A few Measly Steps a Day

Hi,
R, I'm sorry for your loss. You're right - memorials are for the living. And I think you've chosen a good way to honor your aunt. In my circle of people, death seems to be around an awful lot. I'm just at the age when so many friends are dying. And it makes me realize to always be grateful for friends and family and never take any of them for granted.

I can't seem to catch up on yuck stuff. I long for closure. I need to have something finished so I can think, "yes, I'm a confident and capable person. I got _____ done."
The roofer said he might be able to move the solar panels. That would be so wonderful. I just want it finished.
Mice are back. I hired a guy to get rid of the weeds that grow every year, and apparently, he disturbed their condominium. I bought a sonic mouse/rat deterrent for the garage. I hope it works.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch. - We have three acres. My husband is a "live for today" sort of person. Three acres is a lot of land for an eighty year old little man to take care of. He didn't worry about the thistles, because there weren't that many. Result (drum roll) I think the thistles won. I cut back a bunch of them by the house. but I wussed out early. I was using a hedge clipper. He said it's so much easier with a mower. I asked how he handled the the branches with the seeds on them, and he said he didn't.
Anyway, I'm really tired. Of course the answer is to write a very big check for a herd of twenty-year-olds to slash and load the branches.
SPG, I was interested in what you said about memory drugs. I'm getting foggy brain, and it's making everthing take longer because I've forgotten where I've put the _________.
My medical stuff has been on hold because of insurance issues last year. I thought I'd solved them, and saw my pcp in March, and she made some referrals for me. the insurance didn't pay her bill. (My mistake - I handed them the wrong card.) Also, I put off medical stuff last year because I wanted her for my pcp, but my insurance co. dropped her, so I had to get new insurance. So, now, she says she's leaving the area. Rats! I guess this is a rant. I didn't mean it when I started writing. Anyway, I know if I got all my medical appointments squared away, I'd probably have more energy to tackle everything else.

One of my new things is to try to be grateful for all the good things. My friend, Kate, is loosing vision, and I'm realizing how I take things like that for granted.

Okay, good wishes to both of you.
D.

Yes, Chester's take on the fiber vs. DSL matter makes sense. One important factoid is that there are only two choices of Internet in this area: telecom and cable. I suppose now that voice has moved to VoIP, they've finally become direct competitors.

I've not signed up for ChatGPT because it required me to enter my mobile number to authenticate with. I do have an account on You.com and converse with YouChat occasionally. That AI will not visit my (or any) website and render an opinion on it, though.

D, I think several goats might keep the thistle at bay:
use goats to trim thistle at DuckDuckGo

Hi crew. SPG, great call on the goats. The nearest univ. had a small herd out a couple of years back. I think it was good for the variety.

D, sonic mice / rat deterrent? This got me researching my latest idea: if rats have such a great sense of smell, what smells do they HATE?

What Smell Do Rats Hate The Most & How To Use Them
Here is a list of the most common ones that rats don’t like:

Peppermint oil
Garlic
Cayenne pepper
Mint
Rosemary
Lavender
Cedar chips
Ammonia
Pine-sol
Oranges
Onion

Followed up with research on pinesol ...
Will Pine Sol Keep Rats Away

I was in TJ Maxx and they had a jar of cayenne, but I didn't get it. Might track back.

Now for the N=1 live onsite research ...

Revu2

Hot pepper is added to suet to deter squirrels. I've also added hot sauce to the feeder itself because squirrels don't like touching it. So I inferred that the hot pepper needed to come into contact with the rodent. I didn't consider that the smell might offend them.

It might be helpful to think of what stuff might be attracting the mice if said stuff can be easily removed or put into air tight containers.

The town I live in made it to the front page again for some bone head financial policy that involved taxing a non-profit organization. It made me sick of the town (again). And I started to regret the decision to stay in our home versus moving away. We could still move away, I suppose, but we've already accepted a quote on an HVAC installation. We could renege -- we haven't signed anything -- but then we've have to somehow survive yet another summer without A/C.

Also, there's this: where would my wife and I move with three cats and an old, nearly blind dog?

Is the old, nearly blind dog Shadow? I feel as if I know him. And I want to post about his thrilling career with the Red Sox, but I'm afraid you'll think I've lost it.

I believe the mouse/rat problem is solved. (Yes, I've said that before.) They didn't come because of food left out. I've been battling ivy for years, and when my hips went out, the ivy won and I lost. So a few months ago, I hired some guys to tear out the ivy. The result - first mouse invasion. Four pounds of mouse bait later, they were gone. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I hired some guys to clear out the the weeds in my back yard. The result - second invasion, much smaller than the first. Now, I have the sonic repellant and some bait as a back up in case there are any deaf mouse around. Inside my house, there aren't any cracks that mice can wiggle through. but my garage has some major gaps. That's the next step, but probably won't happen for a while because it would involve replacing my garage door.
My roofer has said that he can remove and replace the solar panels. He'll remove them on Friday (tomorrow), start the roof work June 1st, and replace the panels next week. Life is good.

I've decided I would like marketing if I knew how to do it. So that's my next challenge.

Good wishes to you both.

Hi there. Re:rats. We might starve them, but there are about 2 dozen people in the building, and many are too lazy to keep food out of their garbage and put in the food/yard waste bins. Our own household are quite diligent about this. The food waste bins are harder, thicker plastic and no gaps or holes. We only need 1 or 2 units to not care (I can't tell who they are) and the rats have dinner. I've been sending reminders and tips and these are either ignored or people can't connect the reminder to their own bad habits.

We carry on.

I've begun the pinesol spraying, diluted to their cleaning solution recos. Probably too weak, so I'm boosting up to full strength. I'll put out more poison bait as time allows. The ivy has begun to be cut back, and next time I'm around bulk cayenne I'll get a pint. What I want to do is put it on a plate or tile and use the bellows for the fireplace to puff it into their holes.

Currently hoping to get free mulch chips, but my partnership with the p-patch might be breaking up and we don't need enough to be considered for a donation of chips.

My chronic problem is time, as in where will it come from and then where did it go?

R

R, I didn't realize that you had rats too. You're right - it only takes a couple of people not doing the right thing to create a problem.

Yes, that's him. I feel we had this exchange before, didn't we? Recall, Shadow can carry three tennis balls in his mouth at once.

I thought Shadow could only do two tennis balls - an impressive feat in itself. But three tennis balls!!!! The mind boggles. I'm, once again, giving marketing a try. So Shadow may get some more public recognition for his feats. Unfortunately, in "The Molly Chronicles," I have mistakenly given him credit for only two tennis balls. More information for my blog if I can ever figure out how to get a website up. My old one died. You can read it, but I can't add anything to it. I bought a copy of "Building a Website for Dummies." I hope it helps.

R, Good luck with the rats. The poison and getting rid of the ivy will be a definite first step. I didn't have much luck with cayenne pepper, but I didn't try blowing it into the cracks, which might be more powerful. Be prepared, when the ivy goes, it's inhabitants will be looking for new places to live, so, for a while, it will look worse than before. Also dead rats smell really bad. Dead mice not so much.
I'm retired, and still don't have enough time to do everything. I have no idea how I managed while I was still working.

Hi Steppers. I had to laugh about the time. Over the past 6 weeks, my bridge partner and I have shifted to practicing online and not competing at the clubs. With that single adjust, I stopped chasing the pick-up games for now (Sundays and Fridays). Ah, adding time & energy to my life temps me to keep putting off going back.

I'm in a film discussion group and the organizer hasn't listed the next film next. Have I fallen off her list? With this loosy time feeling, do I dare try to get back on it?

Fun task for the day: Putting up a list of fierce kindness principles on the quotes thread. R

What is fierce kindness. (great word combo) I have a new roof Yay! I got "Building a Website or Dummies" It's intimidating. Wix or Go Daddy should be all I need, but somehow I can't make them work.

Next time I post, it will be fierce kindness.

Wishing you good things.

Mostly I'm happy that the roof is done. But there are a few icky things. When they guys were banging away removing dry rot from the roof, they knocked a photo off the wall and broke the frame. They knocked hard enough that the picture fell off the wall. It's a six-dollar frame. So it shouldn't be a big deal, but I'm bummed a bit. Also, the guys were in my back yard because they had to clean up all the junk that they knocked off the roof. That's a good thing. But then I noticed one of the guys coming back from the back of the yard and wondering what he was doing there. And then I figured it out. Yuck. I did offer them the use of my bathroom, but only once.

Note: I know none of this is a big deal.

Fierce Kindness is a book title. Haven't read, or even seen, the book. What I do have is a postcard from the publisher which lists the principles discussed in it.

Here's it is: https://mysupportforums.org/7336869-post165.html

I got the card as a gift for making a purchase at a framing shop. So, a coincidence yours got shaken off the walls. But the job is done.

Getting something done always deserves celebration.
R

Congrats on the new roof! Ours was leaking in a few spots in 2016. There was one small spot where the decking warped and caused a hole to develop. So I know the relief of getting that over with. Just watch out for nails on the ground and in the gutters.

The tidbit about one guy in the back of your yard reminds me of former landscapers. We noticed a few times they were strolling around the wooded part of our property. This after they put their machinery back onto the trailer. It took my wife and me a couple of seasons to realize they were foraging for mushrooms! Last year I identified five different choice edible varieties -- a record. But since I just got over COVID and I'm slightly allergic to them, I didn't risk eating any.

I told my wife that I'd be willing to relocate and she was elated. This was last Friday. So I emailed the HVAC folks who quoted their part of the job. (We were still waiting to get the quote to have the electric bumped up from 120A to 200A.) I thanked them and said no. And then I put in the two window units. So that's it then.

Relocating sounds exciting - and daunting, Square Peg. Any idea where you're going?

First of a couple of crazy busy days. Getting ready to swap out a full bed for a queen. Lucky find of the queen size, of the brand and model we want, on craigslist for $5000 less than the store's price, even with their current discount offer. Now the fun begins of selling ours, cleaning the carpet, getting the new one. No headboard, but no issues. We'll get one later.

My Life Partner couldn't be happier. Me, I feel I don't go looking for complexity because it finds me well enough without my seeking it. R

In full hurly-gurly season right now. Upsizing from a full to queen bed and all that pulls with it: moving the beds, cleaning the floor, buying one, selling the other.

Also, might have a break of getting some mulch, seems a bale of hay literally fell off a truck about 6 blocks from me, up a hill of course. Too tired last night, but after a bit more loosey times, I'm heading out to see if I can collect it. Probably 2 trips.

Moving some condo governance rules through the approval stage.

Going to a film talk group tonight after picking up some free meals.

Then collapsing in bed when I get back to prep for a big client day tomorrow.

Revu2

Not exactly, but we'd stay without about a 20 minute drive to my workplace. I'd prefer an apartment so I don't have to deal with taxes, association fees and any maintenance. But my wife's helper is always saying how wonderful her condo is. This is a dauntlessly cheerful woman who'd put a positive spin on hell. My wife is looking for "community," but I think that once she's surrounded by neighbors she'll find at least one to be annoyed with.

She hasn't lived in an apartment or townhouse before. I have. I'd hear the guy above me snoring. The neighbors across the hall couldn't pay the electric bill for a while so they plugged an extension cord into the main hallway and used that for a while. Plus they'd run out of toilet paper or something. And the guy above them was in recovery and was a chain smoker, so the outside air reeked of cigarettes.

There will need to be significant financial benefit for me to go back to that kind of environment.

Holey moley! A bed for five grand less? The last mattress I bought cost about $1200 and came with a steel frame and box spring. It wasn't my first choice, either -- there was a firmer mattress I liked even more that was only $800. A few years later we got a solid wood headboard. Anyway, I liked transitioning to the queen size -- the smaller beds aren't long enough for me (except for the extra long twin). I hope you enjoy it!

Yup, we're decently diligent shoppers and the luxury high-end just wins with my pard. What can I say. Mabbe you can talk her down, like a gangster movie: "Okay, Miss, put down the credit card and back away slowly, nobody's gonna get hurt."

Our first round with Duxiana we worked out that we spend more time in bed than anyplace else. Also as we traveled, we got experience with various brands simply though our overnights in hotels & motels. This round we've gone to about 4 stores: an organic store, Sleep Number, Sattva, and Duxiana. Duxiana just whispers to her.

Plus, the check engine lights never go on and it's hard to steal.

Got the supplies we need: shoulder dolly, roller dolly, and rubber mallet from the neighborhood tool library. Very busy place tonight. The shoulder dolly was missing since 2014, according to their computers, but the experienced lead thought a moment and walked back with it! After the $36.50 senior membership costs I asked how much for the rental ... no extra charge! Called Ace Hardware and their shoulder dolly can be bought for $50, and the wheeled dolly rented for $15/day.

Straw haul: took 3 trips, 4.5 hours, got the job done. Looks much better. Will find more or get chips in the fall for a refresh.

Off to sleep, perchance to dream, but in the sleep of luxury what dreams may come ...

R.

I hope they're good dreams. Hamlet was a moody sort. But then, he had reason to be.

Barbara Sher once wrote that there are three stages of excitement. When you start a new project, everything is wonderful, and you're floating on cloud 57 looking down at cloud 9 far below. The second stage is when reality hits, and you crash and realize that you can't do anything right. The third stage is earthbound with reality all around you where you actually live your dream and do the work involved. Lately, I've been bouncing back and forth between stage 1 and stage 2, spending an inordinate amount of time in stage 2. At the moment, my plans for a website are in shambles; see all the rants I've posted about fighting with the internet and with my computer. Last Sunday, I got some really good critique. She pointed out two problems with Through Unfamiliar Waters, yesterday and today, I figured out how to fix them. - Lot of work, but would be worth it. I don't like my cover for TUW anyway, so this would be a good time to make it what I really want it to be. (This is cloud 57 stuff.) Meanwhile, a friend helped me set up a website. When we got to the point where I really needed help, he said I was well on my way, and he had to go. Then I couldn't get into my WordPress program, and then I couldn't find the site I was working on, and WordPress told me to pick a domain site. (So far below ground that I couldn't see daylight.) If I really want this to happen, I need to do a lot more work than I'm doing and quit finding distractions. I used to work for a living. I know what it feels like to put in a good day's work. So. I'm going to post the steps that I need to do to accomplish my goals (Finish Refuge and Warm Tea. Get my website done. rewrite TUW. Post on Facebook, Keep posting. Keep writing. etc.
Barbara's three stages seems like a good description of manic/depression, and I think most of us are a little manic/depressive. I.e. we all get excited, and we all get down. The problem comes when the emotions spin so out of control that they get in the way of our happiness and productivity.
So, I'm going to post some steps and use that for accountability.

For today,:

two hours writing.
try looking in top left corner of WordPress for my website.
lunch with Peggy if she's up to it.

Tomorrow: blood test
write for two hours.
post on Facebook

Accountability: I did everything on my list. Here's why my website disappeared: GoDaddy emailed me asking me to click on the link below to verify that I was the author of the website. I clicked on the link. Then I went back to my other emails. It turns out that GoDaddy's link gave me a code that I had to copy to my website within twenty minutes, or they would send the domain name back to wherever it came from.