Saturday, February 28, 2015

New furniture

I got the tracker all cleaned up and ready to go yesterday. I actually washed and waxed it without touching the hose. :) Not sure what the feeling is on car washing here. It wasn’t allowed at BLM. I had a bucket of water and a cloth that I was using to clean out the two months of desert dust on the interior, and when I finished that, I reused the water and cloth to clean the outside. Then I used my Ice liquid polish to shine it up. It looks pretty darned good if I do say so myself. :) Since the tracker hadn’t been out for a while, I took it to the post office and hardware store. Of course, since I had the small car, it was the day the vertical blind for the sliding door to arrive. I drove back with about two feet of it sticking out the rear window. :) At the hardware store I got some parts and pieces to fix the leak in the watering system and Chad got that done for me, only to discover there is another leak at the other end. We still need to fix that one, but it is a case of cutting out the old part and reattaching the end. No parts required for that one. All that water being sprayed over the rocks will then be confined to the grapefruit tree where it is meant to be.

I was waiting for my flat pack Sauder furniture. It hadn’t arrived by the time I went to the Yacht Club to meet some of the ladies for a fish and chips dinner, but was here when I got back. I had been here all day and it showed up the one hour I was gone. I got that hauled in and put together my desk first. I am sitting at it this morning. No more computer on the kitchen table. Yay. 


It took me five hours to get all four pieces assembled. Lots and lots of little parts and pieces. And of course, the last one, the coffee table, I put together before flipping it over, and the top is damaged. Big crack along the whole top. But being a Sauder product, replacement parts are easy to order and are free. I went to the website this morning and ordered the pieces I needed and it was almost too easy. 



Anyway, I like the dark color. I can only use one of the end tables because KC’s box is where the second end table should go. And yes, there is still room for the recliner. It doesn’t feel quite as open and airy, but I can deal with it to have some furniture. If I find something I like better later, no problem, it wasn’t an expensive set. Although I do like the fact that I can get free replacement parts for five years.

This morning I ordered a set of two wooden folding chairs. One for the desk, and the other as a spare. Since they fold, the spare can live in the bedroom closet. 


Two of the big dining chairs on wheels will be moved elsewhere or sold. They are comfy, but are just too big. I hope to eventually recover the two remaining chairs in a fabric of my choice. I may try to sell the two extras in the yard sale on Friday. I only need two.

Holding off on the curtains and the rug for now. Live with what I have for now. Then see if I find something I like. I do have blinds, so the curtains will be purely decorative. Today I get to try and install the vertical blind on the sliding door. Will be glad to be rid of the ugly curtain.

Today is the first day in several weeks that I have gotten up and don’t have some huge projects in front of me. With the inclement weather (high winds and rain forecast for the next couple of days), I think I will just putter around inside. With the wind howling, it isn’t even yard sale weather. We also have a flood watch, my first. There is a wash not far from here that I will probably grab the camera and go check out if it isn’t too bad out. And I also want and need to get caught up on the weekly photo challenge. It has been a long time since I have worn daytime jammies. That is my plan for today.

Kali Cat seems comfortable and hasn’t had any major episodes. Her pee clumps are getting smaller, but she is still going and hasn’t howled all week except for food. I haven’t had to close her in the bathroom since last Saturday. Thankfully. I did get her antibiotic into her this morning, but she doesn’t like the prednisone. She gets a little bit of it in her tuna, then turns up her nose. I really don’t blame her. At least she gets a little of it. She still stands on her hind legs begging when I am fixing her food, and played with her mouse for about thirty seconds this morning. She slept on the couch the whole time I was putting the furniture together, at least when she wasn’t laying on the instructions and the bits and pieces.


I haven’t dealt with the TV antenna issue yet, and we can’t put up a new one in this weather anyway. That will be my goal for next week. I have already missed too many episodes of my favorite programs, so there really isn’t any rush to get it done. As long as it is done by the time Chad and SusAnn leave for the summer. The wind was blowing last night, and even the channels that held before were flickering in and out. Hopefully I can sell the antenna and get at least some of my money back.

I am planning on pulling out the 15 year old built in stereo and opening up that space for my printer. The speakers are crap anyway, so it won’t be any great loss and my printer will then be inside a cabinet and away from the desert dust. Right now it is sitting out in the shed with a blanket over it as I hadn’t figured out where I was going to put it. I hope it will fit. If not, it will be nice to have the stereo gone and that cabinet opened up some. I might do that today. 


Friday, February 27, 2015

Holding her own...


I got Ody cleaned and back to her storage spot yesterday. The fridge slowed me down a little, I had emptied it, turned it off and forgot about it, so I had some extra cleaning to do. I did the shower a second time and it looks pretty nice. Furniture polished all the woodwork, vacuumed the whole thing including the cab area, washed all the other surfaces, including the floors. I also took the rugs out and treated them with carpet cleaner and hosed them down. They were almost dry when I put them back in. She looks nice. Better than when I bought her. Today I need to clean the tracker. Shouldn’t take as long since it is considerably smaller. I already have someone interested in the tracker. Got them both listed as a pair on craigslist late yesterday. The listing is here...

I also did laundry and made a batch of quinoa and ground pork meatballs for the freezer. It was either use the ground pork or put it in the freezer for later, and I really wanted to have something quick and easy to fix in the freezer, so I went ahead and used it. They don’t take that long to make and I had already cooked the quinoa a day or so ago so I could make meatballs.

My flat pack living room furniture is supposed to arrive today, so I will spend some time putting that together. One of the pieces is a writing desk for my computer so I can get it off the table. Plus there are two end tables and a coffee table. Not sure when my recliner will arrive, it still shows as being in fulfillment. I’m hoping it is already on the way.

Kali Cat had a little difficulty peeing yesterday, but it wasn’t enough to make her cry or pee anywhere else than her box. I am trying to keep the box clean for her and am cleaning it several times a day. That also tells me if she is having problems or not. This morning she ate a good breakfast and got most of her meds. Yesterday, not so much. I can’t really say if she is sleeping more than usual as that is what cats do - sleep. I think we might have a bit of a reprieve. She hasn’t howled since Saturday night or the trip to the vet. I have tossed more food than I want to think about. That stuff is pretty expensive, but if she won’t eat it not much I can do.

This morning I have been looking at area rugs for the living room. The one I found that I really like is out of my price range, almost $300. The other one I like that is in my price range has that rubber backing. That stuff sticks to everything after it has been down a while, and I don’t need it sticking to the dark green carpet, which knocks it out of the running. There is a third one, I don’t like it as much as the first, and it doesn’t have the rubber backing, but does have the colors I want. Here are the two rugs without the one with the rubber backing. The first one is the one I like, but costs too much, the second is in my price range and is similar.



I will have to decide at some point in the near future, or just live with the dark green carpet.

Well, I guess that is about it for today. This afternoon I am joining some of the neighborhood ladies for Friday Fish Fry at the Yacht Club. They eat dinner VERY early here. Assuming that Kali Cat maintains. If she doesn’t, I won’t be going anywhere. I really hope my recliner comes soon, I would like some lap time before it is too late. 

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Five years

Today is the anniversary of Jake’s death. It just feels like another day now. I miss him every day, so today is no different other than marking the milestone.


With Kali Cat and her failing health, I really haven’t had much time to think about anything else. Other than the similarities of taking care of a failing Jake and a failing Kali Cat, around the same time of year. I am still hoping she goes on her own so I don’t have to make that choice. 

Yesterday didn’t go as planned. I did get a decent start on the day and went and got Ody and took her to dump her tanks, flush and add enzymes. I drove out to La Posa South where the dump station is, I already paid my fee when I got here, and dumped both tanks. Then went and added some fresh water to both the black and gray tanks and the first treatment of enzymes. I drove around the loop that I stayed at for the winter, saw Lee and stopped and talked to Connie and Bob for a few minutes. My campsite had already been taken by another camper. Must have been a good site. :) Once I finished the loop, sloshing all the water around, I went and waited in line to dump again. After I did that, I brought Ody back and put her in the driveway. My intent was to vacuum, the first stage in cleaning, but Chad was ready to try and fix the antenna and see if we could get my channels back. We lost a couple of hours with that, to no avail. I guess I am going to have to buy another antenna. This one isn’t as good as the reviews made it out to be. And of course, I already tossed the box, so I can’t send it back. :( I will deal with that in a few days. I have lost all three of the major networks and even tho I do have FOX, it won’t stay tuned.

I have been dealing with achy feet and dry skin for a couple of days. Walking is painful. I have cracked skin on my left heel, and another spot under one of my toe nails. Ouch!

I did manage to get the first pass done on the bathroom and kitchen area of Ody. Today I hope to finish it up and get her up for sale. I want to hose down the rugs, vacuum and wash the floors, and wipe down the cupboards and clean the glass. I also still need to uninstall my charge controller for the solar setup. I want to set that up in the shed. The cab area where the litter box was will need extra attention, plus it has a ton of desert dust.

Today she is having difficulty peeing again. She doesn’t seem to be hurting tho. No crying, just repeated trips to the litter box. She hasn’t reached the stage of peeing wherever she can, so I haven’t put her and her box in the bathroom…yet. Hopefully she will pass whatever is causing the blockage, I think that is what the clots are all about. They are in the box daily now. She is still eating, and with the prednisone, seems to be hungrier than before. But she isn’t getting all of her meds, she just won’t eat all of the food I put them in. But I figure some is better than none.

I wrapped up my chores yesterday around 3 and spent quite a bit of time on the couch with her. I don’t know how many more times I will be able to do that, so I do it when I can.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

More meds

Well the trip to the vet, even tho we had to drive less than a mile this time, was the usual poop and puke fest. I even remembered to bring a clean pee pad to change the carrier while the vet was looking at her. and she pooped on that one too. She was feeling much better until I put her in the carrier to take her to the vet. But according to him, the tumor hasn’t grown since he saw her last, and to keep her on the antibiotics to prevent infection. I asked him for an anti inflammatory, and he gave her prednisone. So now, she is getting three meds a day. But so far, I have managed to get her to eat her tuna which has meds in it, and then the third one goes in her food. She is being fussy this morning tho and hasn’t finished either, yet is asking for more. 


There are little clots of blood in the litter box, so her condition isn’t good. I don’t know how long this reprieve will last, but I will take what I can get.

After bringing her back and giving her some tuna, I left her alone and went and did some shopping. I stopped at Salvation Army hoping that curtain for the sliding door was still there, but it was gone. Oh well. You gotta buy it when you see it. I did get a little bookend stand thingy for my cookbooks and a plastic fish plate. Not a lot. I very rarely walk out of there with empty hands. From there I went to Dollar General, got what I needed there. They only had one small container of cat litter, so I grabbed a bag of cheap non clumping litter to supplement it. Will have to check back the next time I go by. We are going thru a lot of cat litter. 

I went to one of the vendors down on the “strip” looking for folding tables. I ended up getting a set of legs for $12, now all I have to do is find a makeshift top. I may just use the box my solar panel came in, it is quite large and sturdy. That is now my spray painting box.

I have discovered smoked pork chops. Yum! They are so good. I went to the market and bought a couple of those, some burger, a few veggies, and some ground pork. Came back and cooked some quinoa and put a beef stew in the crock pot. Of course, since I didn’t get the crockpot going until after 1, it wasn’t ready for dinner last night. I will have it tonight instead. I am also going to make some meatballs with the ground pork and quinoa to put in the freezer. I haven’t made those since I was in VT. This is also my first beef stew since then.

It has been cold here, relatively speaking. I have worn long pants and layers for two days now and will probably have to again today. At least the wind has finally stopped. I just ran a channel scan on the TV and it is back up to 17 even tho several of them won’t stay. Chad and SusAnn are back and he is going to adjust the antenna for me today.

Leslie, a fellow new englander, brought over a little ceramic mexican frog to go with my fountain. And some pee pads for Kali Cat. A little housewarming gift. :) That was very nice of her.



Today, I guess I am going to have to deal with Ody. At least get her tanks drained and flushed. Then maybe tomorrow, I will get her cleaned. Unless I get a burst of energy today. I really need to get that done. I did get some cleaner/deodorizer for the tanks yesterday, plus some baking soda for the fridge. I have to remember to clean the inside of the fridge and the microwave, which means I will have to run the generator.

Well, I guess that is about it for this morning. I need to get some breakfast before the day gets started. 

I have been trying to figure out what to do about the sliding door and the curtain issues. I think I am going to go with a vertical blind on the door for privacy, although there were some sliding panels I really liked, but they were translucent, so I guess that won't work. And then I will get some inexpensive blackout curtains for the door and the two side panels on the front windows and the side window. I don't want to spend a lot because they are curtains! My tastes change, and so do my curtains.




Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Lots of little stuff and another trip to the vet

I got quite a bit done yesterday in spite of the feeling of impending doom and the fact that I didn’t feel like doing anything. It is tough dealing with an aging kitty that probably doesn’t have a lot of time left and has very painful episodes. I am fighting a depression. It is that time of year, plus all the kitty stress. She got to go out for the first time yesterday. And while we were out and about, she was showing signs of having another episode. Wandering from spot to spot trying to pee. :( So, I called the vet, he was in surgery all afternoon and told me to bring her in first thing this morning. I put her and all her stuff in the bathroom and she slept the afternoon away. No howling, no panting, just diarrhea. Then she was fine. She is peeing, and acting normal again. In fact, more like herself than she has in a while. I am still going to take her this morning. I don’t think the antibiotics are doing anything for her, but maybe he has some sort of anti inflammatory I can give her.


I lost some time in the shed looking for the solar fountain pump and panel that I know I saw on Sunday. I went thru every bin, twice. I finally found it in my last ditch look. I had taken it out of the bin and put it on the shelf knowing that I would be using it. Go figure. That was very frustrating. Anyway, I used the very different glass bowl that I got at the trade blanket on Sunday and made a little fountain for the yard. It is sitting on a small plastic bucket which is camouflaged by rocks. There was a line of rocks against the far fence that must have been a garden at some point, but there was nothing there. They needed a real purpose. The leftover rocks I used to finish lining the bottom of the front fence to keep Kali Cat from going thru the gaps.


I did borrow the ladder from next door and got the stained glass planter thing with the fairy lights in it hung up, and put my dragonfly string lights on the front of the shed. And I finally got out my spray paint and painted the picture frame for that print I bought a couple of weeks back, and then had to find the print that Lee had re matted for me after Kali Cat peed on it. I sprayed the brass candle holders that have solar lights in them, and they look so much better black than they did brass. I hung the little painting that I bought at the Senior Center craft fair a month or so ago too. Lots of little stuff got done.





Was looking forward to finally being able to watch Castle on TV last night, but I seem to have lost all my channels. I went from 17 channels to 2. I rescanned several times, managed to get up to 7, none of them NBC, then lost those when I scanned again and couldn’t get them back. My antenna must have gotten turned in the wind. Chad and SusAnn are away for a couple of days, so I will just have to be patient until they get back and he can readjust it for me. Hopefully the channels aren’t gone for good.

I really don’t expect to get much done today. I will be loosing a good part of the morning with the vet visit since I won’t be the first one there and will have to wait in line. I also need to find some cat litter in this town since DG didn’t have any last week. Been going thru paper towels and pee pads and need those too. And I need to get to the post office. I’m sure I have at least one package there. By the time I get all of that done, we’ll see if I have any motivation left. Maybe I can at least get Ody’s tanks dumped and flushed.

With Kali Cat being sick, I can’t go anywhere or do anything. She requires constant supervision and care. It has kept me from doing all the fun things that this town offers, and one of the main reasons I decided to settle here. Right now, I feel just like I did when I was living in IP, stuck at home doing nothing. I’m thinking if we can get KC back on an even keel, I can confine her to the bathroom while I am out and start doing stuff again. I really want to make a trip to Yuma, but right now, can’t leave her alone that long. She is getting meds three times a day. That is a pretty short leash. I haven’t done anything in several weeks. I really would like to get out and see some more of the area, get back to the rock club before it closes for the season, maybe take another class or two…instead of just sitting here and waiting for KC to die. I know, that is pretty rough, but that is also basically exactly what is going on.

I really need to get back to walking again too. I want to check out the neighborhood and the surrounding area. Maybe get some photos. We have bunnies and quail right here in the park, lots and lots of beautiful plants and gardens, so much to look at and appreciate, and I haven’t managed to get out and do that. I am finally reaching a point where I am pretty much unpacked and settled in. Yes, there are areas that need organizing and sorting, but there is no rush and I will get to them when it bugs me enough to deal with it. For now, it is out of sight and out of mind. The pressing items is getting Ody cleaned and sold and the tracker cleaned and sold. Will be nice to have that taken care of, and then I can look for my new trailer.

I need to get caught up on the photo challenge. As of today, I am already two weeks behind, this will make three. I really want to get caught up before the next week's challenge. That will take some time as it is all new stuff to me.

And Dave, up the street, came by to check out my non working outlet. Come to find out, it is on a switch. I felt pretty stupid, but I have never lived in a place with switched outlets. At least it was an easy fix. :) 

Well, time to get myself showered and dressed and then figure out how to get KC in the carrier. She hates it. Maybe tuna will work. I usually use chicken, but don’t have any at the moment. Wish me luck. :)






Monday, February 23, 2015

Shed work

Yesterday wasn’t too bad. Kali Cat was fine all day. She even passed a sizable clot at one point, and then her urine cleared up. This morning she has had breakfast three times. She got one at 3 AM when I got up and has bugged me two more times since then. If she is asking, I am giving. Now she is off sleeping it off. She won’t snuggle on the bed with me, hasn’t since we moved in here. It was a regular thing in Ody. Not sure why. It isn’t the bedroom, she sleeps in the corner under the chair most of the time. Maybe it is the blanket I put on the bed. I should probably wash it, see if that helps. She might have peed on it at some point.

I got my ice maker yesterday. It is bigger than the one I had. I set it up out on the patio since I don’t really have a spot for it in here. We don’t get the weather here that the northeast gets, so it should be fine out there. It is under cover, and easy to get to. I’m pleased that I didn’t order a new one and got this one for less than half of what I would have paid for a new one.


Spent some time in the shed. Emptied all the bags that I just dumped in there when I was finishing unloading Ody. I was so sick of it by then, I just took the bags and put them in the shed to be dealt with later. I still need to spend some more time in there and organize and sort some more stuff, but the floor is clear and I did take the window headers, stripped off the material and the molding, flipped them over and hung them on the walls as shelves. I now have a small shelf running along the top of two of the four walls. :) Recycling at it’s best. 



Pulled together some stuff for the trade blanket, and took a huge load of cardboard and trash to the dumpsters. All in all, a fairly productive day. When I got back last night I had to go close Ody’s windows. It had been blowing pretty steadily thru out the day and black clouds had moved in. I’m glad I did, it started raining about 3 AM and has been raining off and on since then. It is supposed to clear. The antenna held up against the wind, which was a relief.

When I was out this morning, the watering system came on, it has sprung a leak since the last time and I need to patch that today. I need to figure that system out because if I am going to have any type of garden, I need to know how to tap into it. The water pressure here is unbelievable. I think I need to get a regulator for the system. That is probably what blew out the tubing with the sun helping it along.

I got  a big white hat shaped glass bowl with a hole in it at the trade blanket yesterday. And while I was sorting, came across my solar fountain stuff. I want to set it up as a fountain in the yard. I even have a plastic bucket I can put under it so it can recycle the water. I don’t know if I will get to it today, I am hoping to finish up Ody today. The rain is supposed to end fairly early. I got a bunch of other stuff I really don’t want, so I will put that in Friday’s yard sale.

I also got the little solar panel hung to power my solar generator. Later this week, or when I get a chance to buy a battery, I will set up the large panel and regulator in the shed so I will be able to run my printer and whatever equipment I need. I’m hoping one battery will do it. If not, I can always add another later.

The empty place next door has a 6ft step ladder out behind the shed that I am going to borrow. That way I won’t have to buy one right away. Maybe I can find one at a yard sale that won’t cost as much as a new one.

Well, that is about all I have this morning. I’m looking forward to having both Ody and the tracker cleaned and sold, at least on the market so I don’t have that job in front of me. Then I can concentrate on organizing here. I need to get some cupboard shelves, shelves for over the washing machine, figure out how to organize the spice cupboards, they are triangular, and if it isn’t in the front row, I can’t find it. I need some turn tables or something. Or pull out drawers. All the shelves are adjustable which is kind of nice, but they are cheap pressed board so won’t hold a lot of weight. I may have to have some new shelves cut out of something a little sturdier at some point. There is a lot of storage here, but the bigger ones turn into black holes, things go in to never be seen again.  Thankfully, I don’t have that much stuff any more.

Oh! I finally found a latch that will work as a lock on my screen door. On Ebay. It isn’t exactly what I was looking for, but will work just fine. Cost five bucks. Most of them I saw ran between 12 and 30 dollars. I refuse to pay that.


Sunday, February 22, 2015

A bad night for Kali Cat

Kali Cat had another episode last night, and it was a bad one. She was in a lot of pain. I don’t think the amoxycillin is doing a thing for her. I decided this morning that I am putting her back on the Cosequin twice a day indefinitely. She is much better this morning and has had two breakfasts. I figured out that she will eat the new food if I don’t water it down. I have been giving her her amoxicillin in some tuna and water, then giving her her breakfast. With her second breakfast, I gave her some Cosequin, and will do the same thing tonight.

Yesterday I got the last of the window treatments down with the help of Chad from out back. He held the thing while I removed the screws. It sat on the patio all day while I figured out what to do with it. I eventually snapped off the ends and removed the cloth and the moulding and will hang the pieces upside down in the shed as shelves. Recycling. :) The living room looks so much better without those ugly things, and you can actually see the sea shell window now without obstruction. I will live without window treatments until I figure out what I want to do. I have the mini blinds, so I am not completely without. I did hang my mexican blanket on the window in the bedroom. I think I will sew a pocket into it and make that the bedroom curtain. I did leave the curtain on the sliding door for now, but saw a nice red one at Salvation Army that I might go back and see if they still have. 






I also did a little cleanup outside. Trimmed the dead branches out of the grapefruit tree, and then cleaned up all the dead leaves and dead weeds in the yard. Later I even swept the patio. By pruning the grapefruit, it left some big gaps in it. I went and got my bird house and stuck it in one of the holes. It looks better in the tree than it did against the fence. I was lucky, found my saws and my pruner. Took a while, but they were just what I needed. I didn’t make it to the dumpsters, and should do that today. Although I will keep one big piece of cardboard so I can do some spray painting. I want to paint the brass candle sticks and the frame for the southwestern print so I can get that hung on the wall.


I finally managed to get my paperwork to Dave up the street, and visited a few minutes with Vicky, one of my neighbors. Then at four, I met nine other widow ladies at the Stagecoach Restaurant for dinner. Seven of them from here in the “resort”, two others local, but different parks. I was the youngest. But it was fun, and I didn’t have to cook dinner. Not something I can do on a regular basis, just isn’t in the budget.

Today I want to finish changing the handles on the cupboard doors. See how far they will go. I think I will only have enough to do the kitchen and bathroom, but I don’t really see the ones in the bedroom anyway. We’ll see. Then I need to make a trip to the dumpsters, and this afternoon is the trade blanket - if Kali Cat maintains her current status. So I need to pull together some stuff for that, Which means I will have to do some work in the shed. The park wide yard sale is this coming Friday, and I need to have the shed sorted by then. I did not do the tailgater on Saturday, too many other things to do, and I wasn’t organized enough to pull it together. 

With Kali Cat having her ups and downs, and meds three times a day, I won’t be getting to Yuma for a recliner or any other kind of shopping. So I just went online and found a Lane Wall Hugger recliner and ordered it. It is the same as I had in VT, so I know it will be a good one. I really liked the big green chairs we had in the living room, but I don’t have the space for one of those here. The new chair is going to be chocolate microfiber, not one of my favorite colors, but will be covered anyway and is a pretty neutral color. Beats that pink thing that was here. It will be nice to have a recliner again and Kali Cat will be able to have her lap time. We have both missed that. Prices have gone down on them too, it is about $150 less than I paid for my little one in VT.

Chad replaced the bottom pole on the antenna last night so it would be more sturdy. I lost a couple of channels tho. I don’t think the antenna is pointed due north. They are taking off for a couple of days, so I won’t mention it until they get back. Of course, the one channel that had anything worth watching on last night was CBS, and it couldn’t hold the signal. I ended up just turning it off. Tonight is Downton Abbey. I get to watch it on the big screen tonight. Haven’t seen it for a couple of weeks. Hopefully I still get that station. 

It is quite windy today. I’m glad Chad changed the pole. I could just picture the antenna getting a good updraft and taking off. 

Well, I guess that is about it for me this morning. A very emotional and conflicting time for me right now. All the new good stuff combined with the bad Kali Cat illness, dealing with taking care of a sick Kali Cat just reminds me of taking care of a sick Jake…Jake’s death anniversary this week, and the fact that he should be here with me.  It is pretty much constant turmoil. No wonder I am not sleeping. I did get a nap yesterday, and will shoot for one today too.


Saturday, February 21, 2015

Lots of new stuff

I did a lot and a lot got done yesterday. I went and hit a bunch of yard sales, didn’t buy much, there is a lot of junk out there, but managed to find a working Sony DVD player for five bucks, and a couple of round cabinet knobs for fifty cents. 


Went to the post office and picked up four packages, Dollar General for some other stuff, and then came back and did four of the five modifications to my screen door. I cut the screw and drilled a hole to mount the two knobs on the door slide. Then I installed the push bar and grille. And last but not least, put a spring on the door so it is self closing. The only other thing I want to do to the door is figure out a way to lock it from the inside. I haven’t had any luck finding the piece I need to do that. 


I also got rid of the old TV yesterday and a VCR. Did laundry and hung that out before I went out yard sailing. My TV antenna came yesterday, so Chad went to the hardware store and bought the pipe and clamps we needed to put it up and then he put it up for me. It was almost too easy. Less than an hour, and just hooked it into the existing satellite wiring and it worked! We expected it to be much more difficult. The only thing is, I’m not sure the pipe he bought is heavy enough. I’m afraid it will come down in the wind, and we get lots of wind here. Time will tell. 

I was up at 2:30 this morning and I started taking down window treatments, curtains, hardware, wooden pieces. The big one on the end still needs to come down, but it is a two person job and will try to grab Chad later. It will only take a few minutes. 

I was going to go to another yard sale today, but have decided against it. Spread it out or I will get tired of it. 

Oh, I also got a bunch of leaf handles for my cabinets. Used $20. I installed some of those last night too. I have a few more to do, but they are much nicer than the brass and white ones that were there. Today I am buying a used ice maker for $45. A savings of about $75.



Kali Cat really isn’t doing well. She was better yesterday, she slept all day. She did get a little frisky last night and played some, then we sat on the couch and slept in front of the TV. This morning she has had some pink urine, at least it was a good quantity. It looks as if she had some trouble peeing during the night tho, lots of little clumps. We’ll see what the doc has to say when she goes on Thursday. Maybe there is something else we can give her, the antibiotic doesn’t seem to be doing the trick. She did eat a good breakfast this morning. I gave her some around 3 AM when I was up, and then again around 5 when she was asking for it. She is off sleeping in the corner of the bedroom now. 

I don’t have a lot on the agenda for today. Finish swapping out the knobs, finish taking down the window treatments, take the cardboard and trash to the dumpsters, dinner with all the resort widows at 4 at the Stagecoach Restaurant. I figured out where that was yesterday. Bee offered to pick me up, but I would rather take my own car. BTW, I think I am the youngest person in the park. Hard to believe I am in an old timers community. But there are no kids either, a definite plus.

Well, it is getting late and I need to get showered and dress so I can get some work done.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Kali Cat is feeling a little better

Had a change in plans yesterday, the carpet cleaner guy called and he had time to do them in the afternoon. So I spent my time prepping for that. I also moved Ody to her parking place without cleaning or dumping tanks. I still need to do that. Maybe today, maybe Monday. We’ll see how much energy I have after I hit a couple of yard sales.

I had planned on going to a yard sale yesterday anyway, so I did. I got a set of Harmon/Kardin surround sound speakers for five bucks. Wasn’t sure if they worked, and didn’t when I first plugged them in, but I checked the fuse, and by reseating it, I got them to work. They sound very nice and will be a great improvement for the new TV, but I need to get an adapter first. Got that ordered and on the way. Those were a really good find. I almost walked away from them. Glad I didn’t. I also got a stained glass plant hanger thing that I cleaned up and put some solar fairly lights in. Now I need to find a place to hang it.

When the carpet cleaner guy left, the house was all torn apart, so I had to put it back together again, including setting up the bed yet again. Didn’t take too long, I don’t have much in the way of furniture. I did move the couch back in front of the windows and used it last night to watch a movie. Was definitely more comfortable than sitting in the kitchen chair.

I picked up the bird house that I liked so much too. For now, it is over on the far fence. The place looks a lot different without Ody blocking everything, but I will bring her back to clean her.

Kali Cat had a better day. Decent amount of clumps in the box. She is pretty lethargic tho. She spent the time the cleaner guy was here plus some drying time in the bathroom. She didn’t complain like she did the night before. She ate a good breakfast this morning, and I gave her a second helping. She gets tuna at lunch time, and more cat food at night, but it isn’t the stuff from the vet, she won’t eat that. The smell of the cleaner doesn’t seem to bother her. I was worried about that.

I hooked up my Apple TV last night so I could watch a DVD on the new TV. Was hoping to use the new speakers too, but I need that adapter to hook them up. Took some trial and error, but I got everything working and watched a movie. Should be easier tonight since I got it all figured out.

Carolyn stopped by to pick up the sold sign in the yard, told her I had the carpets cleaned and she said, once again, that they had been done. I told her about the mess under the bed and she said they didn’t move any furniture. Why would someone pay to have carpets cleaned and not do under the furniture? What a waste. It was nasty under the bed. Mike, the cleaner guy, said they were really dirty. I’m thinking someone paid for a cleaning they didn’t get.

I just tracked a couple of packages, my TV antenna is at the post office. So that is a priority on my list for today. Will be nice to have something to watch other than movies that I have already seen. The bar and the grille for the screen door are there too. So maybe Monday will be a better day to deal with Ody. I could use a break from that anyway. There are a couple of yard sales I would like to go to this morning too. 

I haven’t had much luck finding the few pieces of furniture that I need, so I just ordered what I needed online. Flat pack that will need to be assembled, but they all match. I got a writing table for my computer and a set of end tables and a coffee table. About the only thing I need now is a night stand, and that can wait until one presents itself. I am using the tray table for now.

I have to say, the stress and the worry and the care of Kali Cat in her final days is bringing back all the memories of taking care of Jake in his final days. It is very stressful, and the fact that she is going to be leaving me soon underlies everything. Taking care of her is turning into a full time job just like it did with Jake. And it is hard to deal with. But there isn’t much I can do about  it except to live with it. I hope she goes on her own, peacefully, and that I don’t have to make that final decision.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Kali Cat and sleep

Kali Cat had a rough day and night last night, she was having trouble peeing again. Howling, etc. This is the first time this has happened at night, and there wasn’t much I could do for her. She didn’t want  to be held and when she got up on the bed, she peed. She also threw up on the living room rug, twice. So after all of that, I decided to put her in the bathroom for the night to minimize the mess. I put her box, the dinner she didn’t eat, and some water in there and closed her in. It is one of her favorite sleeping spots anyway, or was until I closed the door. This morning she seems to be better. Sizable clumps in the litter box, so I am going to just wait and see what happens. The vet is off on some conference or something this week anyway. My only other option is to take her to Blythe, which is a half hour away. She is still on antibiotics, and goes back to this vet next week. This is happening more and more often, so her tumor must be growing. I don’t know how much time we have left. It is a wait and see thing now. She was anxious for her breakfast and had some serious purring going on. A good sign. Ears and nose are cooler too.

I worked my ass off yesterday to finish cleaning out Ody. At that point, I just wanted it done. I basically bagged stuff and dumped it in the shed to be dealt with later. In and amongst all of that, my new TV came, and the bed frame. I got the TV set up and half the bed frame set up and transferred my twin mattress to that, then later, Fed Ex came again with the new mattress. So I started the bed process all over again. Got the new mattress unrolled and expanded, made up the bed. Put the twin back in Ody. I was really hurting by the end of the day, but Ody is now empty except for removing the charge controller and inverter and a couple of power cords in one of the bays. Yay! I still have a mess of stuff to deal with, but I am done running back and forth with bags full of stuff.

Today, I am thinking about taking Ody to dump and rinse her tanks, then moving her to her parking spot in the storage area. I can clean her over there, but am not going to do it today. I am tired of her blocking the whole driveway. There is also a yard/estate sale this morning that I want to hit. I need a desk and something to put the printer on. Right now it is sitting on the couch. I can’t stand it when things aren’t in their place, it is bugging me and it hasn’t been there 24 hours yet. Not that I use the couch. Although, since I don’t have a recliner, I should move it back where it was so I can use it to watch TV until I do get a new recliner.. Hmmmm……

I got some tunes going yesterday with my little Bose speaker and iPod. I tried the built in stereo and speakers, but they are so old they are crap. I will be pulling the stereo out and tossing it. I don’t know if the speakers will be any good on something different, will figure it out at some point. 

The shed is a disaster, that is where most of yesterday’s dumping occurred. I will have to spend some time out there sorting and rearranging so I can have a decent work space. I will put all of the RV stuff for the new rig in one spot and work around that. Once I get the new rig, all of that stuff will go in there. I can’t believe how much stuff I had in Ody. I don’t know how I fit it all in. I was beginning to worry that I was going to run out of cupboards and cabinets, but I didn’t. I still have a few empty ones. I’m sure I will be organizing and reorganizing for a while yet.

I slept last night, in spite of the Kali Cat issues. I took some Simply Sleep because I was over tired, hadn’t had more than four hours sleep a night for the last couple of weeks, and I just needed to get some sleep. I didn’t get up until 5 this morning. I did wake up a couple of times, thankfully I didn’t need to use the bathroom because KC was in there. Went right back to sleep. I can’t say I feel rested, but I am feeling better.

Oh, I also went to the Farmers Market, post office, grocery store and Salvation Army yesterday morning, so it was a very full day. Not doing a whole lot today. I think when I do go out, a yard sale first, I will close the bedroom door to keep Kali Cat out. There are too many hidden spots she can pee, and I don’t want to have to go hunting for them. Although I think the worst of this episode is over. I hope. 

The days are in the 80’s right now, no humidity, so it isn’t bad at all. Nights are in the upper 40’s. It warms up fast when the sun comes up. I spend as much time outside as I can.

Tomorrow, I hope to start walking again. I figured that I have been doing enough walking back and forth between the house and Ody this week. But I would like to get out and see the neighborhood. And eventually get back into doing stuff. I haven’t done much of anything fun since this whole buying  a place thing started. Being able to do things was one of the main reasons I decided to buy here.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Almost there...

I got six hours of sleep last night! Plus an hour and a half nap yesterday. There is hope! I was considering taking some Benadryl to get a night’s sleep, but it messes with my blood pressure, so it is a last resort for me. But maybe I am on a new trend. Lets hope.

The bed and the recliner are both gone. Thankfully. I didn’t like having them out on the patio, so was very happy when the guy showed up with a truck last night. Still haven’t gotten a call back from the carpet cleaner guy. He got such glowing references, I am surprised and disappointed. Wanted to get them done before the new bed got here. It is supposed to be delivered on Monday.

I got everything I wanted to do yesterday done. Got all the storage stuff moved from Ody into the shed, next week I want to get my workshop set up. I also got my “hidden” stuff moved, so all that is left is bits and pieces. The kitchen drawers, the upper cupboards, and personal items in the cab. I want to get all of that cleaned out today, and to actually clean Ody tomorrow and go dump and flush the tanks. Then she will be ready to be moved to her temporary spot until she finds a new home. Then the tracker still needs cleaning too. A couple of days off and then organizing will begin, and furniture shopping. I need my recliner. Something soft and cushy that will stay reclined. I might start getting more sleep if I had the chair to go to when I wake up in the middle of the night. I was really excited to find a recliner here, and then very disappointed when it turned out to be a piece of unusable crap. So basically, the only furniture I kept was the sleep sofa and the kitchen table and chairs. Not crazy over either, but I don’t hate them either. So they will stay for a while. 

The funky smell in the bedroom seems to be gone. I have no idea what it was, but am glad it has finally gone away.

I did get the geraniums and the agave repotted. I also started some cat grass seed for KC. A big bowl of it. No grass here, so will have to grow it for her. I even got my nails cut and filed. I had broken one the other day when I was in the car, and finally got around to dealing with it and cut the rest of them short as well.

Last night I watched my movie sitting in one of the kitchen chairs with a foot stool. It wasn’t the most comfortable seating, but at least I didn’t fall asleep in front of the TV, although I wondered there for a few minutes. Crashed at 9, up once for the bathroom and then woke up around 3:45. That is progress. 

I saw a very bright shooting star while I was out a little earlier. That was pretty kool. I might have a hummingbird nest in the grapefruit tree, if so, I won’t be doing much with the tree except fertilizing it until the nest has fledged. I will watch the next day or so and see if it is a nest.

My new TV should be delivered today, and the new antenna Friday-ish. Chad, out back, said he would install the antenna for me. I will be very happy to have TV again. I have missed several new episodes of the shows I normally watch, and can’t watch them online because of the expense to do that. Maybe I can get them, or at least Castle, on DVD. Love that show. I have slept thru several of them tho, so that isn’t a bad idea.

Well, just about time for me to get moving. Want to get another early start, seems to help, and I will be loosing some time to food shopping and the post office. I don’t much like working past noon or one, that is about when I run out of steam, motivation, whatever, and it is also when it is the warmest. It gets really quiet here in the afternoon. :)

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Visible progress

Reached my goal yesterday getting the upper and lower cabinets in Ody”s storage area cleared out. Also got my quilts in and up on their shelf. They will need to be refolded for uniformity and optimal display, but are done for now. Found a taker for both the bed and the recliner, so with the help of my back yard neighbor, got the bed out and waiting for it to be picked up this morning. Then I hauled out the vacuum and cleaned that disgusting mess of a carpet. Sprayed it with lysol and ran the big fan for a while. I think whatever was smelling, is gone. Hopefully. I have a call in to a carpet cleaning company and maybe I can get them both done before the new bed gets here. That would be great. For now, I am using my storage bins as a base and the mattress from Ody. I’m hauling the recliner out this morning, that way I don’t have to have a stranger in my house.

Also got my shade sail up yesterday and the hummingbird feeder filled and out. So I am making definite progress. Today’s goal is to finish cleaning out Ody’s middle area and maybe the rest of the kitchen cupboards. Most of that will all go in the shed, so there won’t be much assimilating and absorbing, hoping it goes pretty fast. I am getting really, really tired of this whole moving thing. I need to get her cleaned out, cleaned up and on the market.

Kali Cat is ok. She will NOT eat the prescription food…at all. :( But seems to be pretty comfortable here. She raced from one end of the place to the other this morning, which is considerably longer than the run in Ody. She isn’t using her outdoor crate, but maybe she will eventually. 

So far for wild life I have seen bunnies, lizards, hummers, mourning doves and a few birds I haven’t identified yet. Of course, most of the time I don’t have my glasses on, so I can’t really see them either.

Well, I want to get an early start this morning, so I will go for now. 

Monday, February 16, 2015

Closets!

Got a much earlier start yesterday and got Ody’s bathroom emptied. Got all my clothes put away, the bathroom organized for now…not completely happy with it, but will deal with it later. There is very little storage in the bathroom, unlike everywhere else. My first clothes closet in 25 years! The last one I had was on Bracket Street.

I wrapped all that up around 1, got a semi snooze in the outdoor recliner, and then off I went to the trade blanket. It wasn’t as good this week as I hadn’t had time to pull together some good stuff. But I did ok. Was really tired, and there were a lot of local politics discussed. Big gaps in the actual trading.

When I left there, since I drove the car, I went to the Arco and bought two bags of ice. I haven’t ordered my ice maker yet, and it is warm enough to need ice in my drinks now. The freezer is big enough for several bags. :) I was too tired to drive the scooter, just didn't feel adventurous enough. Although if I stood on my roof, I could probably see the flags a few blocks over.

I got the rest of my solar lights put out last night after letting them absorb sunshine all day. Pulled the ones that didn’t work, and found spots for the ones that did. I did not get anything potted.

Catfish and turnip greens for dinner last night. This morning I dragged out the crock pot and started a broth for KC. Used all of the beef from the other day. I had what was edible Saturday night. She should like that. I put in some cabbage and onions and turnip greens for the veggies. The idea is to cook it all down to mush, remove the fat and serve. Supposed to be good for her, and I can put her meds in it.

I want to get another early start this morning, but need a shower and to wash my hair first. There is an ozone smell, so I am wondering if my water heater is leaking. At first I thought it was coming in from outside, now I’m not so sure. Will have to check that out.

Today’s goal is to get all the cabinets in Ody’s middle emptied. Shouldn’t be too bad, I did a couple loads of canned and dry goods last night. Needed something to go with my fish and since I am out of fresh veggies, had to use canned. I also want to get my quilts in and put away. Then, if I still have energy, I will start working on the storage bunk. That is where most of the stuff is, but that at least is all in containers and should be much easier to move.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Little progress yesterday

Yesterday wasn’t a productive day as far as moving is concerned. I did get the outside cubby emptied out, and put up the pole I had used for my bird feeder at La Posa so I could get my solar chandelier off the ground. I don’t really have a spot to hang it just yet and it was bugging me on the ground. I also moved the scooter out of the shed and organized just a little. Between the phone calls and the people stopping by to chat, I just lost my motivation. Oh well, it isn’t going anywhere. 

Everyone that stopped by invited me to the potluck at the club house. And since so many people did, I gave in and went. Drove the scooter, could have walked, it is that close, but the scooter hadn’t been out in a while. What a meal! Even for me, avoiding sweets and carbs, I had plenty to eat! A huge roast beef, all sorts of salads, deserts, mac and cheese, and so much more! I even brought home a couple of slices of roast beef and some shreds for Kali Cat. I had a huge chocolate covered strawberry for dessert. For some reason, and I am not complaining much, but I managed to get the fatty pieces both times I got my roast. The first time for my dinner, and again, even worse when I got a couple of slices to bring home. Ugh! I think I pissed the guy off some when I went and asked for one with less fat. But I got a nice little slice I can eat, and will pull apart the other two slices and put the majority of it in the crock pot for KC’s broth. She will like it. 

Now that I have full time electricity, I want to make a beef stew. But I need to get some veggies. That means grocery shopping, and I want to finish moving before I go off and buy a bunch of food. That way I will have the time to deal with the food. I will be going to the farmers market on Wednesday, but don’t have to do the laundry/gasoline thing any more. 

I put my flamingoes out yesterday too, over on the side fence. Got the second load of laundry washed, hung out and dried, folded and brought in both loads before the lunch. Clothes dry fast here!

I got in a much needed two hour nap after the lunch. It felt good. But that pretty much shot the day. I did go and get my cameras and bag and all my DVD’s so I would have something different to watch last night. Had a couple of frozen burritos for a late dinner and watched Burlesque again. Love the music and the dancing. I did snooze through some of it tho, but I have seen it enough times to know what parts I missed.

I posted the bed on FB, but haven’t had any takers yet. My new one should be here next week. I also ordered a TV antenna and a larger TV for the living room. Not sure if I am going to leave the little TV in Ody or put it in the bedroom. Will most likely put it in the bedroom. I am hoping to be able to use the existing coax jacks and wiring with the new TV antenna. I wasn’t going to get a new TV, just use the one that was here because it has the DVD player, but I would need to buy a converter box for it, and it is really too small for me to see from across the room. I figured I might as well get it while I still had a little cash.

I got a few other things done too. Today’s goal is to clear out the bathroom in Ody. That includes all the bathroom stuff and my clothes. I want to get an early start before it gets too warm. Hoping to have that all done before noon, then a shower and off to the trade blanket later. I also need to pull together some stuff for the trade blanket. I’m hoping to drive the scooter over, it isn’t that far. Then tomorrow, I will finish stripping the bed, bring in all my quilts and start on the upper cabinets. That is the rest of my food and some other stuff that has been crammed in there. If I get that done, I will feel like I am making some progress. I have no idea how I got so much stuff in that little rig. I won’t be doing that to the new one, won’t have to since I will have a home to come back to. I will only be carrying what I need for whatever trip I am on.

Kali Cat is acting much more like herself. I gave her a new catnip mouse, and she promptly sat on it. Didn’t play with it, but did acknowledge it. She will not eat the new prescription canned food. Not sure what to do about that. I may try working a little into the other food. For the moment, I am giving her the other food just to make sure she gets her meds.

March 6th is the community yard sale. I want to have all my moving and sorting done by then so I can get rid of some stuff. I have two sets of corelle ware, a vcr, coffee maker, toaster and will have a TV and maybe a bed. I’m sure there will be more by the time I get done. I can also put out my jewelry. And this coming Saturday is the pancake breakfast and tailgater, so I will take my jewelry and stuff there too.

I am planning on taking some pictures of the new place, but want to get settled in and organized first. It feels so good to have what feels like a big place at the moment. Six months in a 26 ft motor home is very restricting. Just using the bathroom is a whole new experience. And a real kitchen, even if it is small. A full size fridge that looks empty because the one in Ody is so small, and I was using a mini fridge for almost two years before that. Luxury. :) It is all perception.

If I get the bathroom project done early enough, I want to pot up the two geraniums and my little agave in their new pots. I bought a nice red ceramic pot for the agave. It traveled in a little green plastic pot. Hit the floor several times during the trip, but has survived. It was the only house plant I kept.

Well, I want to see if I can get another hour of sleep. Probably not, but am going to try anyway. 

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Happy Valentine's Day!


I don’t know how many trips I made back and forth between the house and Ody, and I have barely made a dent in it. I got the fridge emptied out and the propane turned off, the cupboard over the sink emptied, a few clothes and god knows what else. It was a lot of trips, and I still have a lot to do. I tried to process each load as it came in, and didn’t want to move in more than I could assimilate at one time. Plus, I am filling and refilling bags. This is going to be a long process as it isn't’ like a regular move. Nothing is boxed and labeled. Plus I am cleaning out the things of theirs that I don’t want. I got rid of a chair and the glass table lamp yesterday. I put the glass tulip shade on it and kept the normal shade for the normal floor lamp. They were both gone to the same person by noon. There were three sets of corelle ware, glasses, pots and pans and more. I even found shoes under the bed and three one dollar bills when I finally got in here. 

Kali Cat is out and about. She even checked out the crate I setup outside the sliding door. I may turn it around so it sits on the step better, but will wait until I can do the top that fills in the gap and do it all at once. Although, if I get a taker for the bed, I will have to move it sooner anyway. I ordered a new mattress and frame this morning, just like the twin beds I had in IP. This one is way too soft, way too heavy, and I can’t move it to clean under it. I want to clean the carpet while the bed is out. There is a funky chemical like smell in there that hasn’t gone away yet, and the rug is nasty under the bed I can’t move. I’m also going to replace the recliner. It doesn’t stay reclined. It also swivels and rocks, which is just a pain in the ass. It was probably really nice when it was new, but I don’t like it, it isn’t working for me. I lay down for a nap and some quality snuggle time with Kali Cat, and the next thing I know, I am upright. I’m gonna hurt myself trying to make it stay. So at some point next week, I need to find a furniture store. After I have finished cleaning out Ody.

I did go out midday-ish. Went to the post office, hadn’t been all week, then got some new keys made as I only got one set from Carolyn. And I took a load of garbage to the dumpsters. Of course, when I got back, I found another set of keys. Go figure. But that is OK, the new ones I had made are different colors so I can tell the back door from the sliding door. Then I spent about an hour sorting and reorganizing keys. I have a LOT of keys. Reduced the number of keys on my ring a little and Ody and the tracker keys are no longer on it. Just the car, post office, and house. The scooter has it’s own ring with the shed, house and scooter keys. I should get a couple more shed keys made, I only have the one.

At the end of the day I did a load of laundry and got that out on the line. Made a frittata for dinner. Got dinner a little earlier. I was exhausted. I also went to Dollar General while I was out, needed a few things. A second pillow for the bed, coffee creamer, and bought myself two $3 bunches of daisy poms for a house warming and valentines. There is a dinner at 4 this afternoon around the corner at the cafe for the residents here, not sure if I am going. I got four hours sleep last night, andI have a lot to do today. Even if I don’t get Ody emptied out today, I am going to take tomorrow off and start back on it on Monday. But I will do as much as I can. Not everything is going in the house. There are things I got specifically for traveling, so I am also sorting as I go and will set that stuff aside for the new rig when I get it. I think the scooter is going to have to come out of the shed today so I can start putting other stuff in there. I might even pot up my geraniums today. I have the soil and the pots. I also need to do another load of laundry. Guess I need to buy at least one more pair of shorts, possibly two. I would wear my stretchy ones today if I could find them as I need to wash the pair I had on yesterday.

I moved the litter box. I decided I didn’t want to have to crawl under the table twice a day, so now it is over in the corner beside the couch. Much easier for me, and without the chair behind the table, I pushed it closer to the window and made more floor space.

It is funny watching her on the bed with the wall sized mirror. She stares at it, then looks at me, then back at the mirror. I think she thought there were two of us. She will get used to it eventually.

I had hoped to get an earlier start this morning, but it isn’t looking promising. I crashed about 8:30 and was up at 12:30, and pretty much have been up since. I got a bunch of dishes washed and some other stuff hung and put away, so I am ready to start transferring again this morning. But I want to get a shower first. I am going to have to get a low flow shower head as this one blasts out the whole 20 gallons of hot water way too fast and I don’t have time to wash and condition my hair. Although it has great water pressure. At camp, I did a complete shower with five gallons of water. I have no idea how many gallons here, but at least 20 since the water went cold. That is not acceptable.

Off for another day of moving..Happy Valentine’s Day!

Friday, February 13, 2015

We're in!

Lotsa changes in a very short time. I got the call for the house around three PM. Went and got the keys, came back and packed up the rig and headed out. Connie and Bob drove my car over, Jay and Jane following. They checked the place out and then went off to dinner. I would have liked to have gone, but had way too much to do.

Poor Kali Cat had about as miserable a day as she could have had. She managed to find the eight square inches in the rig that I hadn’t covered with pee pads to have explosive diarrhea on the way here. I got that cleaned up, her and her stuff moved in, and she went and hid under the bed. She finally came out around 3 AM this morning. We had some food, some lap time and an extended purr. I think she figured out I wasn’t leaving her. Now she is snoozing in the shower. She is starting to act like herself again. And yes, she did pee on the bedroom carpet. I need to put some neutralizer on that.

I got a fair amount done yesterday considering how tired I was and how late in the day it was. I got enough stuff in to get a shower, make dinner, get the bed made up, and my coffee maker. Ran a few cups of plain water thru that as it had been sitting since I left Yuma. I have even had several cups of coffee by now. So much easier than manual drip coffee and a cone filter. But, I do have to say, I think I like the folgers coffee better. Oh well.

I still have a lot to do to get moved in and Ody unloaded. I hope to be able to get her tanks dumped and moved over to the RV parking area by Sunday sometime. Plus, be fairly well enough organized that I feel like I can take the day off. 

I used my new little toaster/convection oven to fix my dinner last night. I didn’t have a lot to choose from, and need to go to Blythe and buy groceries. But that will have to wait a few days.

I brought in the british mystery DVD’s that I bought at a yard sale so I would have something to watch last night, but only made it thru about half of it. I need to see about getting a TV antenna so I can bring in the free channels. I will try my little panel antenna first, if that doesn’t work, will have to go with something bigger. 

The bed is really soft. I may have to replace the mattress, but will try to live with it for now. It was just me on the bed last night, KC didn’t feel safe enough to come join me. She is getting herself cleaned up, so we are definitely making progress.

Got the new red cheapie sheets on the couch and the recliner. I really like the color. Can’t wait to get the extra chair out, I think it is going today. Plus the butt ugly lamp shade that was on one of the lamps, and the glass table lamp must go too. I took the shade off that one and put it on the plain lamp base, much better. I may spray the whole thing black. My colors are going to be mainly red with black accents and bright mix of colors.

Rigged up Kali Cat’s crate in front of the sliding door, so she can go out a little. She won’t be able to run free, but will be able to get some fresh air. For now, this is temporary until I have time to create something better. Just need something to block the opening above the crate.

Got the hose working and her kitty carrier hosed down, and the litter mat that she barfed on is clean now too. The hose gave me some trouble, but we got it figured out. And displaced the spider that was living in the spigot. Ugh! At least it was outdoors. 

I got the water filter that I got at last Sunday’s trade blanket hooked up and working last night, and a bunch of other things. Slowly making progress. I just hauled the white chair out, and the lamp and shade. Glad to have them out of here.