Vacay Underway!

 Yesterday, I started my first day of vacation with a long, warm bath.  

I did my chores at an easy pace, and then had a massage in the afternoon.  Once again, my new therapist spent 2 hours working on me.  

It was wonderful.

Then, home to watch the rest of the Cubs game, and relax.   We used the hot tub after dinner, and I slept so well last night!

It was like time stopped yesterday.  It was leisurely, relaxing, and comfortable...which I need right now, due to various stresses.  

There seems to be a snag with the condo every other day, and my stress level has been up lately.

Also, work on Friday was intense, as I was trying to tie up every possible loose end.

Anyway, yesterday, I kept asking myself "is it still really only Saturday?"  I love that.

We stopped at the European Market that is between home and the massage therapist's house yesterday.  We quickly browsed around, and had a few items picked out, but we had very little time to spare before my appointment.

Unfortunately, there was one other person in the shop, and she and the woman who works there were chatting about life back in Eastern Europe. 

We waited, and waited.... and they ignored us... so we put our items back, and left.  

Today, we will stop back by without an appointment looming!  I really want some authentic pierogi, and tea biscuits, and tea, and.....and.....

We also need to go to Target, PetSmart, the grocery store, and Lowe's, and want to get that done before church lets out on this pretty day.

When we get home, Dave's going to do some chores, and I am going to look over my next lesson in the course I am taking.

It should be a pretty day, after a week of cold and damp.  

Tomorrow, I have the dental appointment that was postponed from last week, and I also want to get out to a garden center and start getting plants for my containers.

Tuesday is an open book, then Wednesday is my birthday, and we are going to a state park.  The weather is supposed to be stormy, though, which does not please me.

Thursday, the electrical upgrade is going to be done, and we can stop worrying that the new HVAC system will cause a power failure.

Friday is also an open book.... hoping to go to at least one other state park either Tuesday or Friday. 

SO, in order to get up and out this morning, I need to ... get up and out!

Have a good week!

Go home, winter...you're drunk....

 Cold temperatures, and possibly snow, are in the forecast for coming days.

I should have stuck with my original plan to not move forward with the container garden until the week of my birthday.

This is Oklahoma.  It's supposed to be getting hot already, but we have had a very cool spring this year, after the arctic blast...and now, this. 

This time last year, things were growing vigorously, and we were able to get out and walk almost every day.  This past week, we only got outside once, because it's been so cold and wet.

The lettuces I moved from their starter container into one of the barrels are doing GREAT, though!  Just have to figure out now how to cover them to protect them from the freeze, since the barrel can't be moved into the shed.

I decided not to purchase any more plants last weekend, and am glad I put that off.

Today is supposed to be nice, though, and after grocery shopping, we might go somewhere to take a walk. 

Unless Dave finally decides to do his yard work that he's been putting off for literally months.

In other news, I received a packet of papers to sign for the closing on the condo.  I have a friend who is a notary, and she came over to do that for me.  We all wore masks.

The papers being signed and notarized by me in advance allow my Illinois attorney to appear on my behalf at the closing, so that I don't have to physically travel up there in order to attend.

Paperwork was sent off yesterday.

I am wondering if I will clear any money at all on this sale, given the attorney fees and the expensive realtor.  *shrug*  whatever.

My tenant has moved out, and sent us his new address.  He also sent the copy of the condo ass-ociation's inspection check list.  Everything was marked "pass."  No "fails."

(yes, I put that hyphen there on purpose...HAHA!)

According to the bank, he has cashed his security deposit/half month's rent refund check, and the attorney confirmed receipt of the lease termination letter. 

No further complications have come along, that I know of, so I guess we are moving forward with the new closing date in the middle of May.

I've been advised to not pay the May mortgage, so that is a relief.  However, I will now have to pay the May ass-ociation dues on a vacant property.

This coming week, I have my first teeth cleaning and dental check up since July of 2019.  My nurse didn't want me to go last year, at first, due to chemo, and then due to COVID.  Now, my bloodwork is stable, and everyone is vaccinated (me and the staff at the dentist's office), so I have the green light.

I also have my monthly injection this coming week.   I'm starting to worry about why I have not gotten a bill for January's injection yet.  I normally have to activate the assistance program in March to start paying those high bills.  I'm concerned that they're going to bill me for multiple months at once.... OUCH.....

Nothing else to report.  Have a good week!

Self Care Saturday

 I enjoyed TWO, count them, TWO face to face, in-person sessions with bodywork therapists yesterday! 

I had a much delayed and rescheduled visit with my yoga therapist first, and then, I had my first massage since before we found out the cancer was back.

Ahhhh..... both women are vaccinated, and my body and mind thrived on being cared for.

After my second appointment, we stopped and bought sweet potato vines for the window box, and a scarlet begonia for my cat-shaped planter.

Came home, did some laundry, went to the hardware and got some stuff, came back and did some more stuff...HAHA...

Hot tub last night.... perfection.

This morning, we are headed to Lowe's bright and early-ish to beat the traffic.  The street it's on is under construction, and it's a hot mess during prime hours.

Need to get a couple of trellises for my barrel planters, and maybe I will get some plants to get started in the barrels.  We bought the drain rock and some soil yesterday at the hardware store. 

I hesitate, thinking it might be too early to plant anything...but if it is, the plants are only around $3 each, so if they freeze, I can just go get more.  And if it's too early, why are the garden centers overflowing with plants right now? 

I think it's worth a shot.

In other news, my tenant reported that the condo passed one inspection.  He will send us the form he was given, and forward his new address to us so we can keep in touch.

He never called to tell us he got the check and the lease termination letter I sent him last Monday.  I guess we need to give him a jingle.

Nothing much else to report.  I hope you have a good week.. need to get my butt moving.  

A taste of normal

We had a friend over yesterday.

In our house.

Without masks.

For hours.

It was the first time since Christmas Eve of 2019.

She brought a couple of plants and planters, and asked me to show her how to start a container herb garden, so we sat outside first, but then we came in, and chatted, and had cake, and it was wonderful.

Today, Dave and I were planning to go hiking at Red Rock Canyon, which we also visited on Christmas Day.

But. Yesterday got past us, and we still have a lot of stuff we need to do around the yard that has not been touched yet, and have decided to stay home and get out there at last.

If we can, we might also cut that barrel in half and get the first step in that large container garden project started.

My seedlings are doing great, so far.  The lettuces came up first, and are thriving.  The cilantro has sprouted, too, but the marigolds and sunflowers have yet to poke through the dirt.

We FINALLY got our stimulus money this past week, and Dave has initiated the next (and probably the last) big home improvement project.

Next Wednesday, we are replacing our heat/air unit.  This is a major event, and a major expense.  I have taken that day off from work, because the work will all be done RIGHT outside the window of my office, as well as inside the house, and there would be no way I could work while that kind of noise is going on.

The poor kitties will have to be sequestered in my office, too, because the crew will be going in and out, and putting a new vent in the bedroom.

Our FORMER home improvement guy bid us WAY over the top on this project, so we had to hire someone else this time.

It seemed to me that that last couple of times he did something for us, he was jacking up his fees over his previous work.

This time, it was REALLY obvious, because we shopped it around, and he was $5000 higher than the next lowest bid. Wow.

The last time we had to repair the furnace, it cost $800.00, and Dave is afraid that it is on its last legs.  We are switching to a heat pump system, which is popular down here.  I am nervous that it would not be able to keep the house warm the next time it gets dangerously cold, but Dave thinks it will work just fine, and be a lot more efficient.

The crew is also going to fix the duct work that was installed in a half-assed (read "okie") manner before we bought the house.  There will no longer be a vortex of air drawn through the linen closet.  That will help things a lot, too.

The process of selling the condo continues.  I sent off the fees that the stupid condo association charges (I had to go to the bank for two certified checks, in the same amount, both made out to the condo association).

My tenant did send his rent, so I deposited it to help pay fees.  He has told us that his move out date will be April 13th.

Nothing much else to report from OKC on this pretty spring morning. 

We don't celebrate Easter, but we wish our readers who do a happy one!