The Footstool

A few years ago, a co-worker suggested that I get a footstool to use to sit on when I was doing weeding and other low level ground work in the yard. It was an invaluable suggestion, and I wish I had had a footstool years ago.  So, this past week, when I was doing some yard work, I dragged out the footstool, and put it to good use.

And, then I sat in my backyard at the patio table, and read.  I usually sit with my feet propped on the legs of the patio table, but that is not the best height for my comfort.  Well, the footstool was out, having been washed, and waiting to dry before I put it up, and I discovered the lower step was the absolute correct height for my comfort.  That was Friday, and I kept the footstool out all weekend, as I sat out multiple times and used it to prompt my feet up with absolute comfort!  Yeah!

Making it Snug

I have been opening the windows at night recently, because although the days have been warm, the nights have been cool, and good sleeping weather.  Today, the day stayed cool (55° high), and it was rainy, so there was a feeling of rawness in the weather.

I went out tonight.  When I came home, I decided to get into something comfy, and get snug while I have been working on the computer.  So, I turned the electric heater on in the computer room.  Taki decided she did not want to sit with us at first (she likes it cooler, usually.)  Haiku seemed to be glad of the warmer room.  I closed the door partly, so the heat would stay more in the computer room. Haiku eventually settled down on a chair, but more than once, wanted to be hugged.  After a while, Taki joined us.

Little Houses for Haiku and Taki

I keep the house cool during the day.  Sake liked it cool.  Haiku does not.  She used to get under the covers and sleep on the warm water bed mattress. She does not often get under the covers on the bed with the regular mattress. She and Taki sleep on the beds and can lay in sun spots coming through the south facing windows, for part of the day.

Today, when the mailman came through, Haiku was very disturbed. She raced around and raced around and cried. She went to the back door.  It was closed.  I usually leave it open if the sun is out, because it helps to warm the house to let the sun in. Finally, Haiku came to rest on the bed and I lay with her and Taki in the sun.  It decided me. 

Well, I had already decided I was going to find them little fluff houses or cubes and have been looking for them when I go to stores where they might be sold. Had not seen any.  I just made a special trip to PetSmart http://www.petsmart.com/ today to get them little houses. They are like oval domes with soft insides.

Haiku got in hers and got in and out this afternoon.  Taki sniffed at hers but did not get in it.  She does not seem to be so bothered by the cool.

I put one on my bed and one on the floor in the computer room, where I had had a basked with a towel that all the cats liked to sleep in (not at the same time.)  The basket was pretty well torn up and went away today. The house was moved around the floor in the computer room.  Hmmm. That is interesting.

My pillow ended up on the floor next to my computer chair, and Taki has been sleeping on it. So, I put the other little house where the pillow was, and returned the pillow back to the sofa.

Maybe the kitties will use the houses, maybe not. We shall see.

So The Weather is Cold

So, the weather has turned cold and wet today, but my house is warm and comfortable.  Even though the temperature was in the mid 60's in my house, the outside temperature is in the mid 40's outside. It did not feel cold in my house. Which is surprising to me, because I am a cold woosie, and the mid 60's is usually cold to me.

The mid 60's did not feel cold tonight, but I decided to turn the heater on, because my concern is that it would be too cold to be comfortable in the morning. And that makes it difficult for me to get up and get ready for work in the morning. 

Do You Think My Cats Are Spoiled?

I bought a rack of ribs to cook today.  I cooked them slow, all afternoon. An hour or so after they started cooking, Sake started telling me she wanted something. Consistently.  So, when I was eating dinner, after having fed the cats, she checked out my plate.  She wanted some ribs!.  So, I pulled some pork for her. She ate about half of it.  She had already eaten some chicken. 

Haiku is my cold girl.  She was not happy this afternoon, because I did not bump the temperature up. When it is cold, Haiku likes to sleep on my chair at the computer.  Sometimes she will sit on my chest. Sometimes, I move her, sometimes, I do not.  Tonight, I moved her to the folding chair, which has a pillow on the seat, and I put the heating pad on the pillow, and turned it on low. That seemed to satisfy her. 

Taki likes to join us.  She sits at my feet. I have the space heater going, for me, and the cats like it, too.

My Cold Kitty

The other night,  I moved to the sofa to read to help me to get drowsy before going to bed.  If I  am not at almost asleep drowsy, and go to bed, I might as well be up dancing.  My brain just keeps working.  So, I covered up with a couple of afghans, and Haiku climbed onto my lap.  The next thing I knew, I was awake, and thinking that I needed to go to bed so I could hear the alarm when it went off.  Except it was well after the time the alarm goes off.   I do not hear the alarm in the living room.  Amazingly, Haiku was on my lap still.  If I sleep on the reclining sofa, I am not restless, and I think Haiku must of spent the night snuggled with me.

Haiku and Taki like to sleep in bed with me, but all of my life I have been a restless sleeper, and they are chased away by my tossing, turning, flailing and what have you.  When I had the water bed, Mack would sleep up against my back, and that kept me calm.  But the nights he did not lay against my back, I was a fearless floundering body in bed.

I have a programmable thermostat, and now have it set to 65° after midnight.  By the time midnight rolled around, I was still at the computer doing odds and ends.  It had started to cool down in the house, and Haiku, who does not like the house to be cool, was complaining.

In the recent past, I have run a space heater in the computer room, and she has settled in the extra chair nicely.  But tonight, I had the heating pad on my back.  So, Haiku was not getting the benefit of the warmth.  I turned off the heating pad, and turned on the space heater, and voilá, Haiku is happy.  She is now snuggled on her chair. 

Because I am not ready for bed, I will once again move to the sofa, and expect Haiku to follow me.

   

Getting Comfortable

I keep my house warm in the summer and cool in the winter. If I get uncomfortable, I kick in the air conditioner or turn on the central heat. I also use space heaters, depending what I am doing and where I am in the house. And, I have ceiling fans in every room of my house. The moving air really makes a big difference.

I turned the heater on for the first time last weekend.  It was cool enough, and I wanted to be sure it was working correctly. It was not.  Somehow, I had a hold on a day time temperature that kicked the heater to 79°.  Well, in the summer time, this was okay, but in the cooler time of the year, this was oppressive to me.

I use a heat lamp in the bathroom when I am taking a shower and getting ready for the world, in the morning.

Tonight, I was working in the computer room, and the temperature was cool, but not bad. The furnace came on a couple of times.  But Haiku was not happy.  So, I turned on the space heater, and she almost immediately snuggled into the chair near the computer desk.

I appreciate that, but I will not leave the space heater on all night.  She can snuggle in bed with me, or find other places where I have covers under which she can snuggle.  The house may be cool, but not cold and not unsafe.

I like to wear layers of clothing for warmth.  It is comforting to me.  But I also do not want to be uncomfortable throughout the house.  It is a balancing act, and one I am able to adjust to as needed.

The Chair

Some years ago, Haiku decided that she liked the office chair at my computer desk. I kept a throw or afghan on it, and she was sleeping in it frequently. Sometimes, I would go into the computer room, and not realize she was on the chair, and would sit on her.  She developed a self preservation skill of mewing when I came into the room.

For the longest time, I just relinquished the desk chair to Haiku.  First I moved in a folding nylon lawn chair, and used that.  I put a throw on that chair, too. But it was not comfortable to sit in it and use the computer. Later, I moved in a metal folding chair, the kind that might accompany a card table.  I used that for a very long time, but still, it did not give me the support I needed, although it, too had a throw and a pillow for support.

Recently, I have reclaimed the office chair. I did this because I am trying to get some relief for my sciatica, and good posture and support  are important.  However, not only has Haiku claimed the office chair, but Sake and Taki have also taken to sitting in it, whereas before, only Haiku used it. 

I have the folding nylon lawn chair in the computer room, also.  If I move Haiku into that chair, she will stay there. Sometimes, Taki will use that chair.  Sake does not.

We play "merry go round" with the chair, and through out the day, any cat might be in the chair, and object to being moved. 

As much as I want to accommodate my cats, I have decided for my back health, I have to move the cat in the chair to a suitable other chair.

Cooking

Sake has become very finicky with her eating habits.  She likes liver, but only for so many days in a row. She likes ham, but only intermittently. She likes chicken, but again for only so many days in a row.  Taking to heart the advice of a friend, I cook a cut up chicken, and freeze it in parts, so I can offer some to Sake on an intermittent basis.  I cook liver, put out some for her, and when she stops acting interested, revert to chicken.  If I am eating another meat, ham, pork, turkey, or even a fish, and she expresses interest, I put out some for Sake.

This weekend, we finished the last frozen piece of chicken. So, I bought another to cook and freeze. But, it has been a while since I offered liver to Sake, so I bought some liver, also.  I cooked both today.  It is past supper time, and I have not seen Sake, so I am not sure which she would prefer.

I am grateful I have the wherewithal to cook special foods for Sake. I would do the same for Haiku or Taki.  In fact, they do get special foods.  Haiku seems to like human tuna, and treats.  Taki also likes treats. She likes paté style foods: turkey or fish, mostly. But she also likes human tuna, so I put some out for her when I put some out for Haiku.  My grocery bill is mostly consumed by cat food.  I do not mind. I want the cats to eat well. And, cooking for me is boring.

The Weather Has Changed

Saturday and Sunday were so beautiful, I went kayaking both days. It was so nice!  Monday was very warm, but the wind was up, too windy to go kayaking after work.

I had to stay home from work this morning, for repairs. The morning was beautiful.  I had the house opened and enjoyed the breeze blowing through.  It was so warm, I was concerned that the house would be too warm for the girls in the afternoon.  It was in the high 70's in the house when I went to to work, and in the high 70s or low 80s outside.  I even turned the air conditioner on.  I hated to do it.  I always like to be home the first time I run the air conditioner or heater for the season, but it needed to be done, in case.

I need not have worried. The front that was supposed to blow through tonight blew through this afternoon. The dust was up and the wind was strong.  It is in the high 40's now, about 9 PM, but the house is snug.  That is one thing about this house.  It does hold the heat well.

There is a possibility of precipitation with this front, but I think most of the moisture will be to the north.

Balaclavas in Baseball?

I am watching the baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox http://mlb.mlb.com/home.  The weather in New York City is cold tonight, and I am seeing many of the Boston Red Sox players wearing balaclavas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balaclava_(clothing).  It makes sense to me, but I am not sure I have seen that in baseball before. 

I am a cold woosie.  I have good warm clothing, and if it is the least bit cold outside, I wear my winter coat, a funnel scarf http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=funnel%20scarf&clk_rvr_id=464854481672&adpos=1o1&MT_ID=69&crlp=24074180405_2416792&geo_id=10232&keyword=funnel+scarf&adgroup_id=%7BADGRP_ID%7D&crdt=0, and sometimes, another scarf.  I use gloves, and when it is very, very cold, I will use a pair of mitten over my gloves. I have plenty of warm clothes.  There is no reason for me to be freezing cold in cold weather.

Creature Comfort

The outside temperature is mid-range tonight. Which means that my house will be a little on the cool side.  I believe that I have mentioned this before:  when It is very hot or very cold outside, my house is comfortably cool or snugly warm. But at the mid-range temperatures, the heater does not come on as often, and the house stays on the cold side for my taste.

I deal with this in various ways: sometimes I notch up the thermostat. More often, I put more clothes on, or use an afghan to help me to stay warm.  And, I turn on a space heater.   Tonight, I have opted for a space heater in the computer room.  It does not seem to be warming me as much as I would like, although it has in the near past, and is turned on high.

But the evening is winding down, and I shall soon move to the living room, cover up with my favorite throw, and read until it is time to go to bed.  

I have said before I would like a house with a wood burning fireplace and a sun room.  But I am not sure I am willing to get into debt to buy a new house, and I do not want to deal with the remodelling hassle in this house. So, I limp along, and take what creature comforts I can from what I have.   And, I have plenty.

Daylight Savings Time, A Funeral, and Monday In General

Monday is an especially tense day for me. I do not spend time on Sunday dreading having to go to work on Monday. I spend very little time on Sunday thinking about going to work on Monday. In fact, most Sundays, once I wake up, and decide it is not a work day, I do not think about work again. 

Until I wake up on Monday, and know that I have to go to work. But I am usually tense on Mondays. I worry about what I forgot about last week that I need to remember this week. I want to get as much work done as I can.  I am goal or task oriented, and I worry, that if I screw up on Monday, I will be behind the rest of the week.  So, for me, Mondays are tense.

I have long said that I do not do anything on a Monday night that feels like work: no housework, yard work only if it something I enjoy, no serious decisions.  Well, I have had to break my rule.  Once a month, I go to the Catholic Charities board meeting on a Monday night. But, I do try to keep my rule.

Today was an especially tough day. It is the first work morning after the change to Daylight Savings Time.  So, when I got up, 6 o'clock on the clock was 5 o'clock in the body. I dragged myself to work, and arrived on time, but barely.  I left work to attend the funeral of the husband of a co-worker, midday, and returned to work.

I stayed at work to accomplish all the tasks that I wanted to do this day.  Which meant that I stayed later than usual, but because of leaving for the funeral, I did not work overtime. 

After work, I had a couple of errands to run, so arrived home at about  6:45 PM. I fed cats and did homecoming chores, and could not wait to sit and just be.  

Even now, though, sitting and writing, I am having trouble relaxing my body.  I am in an upright chair. I think I need to move to a reclining chair to get the relaxation that I need.

Mondays are tough  Funerals on Mondays make them tougher. And the time change makes my body feel out of whack. 

Power Outage

It was about 3:15 PM today, when I heard a poofy kind of pop, and the power went out. I went out the front door to check with my neighbors.  The two houses to the west did not have power, either, and neither family had a cell phone with them.  I told them I would call into the power company, Lubbock Power and Light http://lpandl.ci.lubbock.tx.us/. 

When I made the call, the dispatcher said a technician was working on another call, but would be sent to us next.  Less than an hour and 15 minutes later, power was restored: the LP&L dispatcher called and checked on my status. Power was restored.  I then checked with my neighbors. Power was restored.

We take our utilities for granted. Water, electricity, gas.  I have written in the past about calling the fire department because the motor of my heater burned out, and an I wanted to be sure there was no smoldering fire in the heater closet.  The response was almost immediate, and I did not receive a bill. 

Today, the power was restored. I know there will be no cost to me, because any service outside of the box on my house is tended to by the power company.

I am so grateful for the community services from which I benefit. I am willing to pay taxes for these services. 

Lotions and creams.

At this time of year, my skin really dries out.  I use a body wash with a moistener, against my doctor's advise, because I can not stand to slather my entire body with lotion.  And, in this part of the world, with the very harsh water and the very low humidity, a shower can dry out the skin significantly. There have been times when my skin was so raw, the shower water felt like little grits of sand pelting my body.  And, there are times when my skin is so dry and scaly, it cracks.  My hands have cracked in places this year.

I have discovered, years ago, on a very cold day that a layer of lotion actually helped to keep me warm when I first leave the house. As the day progresses, the protection diminishes.

I so dislike lotion, though, that I use it rarely and sparingly.   I have been know to use lotion, then immediately wipe or even wash my skin, because I cannot stand the feeling of the greasiness of the lotion.

One of the things I have learned is to buy a high quality lotion.  The other thing I have learned, especially with lower quality lotions, but even with the high quality lotions, is to use a minimal amount. With lotions, less is more, because if I use too much, it all has to come off.  Whereas, if I use just a little, I can tolerate the feeling of greasiness.

Some years ago, someone told me that the lotions we use for our face, hand, body or feet varies in viscosity.  I think that is probably true.  Yet, I use them interchangeably:  I have a good foot cream that I like for my hands, too. It has a pleasant odor, and is not too greasy.

I guess I do not generally use creams.  They are thicker than lotions.

Mmmm.   

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/moisturizing/products/creams-and-lotions-different.htm

Safety Features

I have had a space heater, and decided that I needed two for the house.  The one I had has a feature that if it is tipped over, it will after a while, shut off.  The new space heater I purchased today also has the same feature. But it is very sensitive.  If it is at all moved from an upright position, it stops. So even adjusting it in the room stops it, sometimes, because the unit is tilted.

That is an excellent safety feature. I much rather have that inconvenience than the inconvenience of a house fire.

Night Noises

I grew up in a small town, with a river just a few yards from my house, and two manufacturing plants, one less than a quarter mile away, one less than a mile away.  The manufacturing plant closest to my house was the Millers Falls Company http://oldtoolheaven.com/, and they made electric and hand tools.

In the evening, when things were still, you could hear the river and the noise from the tool company.  It was a sound to which I fell asleep for years.  It is a sound I find reassuring and comforting.

I do not live far from the Loop in Lubbock, and can hear the intermittent traffic noises. Tonight, with rush of the wind,  the noise was constant, and sounded much like the hum that I was used to as a child.

I really do like the comfort of that noise.

It Turned Cold

We have had abnormally warm weather for this time of year. But, we knew that could not last. It has turned cold and it will be below freezing tonight, for sure.

It is winter, and in addition to the cold air, the wind is cold and makes the wind chill factor more potent.

So, it has turned cold. I was out running errands today, and there is a high ceiling with grey wispy clouds, which also makes it look colder.

But is only in the 40s.  Which means my house is not as warm as it could be.  It is a phenomenon I believe I have written about before.  This house is warm, without adjusting the thermostat, when the temperature gets really, really cold.  But when the temperatures are middling cold like they are today, this house does not feel as warm.

I have throws that I use to help me to stay warm. I have a space heater I use in the bathroom, and sometimes move to the office.  I could bump up the thermostat if I need to, because there is no reason for me to be cold. 

But, it is moving to the winter season, and the colder temperatures are what is to be expected.

It's Messy in Here!

Sake is a fastidious and prissy cat.  When Haiku arrived, and sometimes missed the litter box, catching the edge, this was very upsetting to Sake.  I remember one time when Haiku was using the litter box in the large bathroom, and Sake sat there and hissed at her.  Whatever she said, it was not pretty.  After that, Haiku got a better about using the litter box neatly.

Since Taki joined us, there have been more accidents and misses.  Also Haiku and Taki scratch up the newspaper I put under the litter box, sometimes tearing it and using it for cover in the litter box.

I clean the boxes and the areas around them at least once a week. If the papers get too messy, I do it more often.  This was a busy week, and the papers in the large bathroom got pretty messy, but I did not change them.  Saturday is cleaning day. I got a late start to my morning, and had many more than usual errands to run, so did not start cleaning until about 1:30 PM. 

A few minutes before I was ready to start cleaning, I was checking something on the computer, having just finished lunch.  I could hear Sake crying her most plaintive cry "I need something." She does that from time to time.  She even hid once when she was hurt and cried but I could never find her. Well, I found her today.  She was standing on the edge of the bath tub, crying, looking at the mess and looking at me.  I told her I was going to start cleaning shortly, and she was immediately consoled.  Hmmm. Did she understand what I said?  I doubt it, I am sure it is the tone.

So, I did clean, and did some extra freshening of the litter boxes. Maybe that will help the girls do better.

Holidays

I live alone.  A have a few close friends. My family is in other parts of the world.  I was in a relationship for several years that resulted in my spending my holidays either entertaining many people, or being a guest somewhere. That got really old.

I like being able to have a quiet holiday without much hoopla, no guests, and just being.  I was talking to a coworker this week about the holidays.  She said they had occasion to spend a holiday with friends, but the friends said they did not want to get out of their pajamas, so if they had company, the company should also just wear pajamas.  This coworker said it was really nice and comfortable.

Why do we stress ourselves out over the holidays with so many preparations, so much work, so much hassle. 

Another coworker said she envied my low stress holiday plans.  She will be having guests this year, but is grateful they are "low maintenance " guests.

I understand this.  I had thought to invite some friends for the holiday, but I decided that was not a good idea.  The thought of cooking a holiday meal was okay, but the thought of people lingering after I was ready for them to leave was not good. 

I sometimes think I am an old Scrooge. But that is okay.