:
There is a group of teens that I like who gave started making my room their early morning/pre first bell hang out space. They include me in their discussion, and I clearly connected/got through to a couple of them on some behavioral points today and they responded with respect, which made me feel really good.

That carried over into first period, where I was able to engineer constructive discussion on some controversial (class related) issues and watch kids with diverse viewpoints come to agreement on some practical approaches. (What, if not why).

Heart grandson had a rough behavior day, but successful academics and I think I handled the situation pretty well. I walk a fine line between overindulging and over demanding because I don't want to overindulge.....

Third period was very calm and laid back with mostly independent art work and I got some administrative stuff done.

I actually had time to take a break during my planning period.

And in my last class, there was a lot of creative and cooperative problem solving and good observation and analysis, along with pro-social peer pressure.

How was everyone else's day?

Good Morning Everyone
🦡🦡🦡🦡🦡
Here are some Badgers who all have volunteered should they be needed.

Hi Subclinical
Heartbreaking about the Grandfather.
This virus is so cruel in so many ways ((((HUG))))

I think now more than ever we must practice isolating and cleaning things.
There have been way too many protest groups and political rallies and people not wearing masks or even believing in the virus.
Too many people like Steven who rant and rage against all the state/county mandates and are allowed to get away with breaking the rules.

I really hope the school makes the right decisions for the health and safety of students and staff.

Hi Tatoulia
I am outraged by the way that plumber treated you and your home!!!
This is exactly why I don't have people in my house except for my few friends.
After Stevens leg blood clot surgery there was an occupational therapist sent here.
From the get-go I hated her because she was intrusive/touchy into everything and constantly making stupid and offensive comments about my things.

Have a most wonderful time at the museum 😀

OK...
what area/areas of your home are bugging you the most?
A closet, cupboard, drawer etc. ??
Does a room feel too full/cluttered to you?
Focus in on one area, not the whole place.
Good luck 😀

Tatoulia, I am so sorry that happened to you!

I would have lost it. I probably would gave thrown him out and been left with my pipes open and my water off.

You can have the badger if you want, but you are doing a lot.

I am making it through another week. 103 more days of school. Our director meets with our board this week to make a decision about moving to online instruction. I'm pretty sure we will be online for the three weeks between thanksgiving break and Winter break, but I don't know how much else. The teacher survey basically came back "in the absence of community spread in the building, we want to teach in our classrooms."

But then, if you wait until you have a case of community spread, it has the potential to be really bad.

The additional kids who got tested were all negative. The boy who was sick can get retested and come back next week if he's negative. They took his grandfather off life support yesterday.

How do you live with that? As a parent I'd be telling my kids "it's not your fault." And not telling them but hearing every second of every day "it's my fault. I made the decisions. I caused this."

My state had over 6,000 cases yesterday. My county is in the 40/100,000 range. Hospitalization are climbing so steeply the graph is starting to look asymptotic.

Dh has decided not to go to physical therapy for awhile.

Everybody is excited about the vaccine, but from what I'm seeing, best case, vaccination won't be widely available until April. A year of this. We're just over the halfway mark and so far, not only do we suck at this, we're getting worse at it.

Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a good day! Or even good enough. I am about to go to bed. I'll get up early tomorrow so I can get to the reuse center and get my lights. My museum tickets let me in between 1 & 2 (meaning that's when we have to enter, we can stay til close) and it will take me at least half an hour to walk there. I will coordinate with my friends and meet them out front.

I'm going to need to badger. I'm doing miserably on reducing. I am desperate for fewer things.

This guy acted like my house was his house. He went into the kitchen and I said, what do you need, and he said, I just need to find the light switch FOR WHAT and he starts looking for Tupperware and I tell him I don't have any.

He did a good job but having to remind him on mask and getting way too familiar with my house and of course he did the obligatory trying to go on a date with me.

I had to completely wipe down bathroom (as expected) and kitchen (not expected) and at one point he told me he put one of my hallway lamps into my bedroom. Why didn't he ask me? I would've done that. And then when I went into the bedroom, I learned he walked ALL THE WAY in and put the lamp on the floor by my window. He also took the shade off. WTF. So now my bedroom has cooties too.

I had taken out my towels, etc and had put in paper towels. I threw out the paper towel roll and my TP roll. The guy was coughing and coughing.

I had mistakenly left my bathrobe in the bathroom so that is in the wash now. I also ran my dishes and kitty's dishes.

He went into my bedroom. Who does that? I could tell early in he was looking to date me and I was pretty disgusted. I shot him down: you must wear a mask. My sweetheart and I have lost 12 people to COVID-19. Younger than you.

Super pricey, too. $481.60. As my BF said, so you're back to using companies (vs local one man shops). Yes. I've been spoiled with the people who BF sends. They wouldn't dream of looking for a date.

The plumber is still here and I want him to leave. He's actually doing a good job and is dealing with problems as they come up but he's a smoker and coughing all over the place. I'm going to have to burn my bathroom to the ground.

My food choices have been particularly abysmal SubC. I ate way too much ice cream. I've now resisted for two days and I'll celebrate that, as small as it is.

I am walking more and feeling happier. I'm also not as tired. Due to walking and eating better, no doubt.

My plumber comes in a few minutes. Big relief off of my shoulders. I pick up the lights tomorrow and then I'll hire an electrician. I need to be a person of action. All of BF's stable of tradespeople have retired so I'm back to paying retail. That's okay. I'm good with it.

Tillie, when you mentioned being in your nightgowns I had the same thought as SubC, so cozy! I'm sorry your stomach has been needing quieting. I've been having painful heartburn thanks to eating way to much ice cream and other sweets. Well, I haven't had it for two days so I guess not overeating is the best thing I can do for myself.

Thank you for reminding me about my keys! So dirty! Thank you!

I own too much stuff. Let me deal with that today. It shouldn't be this hard to put things away. Kitchen I can keep nice but the rest of it is out of hand. I need to channel my inner CM and get to work. But first, let me have a good day at my actual work.

Hi all!

So much going on here!

Tatoulua, you gave a good plan to just enjoy your mom and the good moments.

I'm glad you are getting new lights. I love any store that encourages reuse!

I agree to send out the postcards. Mail has been so crazy my mom's Halloween cards all got mailed the same sag and delivered over two weeks! I already sent her her Christmas present.

CM, I hope things go well today.

Tillie, you sounded cozy. I hope you got something good to eat.

I've been eating too much/making bad choices lately because I have gained the weight I lost back.

The resting helped, but I think I need many more days of it. Two weeks to thanksgiving break.... and no news yet on the online plans.

Yesterday I prepped ice cream to freeze today and made a goat cheese cheesecake for the first time (I like it, Dh says it isn't sweet or fatty enough) egg production has dropped, so baking and ice cream are about to slow down.

I also worked on the tomatoes and am down to one bushel and no rotting. I have a small batch of sauce to can this morning.

DD's mil has chemo and radiation the next 5 months. They think she may have a couple of years, so I guess that is good news.

Back to the four day run....

We cross posted 😀

WAY TO GO!!!
You did fantastic getting things all done and ready for tomorrow. 😀

Hi Tatoulia
It is close enough to thanksgiving that you can mail them out any time now.
Things like the cards are especially important this covid year.
We all need a little sunshine of happiness.

WAY TO GO! for all you got done today!!!
What is your "go to" motivation music?
Mine is Bob Marley "legend"
Rolling Stones "Flowers"
The Who "Who's Next"
The Police "Synchronicity"

Wiping down frequently touched things is great.
Don't forget your keys and car fob too.
Too many people never wash their keys, the one dirtiest thing that most everybody has.

Sounds like you are doing everything possible to keep yourself safe.
Hope the cooler weather helps wearing the mask less stifling.

I just took a shower & washed my hair.
Have a long flannel nightgown on.
Thinking about if I want to eat and what I would eat.
Been eating buttered saltines the last few days cause I wanted to and they settle my stomach.

Okay, garbage and recycling out. Cat box changed. I've cleaned my kitchen. In the AM I just need to move everything out from under my cabinet in the bathroom and put down cardboard for the plumber. I also need to put out the liquid hand soap and paper towels.

Kitchen cleaned and wiped down. Will finish wrapping and packaging my friend's birthday gift. She had admired a vintage piece I wore to our company holiday party last year and repeatedly asked me to give it to her. I can do it this year. I wore it a lot last year. I'll miss it but it's okay. She really loved it. She lives in PA. I have a few more things in her birthday box and I'll send her flowers in her actual day. She's turning 50. And she was a widow at 45. So I like to send her flowers on important occasions.

I'll put a few more things away and go to bed.

Do all that you can to stay safe, Tillie. I am vigilant at all times. I wash my mask frequently, I wash any clothes worn outside, and I wipe down my doorknobs and my alarm pad frequently. I set my alarm each and every time I go out, and I also set it before I go to bed. So it is something I touch every time I return to my house. I have to keep it wiped down.

I am working on shredding tonight and then I have to take my garbage out.

Tillie, I was wrong about the price. $45 each?I even made her go back and check since I had remembered them as being $49. Pretty nice. I hope I like them as much in person as I think I will. She said this homeowner brought a lot of light fixtures and that if I want to come in and take a look around, I can. Otherwise they will bring into car for me.

I am amazed at my good focus today. I even had an hour and a half where I was doing volunteer work and still I got so much done today. I'm pleased as punch.

So now to put the music back on and continue with my clean up.

My Thanksgiving postcards are done. Part of me thinks I should mail them this week. Some of my recipients like to put them on their doors for the other residents of their assisted living facilities to enjoy. Thoughts? Should I send on Saturday?

Update 11/9/2020

current active positives 186
currently hospitalized 8

I am still sheltering in place.
Wish Steven would stay at home too.

Good Afternoon

Hi CriticalMass
Please be careful and don't over do at storage again.
We want your experiences at storage to always end on a positive note.
That way you won't fret going back to it again. 😀

YEA! for a new better Bunny cage set up!
Good luck finding another table for Bunny Girl.

Our thoughts will be with you and Roommate tomorrow.
Hoping this is the end of her issues ((((HUG))))

Hi Tatoulia
I agree 100% with Lisa Genova.
Sorry I prematurely aged your Mom. 😀 LOL

WTG! getting the chandeliers!
50.00 each is a really good price for light fixtures.

Very cold here all day with scattered cloudiness.
All the cats are constantly starving and eating lots of cereal.
Scooter has gotten pudgy.

Wishing you and your roommate the warmest of wishes, CM. Congratulations on the bunny hutch! Great work.

Mom is 91 not 98. I bet I had a typo! I am going to just agree with her. Lisa Genova, who has done a lot of research on Alzheimer's Disease, has said that if your loved one, for example, says, I'm waiting for my mother to take me shopping. Your response should be, well let's make a cup of tea while we wait for her. Genova says that if you correct the person, the bad feeling sticks with the person. So I need to strive to be a better person around my mother. This is so challenging.

I called the reuse center and I bought the chandeliers. I'll pick up on Wednesday. Being Veterans Day, I'll run up in the AM. Then I need to find an electrician. Would like to get up ASAP. I might see if my painter can come paint the ceiling.

Okay, back to work for me. I'm out of excuses.

Hi,

We're getting ready for roommate's surgery tomorrow. I got so fatigued the other day from what I'd done at the storage that I had to rest for a couple days. Lifting the set of shelves without taking the time to remove more stuff from them first was one of those dumb things I do sometimes when I get in a hurry.

The bunny cage project went well Saturday but took longer than I'd hoped. But it looks nice and will be easier to clean. Can't wait to get another table and do girl bunny's the same way.

The weather will cool slightly, we might have rain on the weekend. But I think temps will not plummet into wintry for awhile. After roommate is feeling stronger I should be able to resume my storage unit work and get things to a stopping place before winter.

Good Morning Everybody
"Clink!"

Hi Subclinical
Very glad you took some time off to de-stress.
Hoping it helped you a LOT.

I think you will have at least a few random garlics because without any green leaves poking out the chickens won't know they are wintering there.

WTG! harvesting the root veggies.
YUM! I really like parsnips and love rutabagas.
Had them all the time in Michigan, more so than carrots & potatoes.
But out here they are very rare to find and when the stores do have some they are in terrible condition and only good for pig food.

Wishing Dd's Mil all the best.
As if 2020 wasn't sad enough already (((HUG)))

Good luck and best wishes getting the in school/online school schedule that is the best for everybody.

Hi Tatoulia
Your reuse center sounds fabulous!
I love the idea of reusing everything possible from home remodeling/redecorating.
Yes, sounds like they ordered more lights than they needed to install.

Have to smile thinking about Mom asking you if she should cook thanksgiving dinner.
Sounds like she in living in a very nice fantasy world where she is young, spry and capable.
Please don't try to argue with her about reality, you will never win and it will upset her terribly.
She is 98? now. So wonderful she has lived so long without these "brain farts".
A group and some literature for you will help immensely.

20 steps just holding on to the wheel chair!!!
WAY TO GO! Mom!
There will be good days and then crazy days so don't let the bad days detract from the good days.

Not snowing today and the snow is disappearing even though it's only 30F out there now.
No real plans, back/spine still stiff sore & achy.

Thank you for supporting me! I need it. I do believe this is dementia setting in. I stopped by to see her. I had cat food and cat litter, and the aide brought took it up and brought mom down. We talked and I gave her the debit card back. BF and I discussed it and he said that since I'm already paying for so much, I should just go ahead and pay for everything. And he's right.

She looked very cute but tired tonight. She actually got out of her wheel chair and took about 20 steps, using the wheelchair as her walker. I was shocked at how well she was moving.

She asked me if I wanted her to cook Thanksgiving for us. So yes I've been refusing to see the changes in her mind. Before I thought she was being unrealistic but now I know, she's fading away. Now that I see it, I can stop the struggles with her.

I asked her what she'd like for Thanksgiving. I know they will feed her at her place so I will cook for her the day before. BF and I are having catering from our second favorite restaurant. It will be fun to have it just us and to have it here.

You must miss Bean so much, SubC! You are doing a great job keeping things as together as possible. I agree that in winter you should be teaching from home. Will be the best thing for you. Your vegetables sound lovely.

Tillie! I will find a support group. The chandeliers I like are $49 each at he Boston Reuse Center. It is a place where people donate kitchen cabinets, lighting, railing, etc and then people can buy it. When I go to do my kitchen I will get my cabinets from there. They only take gently used stuff. People can become members if their income is below a certain level. For example, the chandeliers I want would be $30 each if I qualified. So it is a very decent place. If you look up Boston Reuse Center, you'll be able to see the lights. They have pleated linen shades and they are lovely. They say new, so I bet they were bought for a project like a hotel or some such and they ended up with two extras. If they still have them, I'll call tomorrow to buy.

Tatoulia, I am sorry. Dementia can be so hard. My family has been lucky because so far the people who got nasty were always nasty and one person who was nasty actually got nicer. I can't imagine if my mom started being mean to me. I second the record keeping!

Snow. Wow. It was in the 70s here too. I have been pretty much lazy the last two days - just trying to let the stress slide off.

Today I sent a difficult school email and dug up the last of the parsnips, half the carrots, and half the beets. I also replanted the garlic for the 4th time and covered the bed with wire so the stupid chickens will stop digging it up. Who knows if I will have any garlic in June....

Dd is still keeping bean away. Her mil starts chemo on Monday.

My boss went out a survey and is trying to decide this week when we will go online. Choices are - teach in person this week and switch the week before thanksgiving break, switch when we "get back" from thanksgiving break, or stay as long as possible with three to seven weeks online. I picked as long as possible with a return date after her longest suggestion. (I'd like to teach in person for at least two weeks after thanksgiving break and take January and half of February online if things haven't improved enough. - it will be too cold to open my windows.)

Hi Tatoulia
I completely sympathize (((HUG)))

Yes, protect yourself with a ledger and receipts.

It was so helpful for me emotionally when the ER doctor talked to me about Steven.
Steven is so mean and nasty and lies about me all the time.
The doctor explained it was the initial brain damage left over from the brain tumor plus his heart insufficiently pumping blood to his brain plus his alcoholism.

It felt soooooo good to finally have somebody on my side.
Someone who saw it as it really is.

Look for a support group for people dealing with these kind of issues.
In person groups and/or online groups.

You are NOT alone ((((HUG))))