One-Liner Wednesday A, Animals

Animals

(Kali, Teddy, and Rosey) Social Distancing on my bed while I get morning writing done.

This is how it started.

Then Rosey (you can barely see her but the blackness with the blue tag on the right) wanted to join.

Yep, that’s when they all got up and chased through the house.

 

 

One-liner Wednesday prompt hosted by Linda G. Hill

And that was the start of #A-to-Z Challenge.

 

 

What Day is it Anyway? Friday, March 27th, 2020

 

 

Food, Friends, Frustrations,

& UNFinished

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How many of you are finding it hard to finish anything? I’ll raise my hand.

Sure the lack of things in stores added to the end of month lack of funds, make creative group cooking takes some of my time. In normal times I cook about once or twice a month for group meals. Now we need to make things like potato/beans/rice burritos. Today pressure cooker potatoes, and frozen asparagus, were my contributions. I had vegetarian bacon with mine, the guys added their own proteins like frozen chicken breast or tuna. In the old days, potatoes and beans and rice were only for the end of month eats. And though it is exactly that, by now, the potatoes would be sprouted. But since the shopping was done a couple days ago, these babies were gorgeous! I love using my pressure cooker as everything is done so fast and tasty. But I don’t feel like sharing my pressure cooker or special pans with just anyone. Wait. I need to restate this: I don’t want anyone to cook in it, or my special non-stick ‘tofu’ pan. I have shared things like that and ended up not having them after one use by someone in the house beside me. So call me selfish. At least I share the food I make in these special pans. But that means at this time I become a chef. Since standing in one spot is the hardest of exercises for me I made a bargain that the guys do clean up if I cook. That worked out just fine. Tomorrow spaghetti. No need for the pressure cooker. But the people here don’t seem to understand how to cook pasta. Being married to an Italian the first twenty years of adulthood, I have an advantage. Darn! Did I mention I hate cooking? I do like to eat, though so this is in self-defense.

~~~

After I had my food ready I was able to get on Zoom with my friends. I love our Friday ritual. The three of us chat like there’s no tomorrow. Oh, wait, say that isn’t so. But at our ages, and health restrictions, we need to embrace love fully!

~~~

Due to this:

My handwritten journal with day to day entries about the pandemic and how it applies to us, some of my knitting didn’t get done. But it is fun to write and kind of keep track and reflect the lows and lowers of something scary but bringing out the best in most people. Yes, I include those, too. But no projects got finished this week.

Embarrassingly, here are a few more reasons things didn’t get done:

Onnect

For some reason, that game can suck me in and hours later when I look up from my phone, nearly blind with daylight changed almost magically to night. Thoughts to self, Stop playing this game when there are so many things you need to do. I have this game on my tablet, too. The phone, though smaller, has better graphics. Still, addictive and dangerous to your eyes. Play at your own risk!

 

While I’m at it. Here are a few of my favorite games to play while listening to audible books (Outlander 5 is the longest book ever!) In general, these games are fun. But I hate how you need to be socially connected or have money to keep playing. At 2 or 3 AM I am trying to quiet my mind, not find friends! And I certainly can’t afford to pay for cartoon games!

Toon Blast

Toon Blast is probably my favorite of these in that I love the graphics, the cute cartoons, there is a little bit of a challenge and strategy to use, without making me nervous. When any of these games tell me I’m out of lives I just move on to another. I don’t care that lives will be restored in 20 minutes. I usually go away frustrated that I couldn’t keep working at it until I complete a level. In fact, sometimes I enjoy a level so much that I’d like to keep on long after I complete the goal. I just like watching the blocks fall away.

 

Toy Blast

Though a lot like Toon Blast, there are fewer chances to earn lives or coins within the game. I quit discouraged. I don’t play for the challenge or social status. I play to relax and have something to do with my hands while listening. I can’t knit that time of night as that is too much light for my hubby.

Merge Dragon

I just got this and have played only a couple nights. There is far too much to read, in tiny print past the time of glasses to make me happy about it. It’s interesting, though.

Fishdom

This one was over-advertised so I refused to get it for the longest time, even though watching fish swimming through tubes and not get eaten by the shark or burned by lava. Finally, I gave in. It isn’t the tubed fishy thingie. Instead, it is a connect three or more, like the blast games above. The part I like is the opening scene is an aquarium of fish that swim around and sometimes they actually chat with you. Since the goal for me is to help me get sleepy the aquarium is the best part.

There are other games, card games or Sudoku. I find the card games a bit boring after playing them most of my life in one form or another (like with real paper cards!) Sudoku can distract me from the story as I try to figure each puzzle out. During the day I will play different word games. I love them but I don’t get addicted. I can’t play them while listening to stories as the words distract from the words being spoken.

What helps me sleep the most?

Teddy on special blanket is leaning on my left shin.

and

Kali sleeping while leaning on my right thigh.

Best stress relievers ever!

So that’s my March 27, 2020 edition of What Day Is It Anyway? It is Linda’s prompt to help us all through this tough time.

Per Linda:

…if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.

What Day is it Anyway? Thursday, March 26th, 2020 — This and That Thursday

On Linda’s Page (prompter of What Day Is It Anyway?) she talked about not getting to sleep until the third hour. In comments, I mentioned how it isn’t fair that the senior hour for shopping is early mornings. That isn’t really fair and is assumptive of the rule-makers. (I do understand that the cleaning and shelving of products happen at night. Thank you shop-owners for being so kind. This is a life-long issue for me! A night owl by nature.) Though there must be seniors that are early birds, I would guess a lot of us fall into the tossing and turning and seeing holes in the ceiling and stars above, or mountains or monsters that are just clothes or bedding tossed on the corner chair or table–and those are the creative moments. Most of the tossing and turning is pain enhanced by what-ifs, worst-case scenarios, or guilts of what didn’t get done the day before, or that never-ending list of things that must be done tomorrow–which never get done. And we of the senior variety or high-riskers have the most to worry about.

And that leads me to the wake-up with a back story. It is a non-COVID19 story. <shock-face> One night a month or so ago I was rolling over in my sleep. I grabbed the blanket to cozy in. My hand felt crusty-gooeyness. Yuck! I was so sleepy I wanted to ignore it. But YUCK! I’m sure it was upchuck! So I got up and removed said blanket, washed my hands and donned another blanket with a note to myself to keep the cats off my bed. Yeah. That’s gonna happen!

Solution: I found an old pink blanket to put on top of my regular covers. My day starts with me waking because two cats are lying on my up facing side (I sleep on my side) while Kali is curled up near my tummy. I wake because I know that this cozyish moment could turn into World War III including teeth and claws if I don’t get ahead of the situation.

I get up. I yell, “Everyone out of the pool, now!” I do the fastest bedmaking because Teddy is impatient to get the special blanket. Which comes next. It is an old pink blanket. Though thin, it should protect a little against possible crusties. Teddy seems to smile at me and steps right on it and curls up with a sigh that says, ‘Finally!’

As the morning moves on one becomes two as Rosey joins him. These two can be the worst of enemies but it is obvious they like to be together.

 

 

In other news:

I love it when my nails get this long.

There are things you can do with nails that you can’t without. Like a good back-scratching. And they make my fat fingers look nicer. But regardless of the science that says nails stay cleaner when they are short, I tend to disagree. See how clean these sweeties are? When I have short nails, the free-edge gets blackish with dirty, greasy, grimey, crud. I use the brush and have to scrub harder. Without nails, there are things I can’t do with nails, like rub my face. It’ll be nice not to scratch my eyeballs! Though we are advised to keep them short during the pandemic, this is the stage I have to cut anyway–rebel much?–because they break down below the quick. That hurts! So bye, bye nails!

Guess what. I know it is Thursday because last night was Chicago Med, Fire, PD or the Josh Gates shows which are on at the same time so we watch them on the weekends.  I love C. Med. I like C. Fire. I tolerate C. P. D. I love all the Josh Gates shows. I will share the trailers in a moment. I just wanted to finish my thought, it is Thursday and we already took out the trash for tomorrow! Now the trailers.

 

I think of Josh as another of my sons, in fact, he looks and has similar humor to my step-son, so I love him! And I think the shows are very exciting while being educational.

I know. I just noticed this is two trailers from the same show. He has other shows but I didn’t want to wear you out with YouTubes–no, more like, I didn’t want to wear me out looking them all up. Sorry. <–I wanted to say, ‘My bad’ but I hate that phrase!

And now, for no particular reason, a picture of Kali. I think she wanted equal time with the cats starring on this one. Sorry that you had to see the (cleanish except for the cats’ scratchpad cardboard flakes) piddle pad and her ‘hide the biscuits’ (really dog treats not the other) towel. But hey, there’s Pictionary!

Gotta love that face!

😍😘🥰🤗

How is your day going? I hope you are all staying safe and well! Enjoy the close you can get or the internal reflections that can bring you peace, hope, and love. Whatcha cooking? Today we are having Lana Burritos.  Leftover beans and rice with smashed (pressure cooker) potatoes.

 

What Day is it Anyway? Tuesday, March 24th, 2020

Today had less of what I wanted to get done. Less writing. Less walking. Less getting things read on the internet.

I did get out and walk around the yard. It was snowing big fat flakes. By the time I was getting tired the sun was warm on my face. It was not a long walk. That was the way of the weather today, it was switching from windy to cloudy then sleet, then snow, and back again within minutes. The walk was fun. But fibro flares were killing me. Kali was so excited in the snow and didn’t want to go into the house.

Even knitting was less. I think I got a row or two on the sock.

I made a group lunch, pressure cooker beans, and rice cooker brown rice. I made sure to put veggies in. It was good. It felt healthy.

Then a nap took over. Teddy and Kali decided to sleep really close to me. It was kind of cute until the jealousy took over and they tried to claim me.

So how did I get to this end of the day and have no idea what happened to the rest of the day that isn’t listed here? Has anyone else had that happen lately?

What Day Is It Anyway? And where did it go?

Just Sayin’

40% chance of precipitation.

 

Kali thinks I can control this. Poor puppy! At least the rest of us have places inside for our needs. One word: Piddlepad.

Travel Day

Kali!

What?

 

Kali, we’re going Bye-bye!

Really?

 

To the vet?

Bleah!

But the trip in the new to us car was so smooth and we listened to music from my phone. No pain! The people at the vet were so sweet to her and she seemed happy to be there. Even the shots and nail trim didn’t seem to phase her. So she’s good for another year (three for the rabies shot). And I am not so scared of that long drive because it was nearly painless. Yay! Thanks to Kali’s Alma Mater I only had to pay $8 for the last part of the bill. Let’s have another YAY!

Now Kali sleeps.

Though painless the trip is long for all of us. I, too, had to nap when I got back.

Sad Sunday

I love it when family and friends come to visit. I absolutely turn to jello and can’t find my keys to the new-to-me car I’m so sad.

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Then I spend the ride home thinking about the good feelings of no bra, no shoes, and sweatpants. And fish and chips. And a wonderful newish car. I look at it and even though I am comfortable and self-soothed, and Kali snuggles, I miss the daylights out of my family and friends. Even the recommended Daylight Savings Time nap didn’t take away that sad.

Back to life as we know it. Watching Doc Martin season 9 while knitting and snuggles. I am feeling grateful for all the love, happiness, and health that surrounds me. I wish it for all of you, too!

Toothache Thursday

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Okay. It isn’t horrid. I have had a couple visions of an ice skate (Castaway). But I’m not to that point yet. In fact, I have an appointment to see:

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Not as worried about the tooth. It is more the ride and the chair pain. Any suggestions?

One-Liner Wednesday

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Another day, another walk.

Nope, that’s not us. Hubby and I have on hats. The dog is Kali, white with spots. No walking sticks. No trees. Just desert.

 

One-Liner Wednesday is a prompt by Linda G. Hill.

Sunny Day

Some days all you want to do is walk around the yard with the dog and sit and absorb all the sun you can.

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Kali and I had a lazy day enjoying the sun!