Resolve

I have decided to make myself work on a blog a day, and shut off all the extraneous distractions to be able to do so.

Well, today, the Celtics are playing the Heat early, and part way through that game, the time comes when the Yankees are playing the Angels.  So, I have two games I want to follow.

There goes my resolve, but the truth be known, I blogged, anyway!

Return to Work

I have been on vacation. I actually did take a trip out of town, and had a wonderful time visiting with family, eating a LOT of seafood (it seems we all decided that if we are going to be on the coast of Maine, we would eat as much fresh seafood as possible) and doing a little sightseeing.

Then, I returned home, did some chores, started getting estimates on work needing to be done at my house, spending time with friends doing fun things, doing fun things on my own, reading, and being with the cats (mega-important).

I packed some of that into my morning, but went into work this afternoon.  I am not actually scheduled to return to work until tomorrow, but I learned something about returning to work from one of the doctors: she returns a day or half day before she is scheduled, to "check in:" read mail, email, talk to people, set schedules, see what is waiting. I have been doing that now for a few years, and it helps SO much.  Because, all the questions about my time off have been answered. I know what happened while I was gone. I know what is awaiting me when I arrive. I have a plan in place to handle that. And, the time I work decreases the vacation leave I use (which would help me if I leave work with the state and they have to pay me for my vacation leave.)

So, that is what I did this afternoon.  Then, I came home to the girls, who were anxious for dinner, but ate very little.  The house is air conditioned but not cold, and I wonder if it is too stuffy for them, although I have LOTS of ceiling fans running. But they seem fine.

I have had a lot of computer stuff to do, and have the Red Sox - Tigers at Fenway game on.  I have only semi been paying attention. I am interested, but it gets harder and harder for me to do two things at once as I get older. 

The truth be known, my return to work will be an interesting challenge, but if someone paid me to be retired, I could do that, too.

Settling In

Haiku has settled in on my bed for a nap.  Taki, on the other hand, is patiently hoping for a snack.  She started life behind, and is small in stature but has a big belly!  I hate ignoring her when she asks for a snack, but I do, for her own benefit.  I generally ignore Sake, but she has lost some weight, which she needed to do, but also makes me wonder if she does not feel well. So, if the canned food is not eaten, and she wants a snack, she gets one.  Haiku, on the other hand, has always been a shy and picky eater.  For the longest time, I could not feed her near Sake, who could dissuade her from eating with a glare. Haiku is more assertive about eating now, and lets me know if she wants dry food, by waiting for a meal on the bed (where I moved her food due to Sake's glare) or if she wants tuna, by sitting looking very forlorn in the kitchen.  She does not eat other moist or canned cat food regularly, although she occasionally grazes after the food has been out for a while.

But, Haiku has been assertive about finding a spot to sit. She likes to sit with me. She has started spending more time on the sofa with me, and so have Sake and Taki. She is no longer dissuaded from being with me when they are around.

Tonight, Sake and Haiku were in the computer room with me. That is unusual.  I am so glad they spend more time in the same room at the same time.  And, they trade out places to lay.  These are new things that have started since Taki came to stay.

Winding Down

My vacation is winding down.  Other than the trip to Maine for the wedding of a niece and time with my family, I did not do a whole lot.  I did get some odds and ends chores accomplished. I did a lot of reading, a little kayaking, and spent a very large chunk of time with the girls.  They seemed to be really appreciative of my company.  I have undermined nap time, and they think snack time is any time.

So, if a vacation is about rest and restoration, I have accomplished that.  So, my vacation has been successful.  I have one day left, with a few chores to do, and maybe something else fun.

Memorial Day Service

This evening, at the Lubbock War Memorial, the First Baptist Church of Lubbock presented a Memorial Days service.  This service consisted of patriotic songs, which the audience was encouraged to join in singing.  It also included prayer, a brief talk, presentation of colors by the Lubbock Police Department honor guard, and taps.

It was announced as a community wide service, and I certainly am not a member of the First Baptist Church.  There was a small group of attendees, and most seem to know each other, so I would assume they were chuch members.

Patriotic songs always make me cry.  And give me a catch in my throat. 

I had decided several years ago, that I wanted to be more observant of national holidays.  I have gone to several Memorial Day services.  I have gone to Fourth of July events. The Silent Wings Museum http://www.silentwingsmuseum.com/default.aspx often has special events associated with special military dates.  This year they have a D-Day event, which I will miss as I will be at work, and a speicial event that weekend, as well as a Flag Day event.  That is nice.

I have learned from others to be more appreciative and thoughtful of active duty military and veterans. 

Chasing Flies

So, Taki is chasing flies tonight.  She has actually been running around trying new jumps and new experiences today, and did so yesterday.  Tonight, she is chasing flies.  She is very active and seems to be having a good time at it.

Sometimes, I think I chase flies.  I flit from thing to thing, trying to get things accomplished, but not really finishing anything, rather aimlessly.   My vacation has been like that, since I returned from New England. Well, not totally.  I did accomplish some things. But a large portion of my time was spent flitting, doing things I like: reading, playing on the computer, sitting in the back yard, but not actually accomplishing any one thing concretely. But moving, whether or not, aimlessly.  Enjoying the aimlessness of it. With only a twinge of guilt at not being more productive or accomplishing more.

That is okay.  My big goal for the next couple of days is to attend at least one Memorial Day ceremony.  Years ago, it would not have mattered. But my reverence for those who protect us, whether in the military, the police, the fire department, the jails and prisons, has escalated exponentially in the last 4 or 5 years.  I was slow to grow the appreciation, but it is there above and beyond, now. Honoring those who serve is nothing like chasing flies.

Redo

Sometimes we have to change things in our lives, redo what we have done before, update, reorganize.

I had thought I would accomplish a lot of that during my time off, but I really did very little. But some.  I am slowly working on it.  This is a lesson for me, though.  Because, even when I return to work, I can continue to work slowly on these redos.

Morning Haze

Yesterday morning, I sat outside early to read the newspaper.  I was amazed at the haze in the sky, which colored the sun a deep orange.  As I read the newspaper, there was an article about the smoke from the wildfires in New Mexico making it to Texas, and negatively impacting the air quality. That explained the haze and the color of the sun.  I did not smell smoke, although there have been times in the past when smoke from wildfires several hundreds of miles away has brought in the aroma as well as the haze. 

Sleepy Eyes

I have had a lazy, laid back vacation. I have accomplished something everyday, but have not filled my days with lots of work. Today was no exception.

I spent quite a bit of time reading today, and about 3 PM was struggling to keep my eyes open.  I moved, washed my faced, changed my activity.  It all helped, some.  Very little.

The weather did not cooperate for kayaking tonight.  It was good this morning, but I had yard work that needed doing in the cooler weather. So, maybe tomorrow.

I am, once again, dealing with tired eyes. I may end up going to bed early, but for now, it is still day light out and I can not see going to sleep this early:  I will be up by 2 or 3 AM without being able to go back to sleep.

The breeze is brisk.  While it is still warm out, in an hour or so, maybe it will be cool enough to sit out and read.

We shall see.

Cat Care

I took Sake and Haiku to the veterinarian for their yearly shots this morning. I did not have anything else on my agenda, although I had thought I might work in the yard, until the heat moved in.

The annual trip to the veterinarian is always a trial.  Haiku hates riding in the car. Sake just hates the whole process.  As usual, Haiku was well behaved.  And Sake was a spitfire.  We took the top off the cat carrier, and the vet covered her with a towel. Although they announce they prefer their techs to hold the patients, they let me deal with Sake. We covered Sake with a towel, and I held her down while the vet gave her the injections.  She tried to listen to her heart, but that did not last. She did check her teeth when she was hissing.

Both Sake and Haiku wanted a lot of attention when I got home.  We sat in the living room until after noon. Then I ran a few errands.

I realize that if I do not make a plan for my days off, I will accomplish nothing. I do not have anything special to accomplish. But I do want to get some things done.  Maybe, I will.

Open Sesame

Sake opens drawers and doors.  I have seen her technique for opening drawers: she stands on her hind legs, digs her claws into the top of the drawer front, and walks backwards, very slowly, pulling the drawer open.

Her door opening technique varies.  Of course, if a door is open a crack, she just puts her paw, curled, around the door, and pulls.  Or just pushes with her nose and head.

I have seen her open cupboards that are closed:  she slaps and slaps at the door until it opens a crack, then uses her paw to finish opening the door.

Today, I watched as she opened the door to the coat closet. The door was open a sliver, not enough to get her paw between the door and the jamb.  She just sat there and slapped at the door, until it bounced back enough so she could get her paw in between the door and the jamb.
Then she walked away. She did not want in the closet, she just wanted the door open!

Blogging on Vacation

I actually returned home yesterday after a 6 day vacation.   While I was away, I wrote some blogs, and they will eventually by posted, but I chose not to post while I was away, if it had anything to do with being away.

I think we put too much private information on line and people know too much about our lives.  I did not want anyone who chose to look on line to know I was away, for the safety of my home.

But, now I am back!

Safety and Security Come First

Safety and Security Come First

It is actually May 17, 2012, and I am in the Radisson in Providence, RI. I am very tired, but too tired to sleep. Most of the clothing in my suitcase is soaked, and I have hung some up, hoping it will dry some overnight.
The day became weirder and weirder. Our flight that was going to be late by almost three hours was rescheduled to be late by just an hour. As we were getting ready to board the plan, it was determined there was a mechanical problem on the plan, and the next available plane did not arrive until almost 8 PM. Which would get us into Providence after 1030. I called the hotel and rental car to confirm my reservations, but to let them know that I would be late. We finally were airborne.
There was constant turbulence on the flight. So much so, the attendants stayed seated the entire flight. When someone lit the call button, it was answered, and then we were told not to do that unless it was an emergency, and to stay in our seats, not even to get up to use the restroom. We were diverted to Baltimore because the fog was so bad at Providence. The turbulence was so bad the attendants stayed seated and used “the honor system” for pre-landing instructions.
Most people were disgusted with the fog excuse. We landed in Baltimore and had to change planes. The trip to Providence was uneventful, and mostly clear, until we were in our final descent. The fog was so thick we could not see ground lights or anything. A buzz went up, people were finally aware how dangerous this situation was. But the air cleared as we closed in on the ground, and the landing was a safe one.
With the airline, safety and security came first. Intellectually, I know that is right, but I sometimes “push it.” Like my decision to try to drive into York after we were supposed to land at 10:30 at night. I knew I was tired, and driving in the dark on unfamiliar roads would be quite a trial. Which is why I opted for the Providence route, as, if it happened as scheduled, I would have landed early enough that the trip would not have been a trial.
As we were flying towards Providence from Orlando, I was stressed and had to re-think my decision, but kept thinking I would try the trip. God took it out of my hands, as the diversion to Baltimore ensured that we landed well after the car rental counters were closed. I called the rental dealer and changed my reservation for in the morning.
I got a hotel in Providence. My room is paid for at the resort where my niece’s wedding will be, so I can check in when I get there, rather than wait for check in time.
I need to remember that safety and security should always come first, no matter the price.
I have been putting off getting the tree near the house trimmed. But there are some dead branches in it, and they could easily be pulled off the tree in high winds, and do damage to the house. I have decided to contact a tree trimmer. It will be less expensive than the deductible on an insurance claim. Safety and security do come first.
　
　

Travelling early

I could have flown into New England on May 17th, 2010, for the wedding of my niece on the 18th.  If I had run into these kinds of delays, it would have been a little aggravating, but even so, it is an evening wedding, so I would have not been late even with the delays.

But this is a good lesson to remember: plane travel is not guaranteed time wise.

Camping Out

Reporting on the major serious storms, especially snow storms, often includes items about people camping out at the airport.  I chose to fly from Lubbock to Providence on May 16, 2012, as it was scheduled to get into Providence at 7 PM compared to 11 or so in Manchester. Well, the delays we are experiencing will get me into Providence about 10:40 PM.  I changed my rental car reservation so hopefully, there will be a car available for me when I get there.

Meanwhile, there is a small group of people who have hunkered down and are camping out at the gate, waiting for the plan to arrive, deplane, restock and reload and depart.  We have heard lots of heavy rain, there has been thunder and lightning, it has been gray.  But although people are discouraged, there has been little really ill temper.  There is nothing to be done but wait.

I checked on the later flight to Providence that is leaving before we are: they were overbooked.  This is Southwest airlines, though, and they are giving the passengers $100 voucher for the delay.

Last year, when I flew back from Seattle, we were diverted to El Paso due to smoke, and we received $100 vouchers for that, in the  mail.  I also received a night's accommodation at a VERY nice hotel.  That will not happen this time.  I hope to get up to Maine tonight.  It is another two hours, but I think I can do it.  I do not want to camp out at the Providence airport.

Traveling

It is Wednesday May 16, 2012. I am in the Orlando airport awaiting a flight to Providence RI.  I chose this route because I did not want to get into Manchester at 11:30 at night.  When I got to Orlando, my flight status was updated, to leave about 7:25 PM instead of 4:10 PM.  That would put my into Providence about 1030.  Since then, the status has changed to depart at 5:05 PM.  Much better.

They just requested someone to change their travel schedule for a very sizable voucher.  If I were not traveling some place away from the airport where I am unfamiliar about the travel, I would take the offer.

But, I might end up like last year, with a trip and no where I want to go.  I had a great time in Seattle, but would have probably done a ground trip to some place I want to see, if I did not have the air travel voucher that was going to expire.

I generally do not mind traveling Southwest, which has as good a record as any carrier.  I do not know if our changes are weather related or not, but it is raining very, very hard here.  It was gray when we arrived, and the weather has really moved in.

This is the first time in my life I have been in Florida.  Thanks to Southwest, I go some different places: Las Vegas, Nevada, Baltimore, Maryland, for example.  Hmmm.

Something is Going On

Sake and Haiku have been through this before: the cat sitter comes around. Mom pulls out the suitcases and puts a lot of stuff in them.

Taki does not know what is going on, but she was not happy about having company last night. So, I need to do more to have people in, to socialize her.

Tonight, even before I pulled out the suitcases, as I checked the anticipated weather in York, so I would know what to pack, Sake, Haiku and Taki were with me at the computer.  It is not unusual for Haiku and/or Taki to be with me. And, if Sake joins us, she is usually laying curled up in a basket on the floor, not in my face on the tray table next to my chair.

They have all been very present, in my face, on my lap, or just checking me out.  Something is going on.

Gotcha!

My cats are not very social.  The cat sitter came over tonight, to meet Taki, who immediately disappeared and kept escaping from my arms every time I caught her.  The sitter was able to pet Sake when she first came in, but that was it. Haiku came out, and let us pet her, but only just.  I finally got Sake, and brought her into the living room. She jumped into the cat stroller and hissed and slapped at me.  I scolded her, and put my fact too close:  Gotcha!  I have a scratch on my nose and my lip.

The cat sitter was very concerned and wanted me to put hydrogen peroxide or alcohol on the scratches. I know she is right. But I almost never do that when Sake gets me.

It is Raining

It was cloudy and cool today, and there was a slight drizzle, more of a mist, this afternoon.  Tonight, it started raining.  Very gently at first, but real rain. Even now, it is raining harder, and seems to be blowing in from the southwest, but that may be a function of the drops coming off the roof.

I have the window on the stoop open, as the rain is not blowing into it. I have an east window and 4 south facing windows open. The rain is not even dotting the window panes.

We have had some rainy and grey days and nights lately.  I sleep with the windows locked about 3 inches open. Sometimes, when I awaken, it feels like the pillow cases are damp and cool. I can not tell if they are wet, or just cool and have absorbed the humidity, but I think it is the latter. I do not see moisture on the windows or the window sills.

This rain is a blessing. We need all the moisture we can get. 

A Lazy Day

I worked hard yesterday, but today it was much quieter. I had a few errands to run, but mostly just did laundry.  I sat out this morning and read the newspaper.  The chair cushions were wet and the the air was crisp.  I had stuff to do inside, and that has been good. I watched a good move "Space Cowboys," read, knitted, and enjoyed having the three cats join me on the sofa.  

It has been a lazy day.

A Beautiful Day

Weather wise, this has been a beautiful day: the air is cool, the wind is mild, the sun is warm. We have had some clouds, but the sky is brilliantly blue.

Alas, I spend the day running errands and doing some serious housework.  It would be a nice night to go kayaking but I am very tired, and my back and hip hurt.  So, I am conserving myself.

I am flipping back and forth between NASCAR at Darlington and the Celtics - Sixers games in Boston. After the sports, maybe I will sit outside in my back yard and enjoy the fresh night air as I read, or listen to music or whatever.

Eating Habits

I went to dinner with friends tonight, and among the topics of conversation was how people eat their food. It was noted that some folks eat one food at a time and finish that food before they move on to the next food.

That is how I eat.  I like mixed foods: salads, casseroles, and certain combinations such as rice and beans, but I generally one food at a time.

However, I am not as bad as some people I know, who do not want the food on their plate touching any other food, or want each food in a separate dish.

Treats

I fed the girls before I went out shopping for blinds and then on to the book club tonight. When I got home, Haiku and Taki told me it was time for more treats.  I acquiesced.  (Sake just wanted to go out into the garage, where she was until I left for errands and book club.)  Just now, Haiku and Taki told me, once again, it is time for treats.

When I change the schedule in any way, whether it is feeding at a different time, or my comings and goings are different, treat time requests increase.  There is plenty of dry food available, and sometimes, as is true of tonight, canned food available. But evidently, treats sound good.  Sometimes I give in, but today, not twice in one night.

Mean mommy!

Blinds

About 13 years ago, I rented out my house, and the person who rented it wanted to order some high dollar blinds for it. We split the difference and I paid for some, and she paid for the rest.  And left them, when she moved out. When I saw the blinds, I questioned why they are so high dollar.  The very inexpensive ones I purchased later at Wal-Mart seem to do just as well.

I have a double window in the living room at the front of the house. A cord of the high dollar blind broke last night, so the blind is hanging cockeyed. I could not figure out how to take it down so I left it. I went shopping for blinds tonight, but because this double window makes for a very wide opening, I could not find an 80 inch wide blind in the local hardware stores.  I do not want the window uncovered, so I hung a sheet over it, hoping the cats do not pull it down.

A friend of mine suggest SelectBlind.com http://www.selectblinds.com/ which currently has a sale in progress that ends today.  I am not sure I am ready to order, although I would like to take advantage of the sale.

It is not worth spending money if I am not sure what I want, and buy the wrong thing.  Since I can not buy something off the shelf, and replace the blinds quickly, I will take the time to do this correctly. I am collecting a list of chores to do while I am on vacation coming up soon. This will be added to the list.

NASW

Today was NASW lunch meeting in Lubbock. We do a lunch meeting with a CEU presentation. Sometimes we have a really large attendance, but today it was a very small attendance. It always used to be small until we started serving lunch.  Then, the attendance grew.

I am not sure why today's meeting was so sparsely attended.  It was a really good presentation on Dementia.  The best part was the information about what is normal as we grow older vs. what is dementia.

One of the things the speaker said that made a lot of sense to me was the when people have Alzheimer's Disease, their perceptions are different.  So a shower stall might be a scary dark box, or water drops may feel like pin pricks. I wonder if this is also true for people with psychotic disorders.  I might have to ask one of the psychiatrists at work.

NASW has very high dues, considering that social workers are so historically and grossly underpaid.  But my association with the group has been great:  I have met so many other social workers, and have developed relationships with some of them. I learn so much about my profession. And, I enjoy being able to help coordinate the luncheons and annual workshop.

Sunflower Seeds

A friend of mine had mentioned to me that her cat liked to eat the sunflower seeds that dropped from the bird feeder.  That was interesting to me, because in my trolling of various cat treats, I discovered that Haiku really liked Natural Sensations that includes sunflower seeds http://www.friskies.com/Cat-Food/Cat-Treats/Natural-Sensations-With-Real-Chicken.  And, Taki likes those treats, too. They prefer the chicken flavored treats.  Recently, when I could not find the chicken flavored treats, and bought the salmon flavored treats, both cats sat and stared at the nuggets, and then at me, as if they did not understand what was happening.

Sometimes,  when we are out of sinc regarding the feeding schedule, I give Haiku and Taki extra sunflower treats.  They really like that.

Confidence

If you follow sports, you hear a lot about confidence.  Players talk a lot about if they have confidence, they perform better. There is a sports movie, "The Natural" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087781/ that plays a lot on the confidence of the hero or star, and how his confidence, or lack there of, affects him.

I think this is true in life, in general.  When we feel good about what we are doing and how we are doing it, we perform better. We might be bolder in our decisions, or just more willing to make difficult decisions.

Confidence is important to us. And we should recognize that as we negotiate our lives.

Escape!

I was in and out last evening, hand watering the shrubs, vines and trees in my back yard.  I read outside for a while, and even had a snack outside. At some point, as I was going in and out, Sake escaped!  I did not see her. I did not have the inside light on, so only had the outside light, and in the dimness, it was easy for her to get out.  I am not sure when she escaped. I stayed out reading until close to midnight, and then, moved my stuff inside. As I was making my second trip to move stuff inside, Sake showed up at the door. I was surprised.  But thankful that she returned, safe and sound.

Tonight, she wanted out, and I used the harness and leash for her. She did not try to go far, and was not out long before she wanted in. Later in the evening, she wanted out again, but again she stayed close by, and the noise from the neighbors drove her inside.

Sake used to be very bold and brash, and faced down dogs and what have you.  She has become much more conservative and mellow.  In some respects, I am sorry to see that change, but in other respects, I am glad she now has some discernment about the dangers she did not realize before.

Communication

Haiku was in the garage.  Taki and Sake were in the house. It had been a while since I had checked on Haiku.  I was in the computer room.  Taki and Sake came into the computer room at the same time, and wanted my attention. I knew what it was: Haiku wanted into the house from the garage. I finished what I was doing, acknowledged both cats, and went to the garage. Sure enough.  Haiku wanted in. 

Amazing! Tonight, all three cats are in the computer room with me.  Haiku and Taki are frequently in the computer room. Sake occasionally joins me, and if she does, she curls up in the basket that she infrequently used, but that I appropriated for Taki when she was a baby. Taki seldom uses the basket now, and Sake uses it more and more.

I am so pleased to have all three cats for company.

Cool!

Today dawned with a gray, cloudy sky, a north wind and cooler temperatures.  That is great!  It stayed cool today, although the sun was warm. I was able to open the house, which was about 6 degrees warmer than outside, and let it cool off. I was able to sit outside for a while and read. It was too cool and windy for kayaking, for me. But it was pleasant to be outside.  Even now, the temperature is only about 67°.  I am still airing out the house, and letting it cool off from the breeze.

We needed this break from the heat. We need rain, but the chance is slim.  We can hope!

Lemonade Day!

Today is Lemonade Day http://lubbock.lemonadeday.org/!  This is a program to encourage children to develop business skills, and do something for others also.

The Lemonade stand in the park near where I live is selling lemonade for $2 a glass.  They are raising money to help children in Tanzania, Africa.  The family's father has a business in Africa, and they will travel there at the end of May.  The lemonade was very good.

If there is a Lemonade stand near where you live, support it!

Shopping

I hate shopping for clothes.  I do not like grocery shopping, odds and ends shopping, shopping for anything, to be honest.  But I especially hate shopping for clothes.  But I decided I want a new outfit for the wedding of my niece, later this month.

So, I decided that the first weekend in May, I would make a concerted effort to find a new outfit.  I was not planning to go shopping after work on Friday night.  But, I did not want to spend my Saturday shopping either.

Well, the upshot was that I decided to do some limited shopping on Friday night, and extend the shopping sphere on Saturday.  I went to Beall's http://www.beallsflorida.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/content_beallsdotco near my house.  I shop there as frequently as anywhere else  when I shop for clothes.

I wandered around, and found an outfit that worked for me.  So, I am pleased that I found something suitable.

After I went to Beall's, I went to the supermarket http://www.marketstreetunited.com/.  I just did not want to cook tonight, so I bought items to give me a dinner without cooking.  That was nice.

But it was still shopping.  Having said that, I spent less than an hour and a half shopping, and I was able to arrive home in time to watch the beginning of the Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks basketball game.

I can not complain.

Kitten placement

Yesterday, I was approached by the maintenance supervisor at work for some help with finding homes for kittens.  The maintenance female cat and the trustee camp male cat apparently had a union, and the maintenance supervisor is pre-planning, as the kittens have not yet been born.  I told him I was not the person to help him place kittens. 

Well, I felt guilty, because I know there are probably some things I could help him with. Today, I called him, and apologized.  I also offered him some suggestions in addition to advertising on the unit: The Thrift Nickel http://www.thriftynickellubbock.com/ offers free advertising for giving away pet animals.  I also suggested he check with his veterinarian about advertising there.  I am willing to do the same.  I also offered to contact the local no kill shelter, The Haven http://www.havenacs.org/index.asp as I am a regular donor.  I am willing to ask them to refer people if they are looking for kittens.

I have yet to discuss with the maintenance supervisor the idea that these kittens could be housebroken while they are growing to the point where they can be weaned.  He tells me the mother is well socialized, so maybe housebreaking will not be too hard. Maybe we can find homes for the as yet unborn babies.

Plumbing

I hate plumbing issues. I live in a house built in the 1950s, and whenever I have to have some plumbing done, it seems to create its own issues.  The pipes are old and brittle, and working on one pipe sends vibrations elsewhere and results in other pipes being broken.  As a consequence, when I had an outside faucet replaced, an inside pipe broke.  The plumber had to make a hole in the wall to get at it, and did so behind the bathroom.  I now have an access port for the bathroom pipes.

More recently, over the last many months, the pressure of the water in the shower decreased remarkedly.  I tried soaking the screen in the pipe to clean it up, and I tried soaking the shower head in vinegar to dissolve the water deposits. Those efforts did not help much.  So, most recently, I took the shower attachment off the pipe from the wall. There were actually little grains of sand in the shower attachment. I cleaned that out, and what a difference it made!

The water fairly sizzles out of the shower head!  The time involved in taking a shower has decreased.  The first time I showered with the increased water pressure, it became apparent that the drain had slowed, and I needed to use drain cleaner to open up the drain. I had only been showering with hot water, but with the increased pressure, the full effect of the hot water can be felt, so I have to mix in some cold water. (I turned the hot water heater down a little today.)

As is true of so many home repair projects, one thing lead to another, then to another. It all turned out okay. I am grateful that this turned out okay.  I could have broken the pipe from the wall or caused other problems.