Daily musings of a retired digital artist/designer/musician/party goer/etc.

Last day of May, a farewell to spring.

There isn’t much to say in closing. Not excited about things, largely because there aren’t things which inspire getting excited.

Vine has a new slate tomorrow. Eh. All it does is take up storage space.

Payday came early, and I got caught over by $34. Ugh. Oh well, the world doesn’t end. Grrr, Apple.

I guess I make a store run this morning. Saturday. Ugh.

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I made the store run, not too bad this early in the day. I spent $55, which was $21 over the gap. Kolaches, chicken salad, danish, Goldfish, libations.

I can now order the compressor any time I please. But not today. There is no hurry.

I need to feed Myka her wet food.

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I got Myka fed, the cabana sifted, the truck emptied. I’m off for the rest of the rest of the day, except for washing a few forks that have been rinsed.

Lunch will be chicken salad, dinner will be cornbread dressing. I have pork loin and a boiled egg to eat, probably tomorrow. The two slabs of sourdough with pork loin and Jarlsberg filled me last night.

Highs are forecast for the weekend and into next week as a string of 90°F. Lows will be in the 70s. It’s summer.

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Afternoon nap didn’t stretch over the heat of the day, but it’s only 85°F at 3:30 pm. So it’s not a big issue. I had a chicken salad sandwich for a late lunch. It’s a slow Saturday.

Mad money still haunts me, even after having spent all of it. If Apple doesn’t send the charge to the bank by Saturday, I’ll be shopping Sunday. I decided to split the $34 balance (above $1006) between an air compressor accessory kit and chicken salad and bakery goods.

I plan on getting a 1 gallon air compressor for the office. It will be used for general cleaning, digital screens, hats, etc. I have canned air for photography, but it wouldn’t last very long for the general purposes for which the compressor would meet. Yes, it would take a lot of cans to match the cost of the compressor. But it would be plain air. The compressor doesn’t have an oil pump, so it would be clean air.

The tire pump for the truck wouldn’t perform the same function, as it doesn’t have a tank to normalize pressure. The two would not cross tasks. I could order it today, but I’ll wait until payday. There is no hurry, and there are none in stock locally. I don’t plan on repeating May’s performance and spending it all early. I may make it a cash month. The compressor and phone recharge are the only big expenses I have planned for June.

I also don’t plan on starting early on Vine. And I’ll be picky.

Laundry is the big chore today. Nothing else needs the attention.

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Laundry is in the dryer, waiting to be folded.

Close to 90°F in the window, showing 91°F at various stations around town.

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The ice bin and my drink have been refilled. I gave up before I got to folding laundry. Then again, I can fold any time day or night. Ice is best done in daylight.

I took out one bag of sourdough slabs (2) to thaw. I’ll have it with Jarlsberg and diced pork loin. Shake up the menu.

I made the second store run this morning to finish the run I started last night. That is the last use of the truck for the weekend. Chores are wash a few forks, run laundry, spot mop the kitchen floor this afternoon, bring in recycling bin after pickup. The headlight knob on the truck needs a tiny allen wrench to reattach. Pretty simple day. No need to get wound up.

Foggy morning, 100% humidity. 62°F. 76°F ambient in the office. 70% humidity. Myka is off the floor.

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Myka got salad (crabgrass), gleeful to get it. I brought in the recycling bin, so that duty is done for the week. I got the headlight switch knob reattached on the truck. Simple turn of the correct sized allen wrench.

No laundry today, I slept, no biggie. I need to wash dishes, three forks and a spoon. Since the store run, it’s been rather sedentary, getting settled in for the final weekend of the month.

I had a case of hiccups that peanut butter didn’t cure. After a few other failed efforts using various known cures, I ended up using left ear acupressure to cure it. It took me awhile to remember the spot, I haven’t had to use it in ages. They went away immediately.

Again, not much of an appetite. There is plenty to eat, not an issue, just no urge.

As usual, I’m waiting for Apple to post a charge to the bank account. I may need to go spend $34 at a box store if it doesn’t show by Sunday. Tool? Hmmm.

A midnight soak and shampoo. Not that I can’t bathe at night, I just prefer warm sunshine coming in the window. So I’m clean for the morning’s appointment.

I set up the altimeter app on the phone to check the vertical translation from the parking lot to the clinic entrance. That way I have data for the discussion.

The line of thunderstorms is at Ledbetter, just reaching Carmine. At the rate it’s moving, it will be raining here in about fifteen minutes. So my timing is not that bad.

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We’ve had about 1.5″ of rain this morning, the first inch in the main train, which took about 45 minutes, the rest in the broad aftermath behind it. It’s moving east and should be gone. There is a second train between Laredo and San Antonio, which could swing this way, hard to say at this point.

Myka has been fed. I had a kolache. I’m ready for a nap, better now than later. I don’t want to sleep through the appointment.

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The log of BP reading pleased my physician, even made him a little jealous. So I’m off the hook for 6 months. Whew! Well, there is an appointment with my cardiologist in August. Standard followup visit.

Only three chores today, swap bins on the curb, refill the ice bin, laundry. Easy day. Maybe a store run tonight.

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I was playing around with an AI anime avatar generator, and here is one of the results, fine tuned with Photoshop.

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Ice is cycled, a fresh bag in the top loader. I needed a quart freezer bag to hold the overflow of Myka’s bag. And the bins on the curb have been swapped. I am going to hold laundry until tomorrow. Critters have been treated.

I will make a store run tonight. I need to figure out what I want. There isn’t much, only two items at each of two stores on the list. I have no idea what I might add to the list. There isn’t anything on my mind at this point. I’ve got three hours to ponder and cogitate.

The rain is east of I-45, gone and out of the forecast.

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It’s moving toward sunset, the golden hour. I haven’t eaten anything but snacks today. It’s not that I haven’t considered eating, but I just didn’t fix anything. It’s the end of a busy spell, relatively speaking, and it’s time to gel. No plans other than a store run in an hour or so.

It’s in the low 70s, the rain is gone, things will be drying up. There’s a dry week ahead. Lake Somerville topped at 0.1′ above plane (1.2″). It’s finally officially full again, and Yegua Creek will be flowing.

There isn’t anything on my calendar now. Summer will be here soon enough. Temps will be touching the 90s, and it’s up from there.

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I made it to one of the two stops I had planned, but my digestive track started fussing. There was no way I was going to cross a box for three items, none of which are out of stock here. Tomorrow or Friday morning will do. Myka knew that I had gone shopping for her wet food, and was chirping gleefully as I shelved it.

Mad money for May has been spent. $3 under the mark. It will be at $677 on Monday morning. The annual phone bill is what is reducing it at the start, even though it’s not due for over 3 weeks. I still need to pay the internet bill when it comes due.

Late afternoon of a lazy day, trash is on the curb (a few bulky items from the long table), recycling in the bin. Dishes washed, not many. Myka just had salad. I’ll be having a soak this evening. Light snacking, no full meal yet. I haven’t been that hungry.

I haven’t been finding incentive to be busy. I could have made a store run this morning, but there wasn’t that much on the list, and none of it needed now. Minis, butter, cat food, all stocked but getting low. Two day margin, at least.

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Dusk. I put off the soak until dark. I haven’t been hungry either, I had a slice of the danish for lunch. I’ll have TLT dressing in a bit. Not much of a Tuesday.

The lethargy is tied in part to only $10 of mad money being left for the month. 5 days to go. A quick grab at the store will do that in. But the desire to stay away from the stores is driving it the homebody impulse. I’m ignoring cash. The freezer sustains any urge, if I ever get hungry. In no hurry.

Followup appointment at 9:40 am tomorrow. I’m tired of the constant BP monitoring. I need to get ready for it. Won’t take much beyond the soak and shampoo, fresh clothes.

There is a line of thunderstorms west of I-35, Laredo to Waco, moving in this direction. I expect it will have passed by the appointment time. But I shouldn’t delay the soak.

Staying in, hanging loose, snoozing and lumpin’ in true extended weekend style. Breakfast was the traditional kolache, followed by a slice of danish. Lunch will be TLT cornbread dressing, the first serving of the thaw. It’s made with the last of the TLT 2.0 broth. *sigh* But there is room in the freezer now.

If I get up a head of steam, I will tackle the long table this afternoon. Otherwise, there isn’t much expected to happen. Probably a soak late in the day.

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The symbolic first step of the refresher, hanging up the winter attire, denim shirts, sweater, poncho. The rest is not that big of an effort. Taking things off and putting them back on in a little more functional state. It’s summer, it’s not going to generate that much activity, outside of the daily stack, and just the top half at that.

I had the first bowl of dressing. It thawed quite well.

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80%+ there on the long table. Just the misc, catch-all stuff left to go. I woke up from the dressing nap and dove in. It didn’t take long, mostly moving, stuffing stuff away to the proper container, and moving back to a better arrangement.

There isn’t much else to do today.

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Done. I found the current hidden catchall box, put in everything that could be forgotten, and tucked away everything that couldn’t be conveniently forgotten. I have a little trash to dump for tomorrow’s take out, a single trip to the can.

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Dusk, about to put together dinner. I’m thinking pork loin tacos instead of spud. The dressing filled me up enough to take the lighter option. And there are other options to consider. Trying to decide which one.

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Lake Somerville reached full pool today from the runoff of recent rains.

The flood watch has been pulled, the chances of rain revised to slim and none. That means people will be partying and that store runs will wait until Monday night at earliest. If I need anything…

It’s a Sunday morning with most of Ytube channels already posted and watched. There should be at least three this morning, but no guarantee. It’s too early to know yet.

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Ytube got me to 4:30 pm, and I cut a couple of them short. There were a couple of spinoffs to make up for all the Saturday uploads.

I fried up the last of the pork chops, but there is still ample diced pork loin left for spuds. And there will be TLT cornbread dressing, thawing this afternoon. It will be nice to have the space in the kitchen freezer. Tamales are on the horizon, along with quick fix. I haven’t thought beyond the dressing yet. Spaghetti has been on my mind, but I’m not definite about it yet. Shrimp cocktail is more likely to be sooner.

There is no rain in the area, a little outside the triangle. Wednesday and Thursday are the next rain days in the forecast. There are a few clouds, but the sunshine is fairly persistent. Mid 80s outside the office.

There isn’t anything on the schedule. Chores are done, except for the ice bin, which would probably last the night. But I’ll fill it anyway.

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I divided the danish and had the first piece, hot buttered. I’ll fix a cheddar pork spud for dinner. The ice bin is full. TLT dressing is thawing. The few dishes are washed. A quiet Sunday night, the usual. Watching Roger Corman’s The Day Mars Invaded Earth. (Attack of the doppelgängers…)

Trying to figure out who was lazier today, me or Myka.

I dumped $40 online to Apple. That leaves me with $10 mad money to burn over the next 9 days. $40 if I delay internet payment. I think that I can manage. There isn’t much to buy, mostly things like minis. Cash will cover that.

More rain forming west of I-35, slowly moving this way.

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I managed to get all the kitchen chores done except dishes, and that’s because I just finished eating the egg and pork chop (Myka nibbled), and I need to wash the knife and fork. No sense washing twice. There aren’t that many others, three forks and the cheese slicer. They’ll get washed.

The cabana has been sifted, the horde treated, Myka was treated. I cooked a late lunch. That’s the list, except the long table. It will happen when it’s the proper time. There was a long lump this morning, with ample sleep.

There was just a peal of thunder. A few drops are showing on the rainboard. Almost leopard spots and growing. There is rain growing to the west, getting heavy about Carmine.

There isn’t much happening now, other than waiting for the rain. It reached leopard spots.

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Ytube had four of its shows today, so I watched them as the sun went down. It’s currently dusk. I washed the few dishes, gave Annie extra treats (she’d missed so many days). A slow Saturday.

There was 0.12″ of rain today, not as much as previous rains, but more than a sprinkle. It cooled things off to 70°F.

Myka is still camping by the door on her new scratch pad. She seems as attached to it as she was avoiding it before I cranked up the AC.

If I’m lucky and radar stays clear, I might go for a scooter ride this morning. I’m in the mood for getting outside for no good reason.

I may get after the long table tomorrow. I’m not really in the mood today. I woke up with a bit of a headache, BP on the high side.

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The application for this blog was just updated to a fresh new version, 7.0. It doesn’t look any different from the outside.

I haven’t done much this morning, just watched the close of The Tonight Show on Ytube.

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I took the scooter out for a 3 mile cruise around the neighborhood after the sun was up in the sky. It felt good. And it is an extended weekend, so staying put made it helpful.

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I had another pork chop and over easy egg for brunch. Myka definitely enjoyed the nibbles.

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Nearest rain today is Houston and Waco, and both are sparse popcorn. Going into the extended weekend that still promises to be wet. Trying to settle into the flow, but I keep wanting to do something, but not really. Thinking about finishing the sourdough pastrami sandwiches for dinner, then get back to spuds, so I can thaw the TLT cornbread dressing.

83°F, dew point 70°F. Moderate south breeze. Partly cloudy.

There’s 9 days to the end of the month. $50 mad money. A long end of the month wind down. Now I don’t mind getting Vine and the expenditures done early, giving me a long vacation from shopping. I have plenty of cash, not a worry locally, I am glad that the pressure to spend is off. It’s just a rather drastic change, to go from a big purchase to the void in a single package. A big shift in orientation.

It has shifted to running out of chores (except the long table, tomorrow). I’ve already started thinking about a quiet 1 gallon air compressor for dusting as one of next month’s purchases. It’s hard to shake the impulses once they get rolling.

I’m loaded with munchies, distractions, and a few chores to get me through the wet week. Another rain mass is heading this way. The brunt of the storm is in south Texas, but it extends well north of Austin. It will get here.

I have been taking care of chores pretty much as soon as they arise. I am feeling better, over all. I have more stamina, more energy. I seem to have gotten through the sapping BP and metabolism spell that was dragging me down. Go figure, just as it starts raining. This is not to say that I’m climbing the walls. But I can get up to get after a chore any time I decide to do it. My lumpiness is pretty much my call now.

I will be making a pork chop for breakfast. I got the sourdough sandwich behind me, it’s no longer controlling the menu. However, there is still pastrami and Jarlsberg to be eaten. But I also have over a loaf of honey wheat. Sourdough is an option, not a mandate. And there will be spuds tonight. Plenty of pork loin to consume. And there is still TLT cornbread dressing waiting to be thawed, tamales, and quick fix in general for variety. And I haven’t had shrimp cocktail in a while.

Things are ready to hang tight, safe from the elements.

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I got the crates stacked and the shipping boxes broken down and in the recycling bin. That leaves the long table to summerize, plus a few dishes to wash.

I had the pork chop and egg for a late breakfast. Myka enjoyed the egg coated nibbles. Lunch will no doubt be dinner.

There was only 0.03″ of rain today, around noon. It doesn’t look like much, if any, for the rest of the day.

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More rain approaching from the west. The worst of it passed to the north and is hitting Bryan now. The part south of that dissipated right before it hit here (not the first time this has happened). The rest of the mass is at Burton, stretching north, and southwest into light rain. It’s possible that we won’t get much, if any, from this one.

I had another pastrami/Jarlsberg on sourdough for dinner. The sourdough wasn’t all that solid in the freezer and thawed in the microwave. Perfection.

There wasn’t much going on this evening, I slept for a big chunk of it.

Dawn, and I can barely make out a reflection on the rainboard. There is a very light and steady rain, nothing like what we had at midnight, 2.2″ in 45 minutes. The lightning and thunder put Myka under the long table to hide it out.

Tracking stated that the package left the Humble facility 90 minutes ago, so it should be at the local PO within the hour. Somewhere around noon should see it here. Then I can slice the sourdough I got last night and can make a pastrami/Jarlsberg sandwich. It will be quite an unpacking day.

The only standard chores today will be filling the ice bin and Myka’s ice bag and acquiring a fresh bag of ice for the top loader and bringing in the trash bin from the curb. So the big focus of the day is putting away the delivery of nine items and cutting sourdough bread.

Otherwise it’s a day of rest. Pork chop/over easy egg for breakfast. Myka will be interested. (She’s still making use of birthday scratchpad as her bed by the office door.) Cheddar pork spud for dinner. Otherwise, keeping myself occupied and sleeping. It’s a rainy day, so a highlighted lumper.

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The local PO is prepping the package for delivery. It looks like it’s about to clear up, the rain moving east.

I’m about to fry a pork chop and egg.

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I fell asleep before I made the pork chop and egg. And the package arrived while I was asleep. It has been unpacked, assembled where needed, and put away, except for the slicer. I haven’t figured out where to put it yet. I still need to break down the boxes for recycling.

The batteries required that I break down the packaging of the other AA and AAA batteries, essentially bag them and dispose of the plastic display packs. I got the USB-C hub connected to the laptop, and the extra USB-A hub connected to that. The charger is plugged in and sitting next to the power banks. Adaptors are in the desk drawer, for quick access. The desk is getting crowded for Myka to park herself.

When I carried the bags of kibbles to the kitchen, Myka got excited and started chirping. Not sure if it was visual or aromatic that tipped her off. Neither bag was opened, but she got treats to distract her.

I still need to go get ice, when I get around to breaking up the bottom of the existing bag. That will be the last chore of the day. I’ll get around to the pork chop eventually. I have a pastrami sandwich to make first. And cheddar pork spud.

Minis are back in stock today. I’ll eat the danish before I head back, Friday morning, probably.

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Okay, I made a spot for the slicer, a little high profile, next to the toaster, but adequate. I put a bag around it to keep it clean. I still haven’t cleaned the blade or used it yet. I filled the ice bin and Myka’s ice bag, and I’m going after a fresh bag of ice as soon as I catch a bit of wind in my sails. Myka got ice water and I got a refill.

Once the ice run is done, I’ll clean the slicer blade and slice the loaf of sourdough in various widths (thin, sandwich, slabs), bag, and freeze. Then I’ll make a celebratory sandwich.

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I am happy with the bread slicer. I won’t use it every day, obviously, but I am glad to have it standing ready in the kitchen for whole loaf breads. The thin will be for toast, sandwich for artisan sandwiches, and slabs for butter and honey, pizza, etc. I like the ability to combo cut, make the loaves for a multitude of purposes. Except for the sandwich shown, the loaf is bagged and in the freezer. The sandwich is fondly history.

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The fresh bag of ice was in the freezer before I sliced the sourdough. I forgot to mention that. I just got back from a store run for minis and Goldfish. I saw the clock at 10:30 pm and told myself, go or forget it. I went. Now the shopping list is empty. I shouldn’t need to go anywhere until next week. So let it rain.

I have three chores to do, stack crates, get the shipping boxes out to the recycling bin, and rearrange the long table for summer. None are particularly time sensitive.

I am using the new USB charger (40W USB-C channel) with a short USB-C cord and a lightning adaptor to charge the phone. There’s a lot more options these days.

There isn’t much grabbing my attention now. Except Myka.

The deliver hasn’t shown an arrival in Houston yet. Delivery date is still tomorrow. So, I make the bank run this morning, then the store run in the evening or tomorrow morning. I’ll get sour dough, pastrami, and Jarlsberg, to test the slicer with a proper sandwich. Also bread, minis, Doritos, tuna, Reese’s Pieces, and Dawn.

Reese’s has been hit with a serious shrinkflation. *sigh*

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It took 42.5 hours for the shipment to get from Baltimore MD to Katy TX. Google lists the drive time as 22.5 hours. Hmmmm.

90 minutes before the bank run window opens. 7.5 hours until the chance of rain begins on the hourly forecast. Radar shows a rain mass to the south, extending well out into the Gulf. There is a serious storm south of Matagorda, with all sorts of marine warnings. No rainfall has been recorded yet here in town. Hmmmm.

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Light rain is falling as dawn arrives. To punctuate it, a peal of thunder. I’m going down for a nap. Maybe it will be gone when I wake up.

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I had a few drops in Grimes County, just after crossing the Navasota River. Enough to turn on the wipers three times, not enough to obstruct vision. Another 50 $1 bills for ice this summer. It should hold me until September. The sun was out when I got home.

Myka has been fed, I haven’t been.

Now I need to only consider shopping for the bread slicer and the weekend, plus getting gas. Tracking on the slicer has been dreadfully slow. It left Katy four hours ago, heading to Humble, an hour in slow traffic, and it’s still not registering.

For now, I’m going to kick back in the AC and vegetate awhile.

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Nearing the end of the day, I realized that it was trash day. It’s on the curb, ready for tomorrow. Duh. The bank run threw off the whole day. Preparing for the store run in about an hour.

There is heavy rain to the north and west, creeping this way. I’m not going to wait too late to make the store run.

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I dropped $104 mad money tonight. I had burned more gas than I expected, 10 gallons. ($38). $66 at the grocery. I have $47 mad money for the rest of the month. I am cash heavy, I’m not worried. They had Jarlsberg, so I got that and smoked gruyere. They were out of minis, so I got a cheese danish in its stead. I have snickerdoodles for the cinnamon.

I managed to return three bags of store bags for recycling. I have more for future trips. There was a light rain at the store when I went inside. It had stopped by the time I got out.

I finished off the brats for dinner. I had a few chips as a chaser. So sourdough pastrami sandwiches, cheddar pork spuds, and pork chops w/over easy for breakfast. And when that wanes, TLT cornbread dressing. Tamales as the trailer. Let it rain, I am prepared (once I get a fresh bag of ice). I am loaded with bread.

There is rain on the way. A line of moderate rain running east/west formed just to the north and is closing. And there is a very heavy line spewing lightning galore, crossing I-35 and headed this way. It’s going to be a noisy one tonight.

A day without chores or guidance, hampered by dew point. A naturally lumpy morning. I have been slow doing anything this morning. Take an hour to have breakfast, eh, no big deal.

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Following the morning in proper style, nothing happened this afternoon. Lots of sleeping is the rule. The only thing to which I can point is that Myka got fed. In the upper 80s, dew point is 74°F. AC feels nice.

Brats for a late lunch. A couple of light snacks. Not much of an appetite.

Check arrived in the mail, tomorrow morning will probably be the bank run. Wednesday through Sunday (and beyond) have very heavy chances of rain.

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My gosh, I actually did something today, I sliced and diced the pork loin section. Four chops and the rest is cubes for the spuds and Myka nibbles. Sun is below the skyline. I figured that I’d better get it done while there was daylight left for ambient lighting. Myka enjoyed the nibbles, attracted by the aroma.

I also washed the knife and cutting board. I’m not incapable, I’m just not inspired.

The five orders with nine items is now a single delivery from Liverpool, NY. Total, $148. And it’s on its way. It departed yesterday at 9:52 pm EDT.

It’s 3 am, and I haven’t slept yet this evening. I finished off the gravy, and instead of sleeping, I sat around. I folded laundry. I should get to bed.

BP is 121/75, where it’s supposed to be. I can thank being lazy and unworried.

Myka has resumed occupancy of her scratch pad by the office door, hanging there for the cool air seeping from under the door with no doors between her and the rest of her life, now that the window is closed.

I can use the backscratcher without competition, type without disruption, nap without being woken… Feline privacy… *sigh*

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Myka is parked on her scratch pad outside the office door, comfy, no desire to come in the office. She stays cool, has connection to the rest of life, and keeps tabs on my comings and goings. It seems to suit her.

I have determined that with the office door shut, the long table needs summerizing. Winter stuff needs to be shifted to the bottom, moved elsewhere, or hung up. It’s not a necessity, but it would improve aesthetics, declutter, and ease use. It wouldn’t take long. But there are couple of chores that should be done first, like washing a few dishes, filling the ice bin, and thawing a section of pork loin.

We’ve had a few drops of rain, not quite leopard spots on the rain board. Radar doesn’t look like there will be more.

I should fix something for lunch, something without potatoes. Maybe peanut butter and honey. I have been thinking about thawing a package of stadium brats, then following that with the TLT cornbread dressing.

The shipment departed Baltimore late this morning.

Five orders in one day. Eight products, nine items. The duplicate was Myka’s kibbles. All due on Wednesday.

Speaking of Myka and food, I gave her Sheba salmon pate this morning. She stirred me out of bed this morning with anxious nips. FEED ME! One whiff and she was chirping with joy. The plate was clean down to the molecular level. Happy kitty.

I opened the silicone ring package, and by eyeballing, they might be a little on the small size, less than an inch, but possibly useless. I’ll check them out later. It’s too early in the morning for that kind of bad news.

I am running a little slow this morning, but it’s not a big problem. I need to fold laundry and scoop the cabana. Not a big chore day.

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Mid-afternoon and nothing has gotten done. I only have two chores to do, neither done. I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast, which was late, except for a couple of cookies. I’m just not engaging. Siturday.

Today is likely the last day of running the fan with the office window open. The dew point is forecast to rise tonight and stay in the mid 70s indefinitely.

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The sun has set, the AC is on a couple of hours ahead of the rising dew point. I want to retain the dryness in the office.

I still need to fold laundry and eat. I got Mya’s cabana sifted before I dropped off for a nap. Today has been another lumper. BP has been trying to rise again, but I’m holding it around 135/78.

The five tracking pages for the separate orders are all not available, indicating that they’re being joined into one large package, or grouped accordingly.

Two more days before summer arrives and the AC turns on full time. That is determined by the dew point. Sunday morning, the dew point rises into the mid-70s and stays there, accompanied by chances of rain. Highs will be around 90°F. It might turn on part time before then.

Summer, right on schedule. Mid-May is traditionally the time, It’s the date when cowboys traditionally switch to light straw hats during the day. My toyo fedora is due today, currently in North Houston.

I canceled the Vine bread slicer and ordered a different clone for $46 (w/tax). It’s due on Wednesday. The quicker delivery is only one part of the reason that I paid for what I’d gotten free and canceled. One issue was the price, it was $87 when I requested it, and they dropped the price to $70, but not the crediting it for me. And mine was $45 plus a coupon, ending with tax at $46. And I’ll get it much sooner. That and a couple other annoyances made it the most comfortable choice. And it frees up June on Vine. (Only one more review to write now.) Win, win, win, win, lose, win.

Another issue is spending mad money. The slicer is a start on the mid-month clearance on online orders. (Then it’s local only.) And anything I order in the next 23 hours has free shipping.

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The toyo straw fedora is out for delivery. As I mentioned, it’s arriving on the day that it’s mandatory for daytime wear, according to cowboy tradition, for whatever that’s worth.

I added USB-C to lightning adaptors (three each way) to the bread slicer order, for free shipping. $11 for the six, bringing the total to $57 mad money off the total (currently $240). I still have 15 hours to add more. (Cat food?) Yes, cat food, two 3.15 lb bags, add $10, or subtract. $230. Needs to go lower.

I have laundry and a few dishes to do today, plus feed Myka. A lightweight day.

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I added another salvo, a USB-C (4 port) hub and a USB charger (120V, 4 USB-C 45W, 3 USB-A 15W). I’m down to $200 mad money. With gas for a bank run in the near future, that should cover the needs of the rest of the month. I can get cash if it’s too much.

The straw fedora arrived, still unsniffed and unboxed. The silicone seals should arrive today as well. That will leave the 6 items ordered today, all due next Wednesday.

Myka is hanging in the office window, preventing the AC from being turned on (87°F). The dryer is running. The forks and masher are washed. Pretty much everything is done for the day. I had thoughts of going for a scooter ride, but I sat at home, tending to this and that. There are plenty of days for cruising ahead.

I should make eggs and gravy on bread in a bit. Not in the mood to peel a hot potato, done that two days in a row. I have a full loaf of bread. I need to think of something for the rest of the spuds after the gravy, before they start sprouting eyes. Thaw a pork loin section, maybe.

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I ordered 100 AA and 100 AAA batteries. Now I have $150 mad money for 16 days. One delivery day of orders whacked it in half. Yep, that’s under the curve, definitely, but the remaining is purely local. It was a good deal, plenty of batteries for years to come. I can blame the battery indicator on the BP monitor.

I still need to eat. It’s been a long bit. I’ll be adding a loaf of sourdough to the shopping list next week, to test the bread slicer.

The weekend starts on Thursday this week. I got the weekend stock up done last night. So I’ll be hanging loose for four days. I’ll be eating waffles, free waffles. (Butter and syrup extra.) I must eat waffles to avoid waste. Waffle, waffle, waffle.

There are no major chores in the near future, except perhaps a bank run. And that is more like early next week. I might start in on sanding the truck. It would be a while before I start painting it, when the weather dries out. There are far more days of rain in the forecast than dry ones for the rest of the month.

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The gold plates arrived. They’re a little more gaudy than I expected, the texture deeper than expected, but at least they were free. They’re put away, unwashed. I didn’t want to deal with the whole stack of ten today, I’ll wash as needed for the table before use. They’re technically highlighting plate holders, not actual plates. Food will not be eaten from them, at most they’ll catch food that drops off a fork, knife, tortilla, bread, or chip.

BP is lower today, but with the drop came a different issue, a different form of fatigue. I slept rather heavily at times out of a lightheaded need. Growing old is not for sissies. I brought in the recycling bin (on its side in the street, the driver is…). I unpacked the plates. That’s about it. The rest has been lumping.

Mid 80s, sunny, hazy, light breeze. Mid May, summer is here whether it acts lie it or not. Still a touch of spring in the air, but it’s summer by pattern. I’m expecting a wet May. We’ve had a definite start. Lake Somerville has risen three feet this month. It only has one foot to go to reach plane.

Myka is also being lumpy. She finds her comfort zone and chills.

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The toyo straw fedora is in North Houston, delivery due tomorrow.

I just had egg, gravy, and spud. Pat my tummy. Take a nap.

I have the eggs and gravy for laying on spuds, and I just haven’t done anything to feed myself anything but light snacks. I also haven’t fed Myka her dinner, though she has gotten treats and fresh kibbles. She’s not starving.

It’s not an aversion to food so much as it is just feeling fatigued. I don’t feel energetic enough to make dinner. I’m going through something, no doubt tied to the high BP I’ve been experiencing. I got basic chores done yesterday, but it was not a swift effort. It might be a medication issue, it might be something else. My metabolism is not firing on all cylinders, and it doesn’t feel cheerful. Funky tired is a good description.

I should at least get Myka fed.

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I finally ate, spud, egg, sausage gravy, a single entree. It contributed to the sleep that I accrued today. Myka is also accruing zzzs. Mid 80s, sunny, dew point in the low 60s. Natural snoozing weather.

Digging around for Bette Midler films from the 80s, Touchstone. In the mood for comedy.

The stool arrived today. On first impression, this one will be in my will. I’ve never seen a folding stool before that’s built like a tank.

Swapped trash and recycling. That was my only chore for the day.

Sun is getting low, approaching the golden hour.

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I made the weekend store run a day early, and I ended up with everything on the list, plus free waffles (yes, more free waffles). Minis, snickerdoodles, mozzarella, (free large free range brown eggs), kolaches. Three store coupons freebies. I will have to start eating toaster waffles on a regular basis. I have 6 dozen in the freezer, all free. I’ve already tossed three dozen that went stale. I need the room.

I am two days from evening out on the mad money curve. No mad money was spent tonight. And I am growing close to the order now or buy locally mark. So I need to figure what I’ll need to get locally, so I know how much to spend online. I know of a few minor items, not enough for free shipping.

Myka is fan cruising. She parked herself on the desk in the flow. She is content, a soft purr emanating.

I had the first appointment with my new primary physician. Overshadowing everything was my BP reading, 230/106. I had to show calm, same ol’ same ol’… Lab work. I have to fill out a BP chart and come back in two weeks. All in all, a very short meeting. To say the least, I got their attention.

So, the rest of the day. Trash and recycling. Bag of ice. Spuds with egg and gravy for dinner. Lunch is a question, peanut butter and honey?

I’m glad that I got the appointment behind me. It’s been hanging there for some time. I took my BP here, 135/83, and dropped the doctor a note.

I feel like being lazy, but I need to get the trash and recycling out. Then deal with ice.

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I’m still feeling lazy. I’m almost done with the trash and recycling, but progress is at a dead crawl. I’m just not feeling very spunky. Nothing is demanding a hurry, so I’m responding in kind, taking all the time I can to sit and ponder a slow pace.

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I got the trash and recycling outside, the ice broken up and distributed and a new bag in the top loader. I still need to feed Myka, but she got fresh kibbles and treats, so she’s not hurting. It’s dusk, and I had a nap in the mix. I’m still in a lazy mood. I’ll need to fix spuds, eggs, and gravy for dinner. I didn’t have lunch.

So there isn’t much to do now. And that suits me. I don’t want to do anything. Or at least my body doesn’t. I was considering a store run tonight, but I changed my mind when I saw that the sale I had in my sights continues through next week. Mozzarella is the only other thing on the shopping list, and it’s not being used for a few days. Shopping can wait until the weekend stocking run.

The folding stool is due tomorrow, the gold plates Thursday, the toyo straw fedora Saturday. The silicone cooker seals are in Chicago and TBD. The bread slicer is still idle.

We had 1.7″ of rain in the first hour of the day, along with 6.5 minutes of dime to quarter sized hail (starting at 12:20 am). Myka stayed hidden until the hail quit, then joined me for the assurance. The perception of time is definitely protracted when hail is falling. It was the largest hail event recorded in Texas in the last year, rather widespread. Some places got 3.8″ hailstones (softball).

There isn’t much happening today, other than cooking. The temp is down in the 60s, so it should be a good time to get after it.

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Noon, mid-70s. Getting myself zeroed out for the week ahead. I’m about to start cooking.

I wrote a couple of reviews. The stylus arrived, I figured out how to charge it. It does affect the iPad, but I’m going to let it charge fully before I play with it any deeper, after I cook.

To the kitchen, full speed ahead.

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Ta da! The gravy is done. It’s covered on the stovetop, resting. No boiled eggs yet, but those will keep and are an option. I’ll get to them.

Still in the 70s. Sunny. Other than the washes in the dirt, no sign of last night’s storm.

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I inspected the truck, no hail damage. Nothing much else is going on. Got my digestion straightened up. The gravy is put away after a plateful of bread was covered. I need to wash dishes, but there aren’t many. Pot, lid, spatula, cup, three forks.

Tomorrow is doctor introductory appointment, trash, recycling, possibly a bag of ice. Major in some ways, minor in others. I need to trim nails tonight. Boil eggs as well.

I woke to an email that informed me that the order that I made for the folding stool was being canceled. The preauthorization on my bank account has vanished (it didn’t take 10 days as warned possible). However, I had miscalculated payday, pegging it in Friday the 29th, when it’s actually on the Monday June 1st. That means that I’m $93 below the curve, not $33. And it will be more when I order another folding stool. But I am cash heavy, more than making up for the deficit. So not a disaster, just a blip. It’s just not what I was expecting the first thing Sunday morning pre-dawn.

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Well, I found a replacement. It’s an extra $15, but it’s rated at 550 lb. I like furniture that is rated at more than twice my weight. Worth a few extra dollars. And delivery is due this week. So, I will survive. I’m $142 below the mad money curve, but I still have it covered in cash. And that is that much I don’t need to spend. Mad money is for online and local, cash is good locally. Pretty simple solution, spend locally.

Back to Sunday morning, which is already in lack of progress.

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The horde has been fed and set loose upon the world. I am off the clock. Only other task for the day is sausage gravy and boiled eggs. I’ve had hash brown sticks after a kolache, so I’m not in a hurry.

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In the mid 80s in the window this afternoon, mid 90s on the back porch. I still haven’t made the gravy. I’ve been all too sleepy and sedentary today, and it’s too warm now. I’m getting ready for a soak, a good solution for the AC staying off.

Myka has not been hungry today. I offered to feed her a couple of times, and there is no interest. I’m feeling much the same. She has put a dent in her kibbles, so I’m not worried.

The ice bin is getting low, but not empty. I’ll wait for the temp to drop a bit before I refill it. No sense in melting the ice together.

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*drip drip*

I broke the right index fingernail. I’ll have to trim the rest. Toes too.

It feels cooler, being wet. But it’s not. 6:15, sun at 22° above the horizon.

I had breakfast at 8 am, rather than 4 am. I think that qualifies as a late start. Getting a start to the day on Ytube. I’m in no hurry to get started on the few chores for the day. Cooking is the big one.

The windows stayed open all night, again. Humidity was a little high, but not saturated.

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I am definitely catching up on my sleep. Up and stirring at 2;30 PM. Fed Myka her dinner. Sparky got a treat. I need to cook gravy sometime. Mid-80s now. I’m more inclined to soak at this point.

There isn’t much activity today.

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I ordered another toyo straw fedora. That gives me the license to try and wash the current one with a soft toothbrush. It needs it, summer is on the doorstep. It is jumping the gun on the mad money curve, but there was a sale on. But I was only a day and a half in the hole. Now I’m three and a half days in the hole. Nothing is on the shopping list.

I got the basic chores done. Cabana sifted, dishes washed, Myka tended. Nothing else on the list yet. Ice bin will last the night. Sitting the horde is it, and not until later. Maybe cooking and subsequent dish washing. Maybe tomorrow. I might have lasagna tonight.

There is a thunderstorm to the SW, just outside of town. Burton is getting nailed, and points SE. Waiting for the wall to arrive.

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We had 0.2″ of rain today. The house is still open at 10 pm., 73°F.

The horde is put to bed. I had lasagna for dinner. Nothing much else is happening.

Friday, the first of at least three sedentary days. It has been a very slow day thus far. The chores were all done, no need to get busy. It was a good day to catch up on sleep and lump a lot.

The XLR cords showed up today. Nice pair. Solid connection, well protected braided cover, And there were 2 of them, as hinted in the description. It was rather vague in the main text. I didn’t know from the contradictions if it would be one or two.

I was writing reviews on the USB-C 3.2 cords, and I noticed that the lengths that were offered in the catalog were all longer than what we were offered, on both. Hmph.

I filled out May’s Vine limit. I got the gold plated plastic plates that had been hanging out in recommended for me for days. I finally took the time to read the description and decided it would be better than hunting for nothing on too many days. They are hand washable. They won’t last forever, but they are reusable. Now I’m off the hook until July.

The sausage is thawed, ready to make gravy. Eggs are waiting to be boiled. Spuds and bread are unopened, waiting. I’m the one holding up the process. I have been pressing the potato salad. It will vanish for dinner. There has been no lunch. After last night’s potato salad dinner, I didn’t need one.

No horde duties until tomorrow. Myka has been fed. Sparky got a treat. There just isn’t anything that needs doing.

The house is open, temp in the 70s. Overcast is keeping the temp down. Dew point is on the rise. A trace of rain, it’s all moved out. It’s a lazy day.

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Sun is setting. Hard to tell exactly where, due to the cloud cover and the western skyline. The windows remain open.

The potato salad is history, unless you’re talking to my digestive tract.

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I’ll be back on the mad money curve Monday morning if I don’t spend anything by debit card this weekend. It wasn’t as bad as it seemed, it was just unexpectedly earlier than usual. The tabbed seal rings for the multi-cooker, the charger for the power banks, the folding stool, the flea collar, an extra $160 there alone.

So it’s not as bad as it might seem, it’s just the unexpected nature, the involuntary. I am cash heavy, which makes up for the difference. I am not going to be placed in hardship. I’m overstocked on most items, the freezers and cabinets are crammed with foods that I like. That it takes so much thought to come up with a target for mad money, month after month, says a great deal.

The brakes have come on by themselves. That I’m off Vine for seven and a half weeks is a relief. It will be an adjustment, but I’m not alone. Lots of people are suffering, far worse than I am. It’s an adjustment, a shift of habit.

I just need to kick back and take it easy, lump awhile.

Waiting for the phone to lose charge so I can try it when it’s not well charged. I’m not using it for anything except the daily reboot to use the charge, just waiting.

It’s a slow morning, temp around 60°F. Myka was my foot warmer this morning. I’ve been cruising Vine this morning, not finding anything particularly compelling, and the maybes got snatched while I looked at what they were. The sharks were feeding among slim pickings. I gave up. Since I filled June with the bread slicer, I’m in no hurry to fill May.

I’m not looking at a busy day. Laundry, a few dishes, the ice bin, Myka, the usual list.

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The phone dropped to 68%, which is above the 60% I had as a target, but it’s below the 70% when the unit dropped its charge rate yesterday. I figured, what the heck, I’m tired of waiting. It’s drawing around 7W. It reached 74% in short order, so not as slow a rate as it may seem. The charge rate then dropped to 6W. At 82% charge, the rate dropped to 3W. So it’s following a pattern at both ends of the charge rate, according to % and not W.

I decided to make the store run tonight instead of in the morning, based on temp and chance of precipitation. So far, spuds, eggs, and minis are the only things on the list.

Laundry has started.

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I got notice from the pharmacy that the clonidine was ready, so I headed out at 3:30 pm, the worst time of day, school traffic and more. It too me three minutes to turn onto S Austin. And it was almost as bad getting on S Day heading home. I really have a strong distaste for errands at that time of day. So I am done with commerce and traffic for the weekend. I will sit here at home and vegetate (aka lump).

I got tongs for boiling egg at two stores (one long one for bbq), spuds, minis, and eggs. Everything is put away. I will thaw a tube of pan sausage when I fill the ice bin. Clothes are in the dryer, there will be light folding. I have a few dishes to wash. I’ll boil some eggs for the gravy.

Myka has been fed. I need to eat potato salad, make it disappear asap. I’ll have a quick fix tonight, probably lasagna. There isn’t anything major demanding my time tonight. I have four reviews to write for Vine.

I haven’t opened the house today. It’s 72°F, and for the short time it’s a proper temp didn’t seem worth it. Friday and Saturday have chances of rain.

A note: the phone charged full (+35%), and the power ban is still at 100% charge. A tiny monster.

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I had a nap, and thanks to the metoprolol, it bore a dream unlike most of my dreams. This was a dream of flying as a symbol. It involved an oriental culture, rife with complex history, and a story of a man who stopped a centuries long tradition of violent succession of rulership. And there was a very tall and steep hill where the brave would roller skate down the road that headed straight down the side, reaching lethal speed, with a single mistake ending the life of many who dared. The road ended up at the seaside, where there was a very tall but humble needlelike tower, built of precise design, that a man with broad shoulders would have trouble climbing, barely able to fit the ladder to the top. And at the top, there was the man who stopped the tradition many years ago in his early midlife. He spent his time atop the tower, with his friends and family often in attendance. And the dreamer, who was a skater, would come to visit, always bearing gifts of food and simple joys. The dream ended with a climb of the tower, to find it abandoned. He inquired to find that the elderly man used his robe as a flight suit to fly away, as he’d often spoken of doing, when a fierce wind came off the sea and took him away, willfully, to points unknown.

Then I woke. The amount of detail in the narrative was amazing. There were hundreds of interacting characters, each having a logical function in the story. And the detail of the environment was also amazing and consistent. This is the type of dream that would have sparked a novella in my writing era. Perhaps even a screenplay. Quite a production from the subconscious, I must say. It’s usually more mundane and personally me.

And here I sit, still feeling the adrenaline of skating down the hill at breakneck speed. That I can attribute in part to the electric scooter. The rest is an epic mystery. A potato salad overdose? The news? Ytube? Guy Clark’s The Cape?

Oh well. Life rolls on. I have sitting duties for the horde this weekend. And there are reviews to write. At least chores are done.