Just updating:

Just updating:

We've been doing mostly ok.  The kids have been distraught (like, VERY) about the war / takeover situation.  I think they're cooling down, but Kira had a few days when the news was fresh and her PMS was coming on strong and she was (understandably) super emotional and not ok.  I remember being about their ages when the Twin Towers were struck and feeling scared and helpless and hopeless, and wondering what the future held for my very young Shadow.  I don't want to say that Shaun and I are "used" to war as a fact of life, but the fact that it's not hitting us as hard speaks volumes.

Ever since the death of Rose I've thrown myself even harder into things I want to accomplish:  I've still managed to update my blogs daily from Facebook memories (it might seem trivial, but it's a small piece of a larger puzzle).  I've gone through and organized / categorized most of the photos from my phone, laptop, and external hard drive.  A lot of those photos were of nail art for inspiration, or photos of polish I really like.  Those inspiration photos are all categorized and most are uploaded to my Pinterest... I should have the remainder of that finished tomorrow.  The polishes I want are now stored in Google Drive by brand and polish name.

Speaking of nail polish I've also gone though and put the other half of my polish into my database - FINALLY - as that was a project I started before college and then never had a chance to finish.  Needless to say, I've discovered that I have an OBSCENE amount of nail polish (closing in on 4000 bottles of non-gels) and that hits it home to me that I need to get back to making jewelry and also expand into pre-decorated press-on nails.  I have a hard time not doing stuff so I'm not upset that I can always have those things as a backup of something simultaneously fun and productive to do.  I've seen nail sets sell on Etsy and I think I could do well with that.

While still on the subject of nails I've also been studying gel application and removal and the difference between types of gels.  I feel like I've learned a lot.  So gel polish is apparently a type of soft gel that you are able to soak off with acetone.  I also have some hard gels that are not supposed to be able to be soaked off and instead need to be filed off.  They are usually used for overlays (just a protective reinforcement layer on the nail) and enhancements (when you want to add length beyond the natural nail).

I had been using a really stiff hard gel on Shaun as an overlay, but he uses his nails like tools and therefore they bend sometimes... meanwhile the gel stays stiff and so it separates from the nail.  I ordered a softer hard gel that will flex so I'm hoping we have better luck keeping that down on him.  I'm also going to try it as an overlay for myself because I'd like for my natural nails to grow out a bit and right now they're all peely and sad.  I'd rather try the gel overlay than chopping them all off (which is what I'd normally do).  So we'll see how that goes.

Anyway, I would definitely say that I've been hyper-fixating on some things, but I'm not upset about it.  I'm getting so organized and it's how I'd have like to have been all along, but that is not how life worked out.  So now I'm fixing it and it is SO SOOTHING to my brain.  I was literally giddy the other day when I looked at my Google Drive and could just so easily see my "wishlist" of polish.  I'm thrilled to be able to have a spreadsheet copy of my polish table from my database in there, as well - so no more buying dupes accidentally.  Next up, I'd like to work on moving my database from Access to MySQL and possibly putting it online (just to see if I can).  That means I'll probably have to learn PHP or something, but that's ok.

So I'm just over here doing nerd shit and loving it.  Hopefully, I'll be able to wrap up some of the smaller details that have been bugging me so that I'm chill enough to go skating and stuff like that again.  The most physical activity I get lately is cleaning the house or going to the park with Shaun and Cubba.  There is nothing else I want to do besides organize until I'm done and I've learned that when I'm like this it's best to go with it because I literally won't enjoy doing anything else until I'm finished or this urge passes.

Well, I'm off to copy my Facebook memories for the last time this month and then I'm going to see if I'm awake enough to do the gel overlay on myself.  If not, that will be a plan for tomorrow while I wait for the solar company to do the inspection that was rescheduled from the other day.  I hope you all are doing well.  I haven't really been on here much or checked in on anyone in a while and I'm sorry about it.  I still care about my friends and family but I'm in a "reach out if you need me" type of mindset for bit.  Y'all take care!  ❤

Kira made these bomb-ass pancakes...

Kira made these bomb-ass banana pancakes and chocolate chip pancakes the other day. I'm pretty sure she's in the kitchen cooking up something new right now. Can't wait to taste whatever it is.

Speaking of Kira:  We were watching a movie the other night and she straight up made us pause it so she could show us the "gum pocket" on her jacket. It was very exciting. 😂😂😂 She keeps us fed and entertained. We love that kiddo. ❤️

I guess he's just having a hard day.

I guess he's just having a hard day. When I was cleaning I moved something heavy in front of his doggie door and forgot to move it back so he was trapped outside for maybe 10 minutes in the cold. He came in and told on me. Look how sad. 😂😂😂

Shaun had to wrap him in a blanket and warm him up. Because he's a rotten baby now. 😂

He's honestly been so spoiled since becoming the only dog.

He's honestly been so spoiled since becoming the only dog. It's pathetic. He's so ruined we might have to throw him out. 😂😂😂

I've had another low-energy day, but...

I've had another low-energy day, but 2 good things happened:

1) Kira made this bomb-ass cheesecake last night and we ate the whole thing already, and

2) My handsome, sweet little Tort Baby is waking up after months of brumation. I've MISSED him!

I've been a mess for the last few days...

I've been a mess for the last few days and have been avoiding interacting with people IRL and on the Internet when possible.  It's PMS time and it hit me crazy hard - both physically and emotionally.  I just absolutely have not been any semblance of normal.  I've been nauseated and head-achey and LOWWWW energy for the last several days which is NO FUN AT ALL.  I've spent most of my time sitting on the couch watching shows with Shaun, or napping.  I did shower yesterday, though, which was nice.  Well, it was nice physically, anyway.

I don't know how or why but I got in my feelings right before / during that shower.  Shaun had asked me once or twice if I would go to the park with him and Cubba and I was like "Maybe.  I don't feel that good, though."  So in my head the whole time I was in the shower I was just like "I'm just gonna be an adult and tell him I just need to be left alone today.  I don't feel good, no park, don't talk to me unless there is food.  Like, don't even talk to me about food decisions - tell me after y'all have decided what to eat because I just CAN't today."  So after I showered I went to see him and I was keeping my cool and I said basically what I typed.

He's understanding and great because OF COURSE HE IS.  But instead of making food decisions with the kids he said that I should choose what would make me feel better and they could just eat with us or not.  Then he started listing food I like.  And he said "Chinese Food."  And let me tell you - I haven't cried that dramatically in AGES.  I straight up BAWLED "I don't WANT Chinese!  You and Kira always eat my leftovers and I haven't got to eat one leftover yet!"  Yes - I cried over Rose and Bruce, but I was somewhat in control of myself in those situations.  Over these Chinese leftovers - I was NOT.  Not even close.

So we had food from my favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner last night.  Before Shaun even got back with the food I had already composed myself and cleaned off the table.  My hormones right now are so unpredictable and I hate it.  I used to be like this every month (the crying - not the nausea, headache, and fatigue part) and I guess I was used to it, but after a reprieve and then being slammed with it full force like yesterday I can say that I definitely don't miss that roller coaster.  I don't know how I got through my teens and early twenties like that.  Not that my most recent "normal" of feeling legit sick is any more fun, but anyway.  Enough about that.

Today I've been pretty meh.  I did, however, go to the park with Shaun and Cubba.  We walked a bit and then decided to take Cub into the off-leash doggie park.  He'd only been to parks with Rose before and since everything scared her we'd leave if another dog arrived so this was really new for him.  There were A LOT of dogs there - I'd say at least 20.  They all came running to the gate to smell him before we even got in and eventually I just walked through them and he did, too.  He seemed a little jumpy with so many other dogs smelling his butt at one time, but he eventually realized it was all good.  He saw some kids and of course visited them (politely) and made rounds playing with other people and getting petted.  He play-bowed to a pair of dogs who were playing but immediately looked like "Nevermind, just kidding." and went the other way.

He's a very social boy but I can imagine that he was overwhelmed.  He eventually wandered to the gate and we took his cue and left... but not before another dog tried to pee on him.  How rude! 🙄  We'll definitely be taking him back - maybe earlier in the day and not on a weekend.  I think he'd like it better with fewer dogs until he gets used to things.  But today wasn't bad - he handled everyone like a good boy (which I figured he would).  He's definitely the social butterfly of the house.

Anyway, I'm off to finish up some things and call it a night.  I hope you all are doing well.  I promise I'm not ignoring anyone - hopefully I'll feel up to responding to comments and messages tomorrow.  Love!  ❤️

I felt really bad yesterday.

I felt really bad yesterday. It's PMS time and I was drained and nauseated ALL DAY. I think the only thing I accomplished was taking a shower. Outside of that I napped, ate, and cuddled with Shaun and the animals.

When I got up this morning it was snowing, but it was pretty much gone by the afternoon. Shaun and I built a cat tower for the sunroom and put up some rope lights in there temporarily to see if we like them. We do so we'll get them straightened out and anchored in place soon. We also put together a huge umbrella to shade some outdoor chairs. We made the most of the day, I think.

As the sun was setting, Shaun and I went upstairs to watch it. The last photo is of the sunset. It's pretty, of course, but the clouds on top of the mountains kind of look like a lizard to me. 

While I felt less bad today than yesterday I'm still battling bouts of nausea and cramping. I usually have a standing date to video chat with a friend on Thursdays, but I've been so out of sorts lately that I didn't realize it was already Thursday until it was pretty much too late. I feel like a jerk. 🙁 But my friend is amazing and understanding so she's probably not offended.

Rose has officially been gone for a whole week as of today. We all still miss her. The kids were making pizza earlier and when the oven timer went off Kira said something about how Rose always whimpered and whined at the timer. It is a little loud, but Rose used to make a production of it. I guess she never knew when it was coming or what it meant so it stressed her out.

I'm sorry for the messages and comments that I haven't responded to. I feel emotionally like I'm in battery-saver mode so it's hard to try to be social right now. But I love and appreciate you all. ❤️

These are the desserts...

These are the desserts that Kira made for Valentine's Day. They are SO delicious. I've never had a better cake pop in my life - I swear. It was her first time making them, too! And the bear cupcakes were so adorable!

I miss this.

I miss this.  I miss having too many plants and I miss them looking so healthy and beautiful.  Less than a quarter of them survived the humidity of Talladega, both moves, and a freeze.

I can't see me having this many ever again.  I would love more than anything to raise a bunch of teeny tiny plants from leaf props, though.  That was so much fun for me - probably my favorite part.

Today has been a really mixed bag.

Today has been a really mixed bag.

We got our solar panels installed so that is great.  We just have to go through an inspection and get our electric company to sign off and we'll be set to use them.  I'm hoping it won't take too much longer because this was supposed to be finished in December, but I am patient and realize that COVID is impacting the workforce everywhere.  I'm just excited to have it done.

The solar company called me at 7-something this morning so I had to get up and open the garage and give them access to our attic.  No big deal, but I didn't sleep well and had to be up and I honestly have felt like crap for most of the day.  It was also super noisy with them doing stuff to the roof so even though I miss Rose I am grateful that she didn't have to experience today because she wouldn't have liked it.  Cubba handled it like a champ, though, because he's always been pretty chill.  The worst thing he did today was having to poop at the same time the solar company was arriving and ran mid-shit with a poop hanging out of his butt to bark at them.  😂😂😂  Dogs, man.  🤦‍♂️  After that he was all good, though. 😁

Shaun ordered food from Chili's since our vehicles were blocked in by the solar company and we called that Valentine's food.  We ate together on the couch because I felt like crap and because the solar crew might need in at any moment.  I didn't eat very much and then fell asleep as soon they left.

I woke up around 5 (this afternoon!) to a bear cupcake and one of the most delicious cake pops I've ever had - both made by Kira, of course.  She said she took photos of them so as soon as I get those I'll post them.

Our ball python, Bruce, was acting strange last week and we were really worried about him, but we were also dealing with the Rose situation.  I adjusted his temps and humidity and that seemed to help him a lot because he started acting normal again.  Shaun had bought him a new house 2 weeks ago that we hadn't moved him into yet, and his new humidifier arrived today (he had one, but it was older and getting loud so we didn't want to be caught in this dry climate without one).  We decided to go ahead and move him into his new home today and we found him passed away.  I'm shocked and we're all sad.  Bruce was such a friendly guy and he really changed my life / perspective of snakes.  That's a story for another day, but needless to say my heart is broken.

One other thing to say and I guess I'm done:  I ordered Shaun a ring from Etsy back in December for Solstice because that is what he likes to celebrate.  It didn't arrive until the night before last so I gave it to him and joked that it was his "Solstice-tine's Day" gift.  It was engraved with what I was led to believe was the passage on the ring from LOTR, but he looked it up and it's just the alphabet.  😂😂😂

I feel strongly that the seller's listing was misleading, but we both think it's pretty damn funny and I guess we're keeping it.  The seller is straight up printing the alphabet in Elvish on rings unless you customize it another way.  I could leave a review saying as much - and maybe I should because they didn't seem to care when I brought it up to them; lots of their reviews are for the ring "as is" which I think customers wouldn't buy if they knew it said "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz," but what do I know.  Maybe people really wouldn't care.  But Shaun being a huge fan wanted to make sure the translation was correct and that is what he discovered.  😂

Anyway, I hope you've all enjoyed your day whether you celebrate this as a holiday or not, whether you're single or coupled or throupled, whatever you do - I hope it's been great.  It hasn't so much been for us, but that's ok.  Tomorrow is another day.  ❤

It's definitely been a low-energy few days for me.

I'm about to start responding to comments.  I'm sorry for being away, but I needed some time to get right.  I have to deal with Happy Tails Lost & Found Pets of Calhoun County whether I feel like it or not so I'm technically "on here" lurking even if I don't have the energy to post or respond.  It's definitely been a low-energy few days for me.

We're all doing as ok as we can.  I had to move a giant pack of toilet paper that was delivered and left in the middle of the dining room floor because twice upon glancing at it I thought it was Rose standing there awkwardly, as she often did.  Cubba seems to notice that she's missing, as well.  Shaun, despite definitively being a "cat person" was basically claimed by both Cubba and Rose so it's hitting him a bit harder than the rest of us.  He was her comfort person and that meant something.

I'm not saying that losing her wasn't painful for me or the kids because it was, but she was a hard creature to connect with.  It almost always felt like she was putting up with your attention / affection if it didn't outright scare her away.  She also hadn't been fond of me since the vet visit where we discovered her tumor so I've been avoided for all of this time unless she wanted to play.  I miss those big, doofy play bows, though.  Almost every morning she was ready to go out back and play.

Today Shaun helped me go through my plants to see who was alive or not.  He also helped me get most of them watered.  We did some light housework because our solar panels are being installed tomorrow and the workers will need to come in to gain access to the attic.  Other than that I painted Shaun's nails (black with magnetic silver gel polish) and they look kind of like moons.  He likes them.  At times like these taking care of each other is important.  I think we both did a good job of that today.  ❤

I'm seeing and feeling the love...

I'm seeing and feeling the love from my friends and family and even though I haven't responded (yet), I wanted to let you all know that it's appreciated. I'm going on day 3 of little sleep and fighting off a migraine, and almost week two of elevated stress and little self-care so I am taking some down-time to try to get right. I am mentally, emotionally, and physically drained right now. I know logically that we did the right thing for Rose, but that somehow didn't make it any less awful.

Thank you and I love you all. ❤️

Today we said goodbye to our sweet Rose.

Today we said goodbye to our sweet Rose.  She had tasty bones this week and all of the playtime she wanted.  The kids sent her off with Oreos so that she could taste chocolate before she passed.  She had a swift and peaceful passing with me and Shaun present.

We spoke honestly and thoroughly with her vet upon our arrival.  I told him her history of not seeking shelter no matter the weather, of not trusting us despite living with us since she was 6 weeks old (she would be 4 years old right about now), about how any changes scare her, about how she stops eating, and everything we've tried.  We also let him know that her behavior (both regarding the tumor and the aggression we saw when she started Xanax) had escalated.  We stopped the Xanax at least a week ago, but she was still going after a few of the cats and had now begun growling at Cubba (the most recent incident he was simply laying on the couch). She also still did the "coochie-stomp and cry" with her tumor except that she was also starting to bark at her own rear end.  He said that it sounded like she had a neurological problem that training and medication wouldn't fix and that he believed we were doing the responsible and kind thing for Rose.  Shaun and I honestly feel the same way.

Once the paperwork was done they took her back and gave her an IV.  They brought a blanket in so we could be comfortable on the floor with her and sat down a container of treats.  When she returned we petted and loved her and gave her treats and comforted her.  She sat in Shaun's lap when it was time for the shots.  The sleepy shot went into the IV and before the doctor was halfway through pushing that syringe her whole body loosened in Shaun's arms, she yawned, and put her head down in my hands.  The doctor administered the flush, then the kill shot, and she was gone a few seconds later.  It was so fast and so peaceful.  Neither me nor Shaun have ever seen her look so relaxed.

It wasn't an easy decision, but through my time in rescue I learned that there are fates far worse than death.  With her reaction to change / stress I stand with her vet on believing that surgery was not a good idea at this time.  Maybe months of work with a behaviorist would have done her good, but the consultation alone was $650 with (obviously) no guarantees.  Meanwhile, she would still have that uncomfortable / outrightly painful tumor still growing inside her.  This was a perfect shitstorm where the loser was Rose.

Rose was another weird / quirky soul who we embraced in our home and our lives.  She was never an easy dog, but with the guidance of some of my super experienced friends we made it work... until we couldn't.  It never occured to me that she would have a medical issue so young or that it would happen at a time in her life when stressors were stacked to the point she was showing signs of aggression.  If I had it's entirely possible that there would have been time to at least work with a behaviorist and that this situation could've played out much differently.  However, that is not how things went and the best I can do now is say that I've learned some things.

Not to be gross or crass, but after she passed I asked the doctor to show me her tumor again.  It had almost tripled in size since her last visit to him.  I have a photo if anyone would like to see it - just message me or ask in the comments.  It doesn't bother me to send it or talk about it; however, I'm not tryna traumatize anyone or ruin anyone's day so I'm not posting out here to be seen while scrolling.  I've got a headache from crying and might not be by my phone all day, but I'll check in on and off throughout the evening.  For now, me and Shaun are trying to wind down and we're planning to spend some time with the kids as a family this evening.

To everyone who's tried to help me on this journey with Rose:  I appreciate your support and guidance more than words can say.  Thank you so much.  All of my love and gratitude to you for sticking by me during this trying time. ❤️

Oh, these sunsets never get old.

Oh, these sunsets never get old.

The snow has finally melted (except for on the mountain) and it was gorgeous today.

We were startled awake...

We were startled awake at 2:30 this morning by this lovely song. The video is uninteresting visually, but the coyotes were singing us the song of their people - loudly, proudly, and off and on throughout the night.

I love it so much! ❤️

Every single night...

Every single night when I'm trying to go to sleep a cat sneezes in my face (either Ember, Adrian, or both). Ember in particular likes to head-bonk so, so hard and sticks her nose in my nose, eyes, or worse - rubs it across my lips.

I just had to sneeze and I *almost* covered it. Then I thought... "Why do that when I can share?" so I let it rip and sneezed right at Ember's face. She ran away. 😂😂😂 Wrong? Probably. Petty? Yes. Satisfying? Oh, definitely. 10/10 - would do it again.

Today was supposed to be Rose's surgery day.

This isn't a public post because it sucks and we don't know how or what to tell the kids. I feel like we're on the brink of making a really hard decision and I'm struggling because Rose is a beautiful girl who I truly believe tries her best. 

Today was supposed to be Rose's surgery day.

I spoke to her vet yesterday about all of the things that have been going on with her... about how she growled at Kira after her exam that day, about she's been more wary of me since it happened (I was the one who took her in to the exam), how Xanax is making her just comfortable enough to chase / attack the cats, and how she's always tense and everything scares her - often to the point of not eating.

He said given all of that information he's no longer comfortable performing surgery on her. He said that normally he does anything he can to get out of euthanasia, but that in her case if it is something we were considering he would support us. Not only does it sound like she could be a danger to others in the right (or wrong) circumstances - she's actually large and muscular enough to do serious damage. That doesn't even touch on how hard life seems to be for her.

The only other thing he could recommend is seeing a behaviorist. I'm open to it, but we're not working right now and Shaun doesn't see how it would benefit her. She stops what she's doing when scolded, but the other concerning behaviors like not eating and being afraid of every little change...I'm not sure if those could be trained away.

Overall, me and Shaun are pretty exhausted by this situation. It feels like a full-time job managing this dog and her fears. She's terrified of most of the cats to the point she won't walk by them... This means if we're chilling on the couch she is left out unless Shaun physically picks her up and carries her past the cats. If she wants off the couch and the cats are near she throws herself over the back to get around them. She won't go outside or come inside if a cat is near the door so we have to move them constantly. The only change medication has made so far is that there are two cats she will chase / try to attack. 

We have to stay so vigilant for everyone's safety and comfort and it is taxing. None of this even takes into account any changes to our home or household that might happen in the future, or other medical issues she may need to be treated for but her mental state won't allow it, nor the fact that she's smashing her cooch and whining as I type this and we now have no way to remedy that for her. 

I feel like I'm failing her, but from her vet and some very trusted and experienced friends it seems like letting her go is going to be the most humane option. I cannot imagine that she would fare well in a shelter environment, nor that she would be adopted given her problems. I feel like all paths lead to the same place eventually and if I have to choose one way to get there I would 100% choose the path that allows us to be with her every time - with whatever little comfort she can take from that.

Thought? Opinions? Hugs? Hate? Have we tried hard enough? I've never been faced with letting such a young soul go. On top of that I really don't think the kids see the extremity of the situation because me and Shaun are the ones who are keeping the peace and things in check.

OMG, y'all. Last night was INSANE.

OMG, y'all. Last night was INSANE and I had a migraine due to stress almost all day.

I'm a light sleeper and I kept hearing the garage door trying to open. The dogs weren't barking because we're the only ones who come and go through that part of the house. I told Shaun, but he was slow to wake up. He's bigger and stronger, but I'm smaller and faster (faster when I want / need to be), so I made it downstairs first.

In my rush to go investigate I forgot my glasses so I really couldn't see shit. I did, however, think to grab my phone in case there was an emergency. So I made it downstairs despite the fact that I couldn't see and I saw someone standing down there. 

As I approached them I repeatedly tried the "chop" motion with my phone which was supposed to turn on the flashlight, but it wasn't working. I quietly asked who was there and no one replied so I kept moving closer. After getting stupid close to this unknown person I see that it's Shadow with a bag of snacks and he's recoiled away from me because I've just run blindly down the stairs looking crazy as hell.

I told him about hearing the garage door open and he said that Kira had found it open and just closed it. So I was like "Wtf, what if we just closed an intruder in the house?!" So I went to check because duh - we don't want that.

As I'm walking, (still blindly in the dark), I'm steadily "chopping" my phone and getting increasingly pissed off that of all times the flashlight chooses NOW not to work. By this time Shaun had made it downstairs and was talking to the kids. Meanwhile, I was mustering up my balls and having a "Say it with your chest" type of moment. So in defense of my house and to find out if someone was there I screamed "HELLO!" at the top of my lungs.

It was at that moment I felt Adrian (cat) leap off the back of my neck and Shaun's hand on my shoulder with him saying "Blu! Blu! Are you ok?"

Apparently... I was having a nightmare and screamed "HELLO!" so loud that I woke not only myself up, but Shaun as well - despite the fact that he sleeps with a Bluetooth headband on. He told me to text the kids and let them know things were ok in case they heard that so I did. I found out this morning that they definitely did hear me - they were looking out the windows to see what was going on before they got my message. 

Y'all. I think the snow might've triggered me. When I lived in Anniston as the only adult with Shadow and the animals I would ALWAYS see footprints in the snow outside of my house. Not just in the yard or near the road, but up close and on the porch. Either I was being pranked or drug addicts aren't smart enough to realize that they left a trail. It always made me feel even more unsafe knowing that someone was prowling around. 

Anyway, Shaun fell back to sleep almost immediately after the screaming hello incident. I, on the other hand, laid there for a while wondering how dogs live like this and getting an increasingly bad headache until I eventually had to take my migraine meds. For the life of me I could not relax and get to sleep. Waking myself up like that was a first for me so I was weirded out completely on top of the stress. I can laugh at it now, but in that dream I was so, so scared.

Kira didn't bake last night...

Kira didn't bake last night, but did fancy up some delicious strawberries. I could have eaten every one of them by myself. 😂

Long Update:

It snowed all day and is still snowing. 😳

Shaun has been super happy every time he looked outside and the snow was still falling. I usually don't care for it, but it's not the wet slushy kind that I'm used to in AL. It actually looks pretty nice because the ground is covered (for now). Maybe it's not the snow I dislike, but the messy way it looks when it's walked upon or is melting. Anyway.

Shaun made a snowball and brought it in and gave it to Cubba. Cubba then took the snowball outside, proceeded to put it down (on the snow-covered ground), and ate it... and the surrounding snow. 😂😂😂 I guess that was a treat that kept on giving. 😜 Thankfully, the dogs don't seem to mind this weather. They've both gone out and played today so I'm grateful it wasn't scary for Rose. 

The electrician came this morning and finished the sunroom. He wired one thing weird (which we would have pointed out before he left had he given us the opportunity, but he didn't) so he's coming back tomorrow - weather permitting, I guess. Shaun could fix it, but this guy has already been paid to do the work so we're going to let him. 

Shaun and I cleaned up the sunroom and moved some stuff in there. My plants are in totes in there. I'll probably have a post sometime in the next few days where I will need help identifying who can be saved and who is definitely dead so plant friends - please look out for that.

We also moved the litter boxes to the sunroom so we're all thrilled with that. The boxes were in the supposed "dining room" area that we weren't using. Now it's just a big open space that we don't know what to do with. 😂 I'll get pics soon. It's got nice windows so maybe it would be a good sitting area. We're definitely not going to put another big table in there. That seems so redundant.

Anyway, I vacuumed and shampooed the carpet so it's nice and clean in the "dining room." I also shampooed part of the couch downstairs before I crapped out. THEN, I did some minor nail art. 😁😁😁 (It's literally been years since I've done more than just paint my nails. I can hardly believe that.) In any case - I earned it today. I'm planning to get photos sometime tomorrow.

That's all I have to talk about for now. Wait - I lied. I got the call today that we'll be getting our solar panels installed next week so we're excited and ready for that. 😁 Now I'm done.

Goodnight, friends! ❤️

View from the front door.

Part of the front yard.

Quickie Update:

I went to bed early and I haven't been awake long, but it's snowing and the electrician is here.

Also, Shaun said he had trouble getting Rose in and out last night and this morning. The big, scary difference in the sunroom? An outlet. 🙄

We have a fun couple of weeks ahead.

Today was less great...

Today was less great, but I'll admit that a lot of it was due to my attitude.

I woke up early because I heard Rose barking like she does when she needs to go out in the morning.  Hey, props to her for letting us know - we appreciate it.  I hate to admit that Shaun is usually the one to get up with them and let me sleep in.  I don't know how that became the norm, but I've been going to bed earlier lately and today I was like "Nah, he can sleep and I'll deal with the dogs."

I got up and let them out.  Made my normal breakfast of oatmeal and fog tea.  Took my meds and drank a bunch of water.  Let the dogs back in and watched Rose eat a whole bowl of food (thank goodness).  Then we settled in on the couch where I mindlessly and unhappily scrolled because I didn't know what to do with myself.  😂😂😂

I guess the mindless scrolling wasn't hitting the spot because later I woke up to the doorbell ringing and it was the electrician here to work on the sunroom.  Shaun woke up and came down in case the electrician had questions for him.  Shaun seemed frazzled because I'm sure he just stood up and threw on clothes when he heard the doorbell ring.  It also doesn't help his anxiety when people are working on the house.  Since we are both big into doing things ourselves it feels really awkward to be sitting here while someone else works.

Anyway, I sent Shaun to his game room and told him I'd keep and ear / eye out on the dogs.  Rose barked pretty constantly the whole day no matter what any of us did.  It wasn't super fun.  I managed to get a few things done on my Lappy that I'd been meaning to do so I guess that's something.

I got an alert on my phone that we're having some winter storm weather starting early tomorrow morning.  We might be getting some snow.  So... our sunroom might not be finished until later this week because the electrician left today without completing the job.  He left early yesterday having barely done anything.  I'm pretty frustrated and ready for this to be over with.

Look, the sunroom has places pre-made into it for the wires and conduit to run.  He just needed to put in some boxes and wire some switches and I'm failing to see how this should be a 3-day job.  No, I'm not an electrician or an expert in the field, but I've watched Shaun do some pretty intense electrical work (he learned from his dad) in far less time than this without even having all of the proper tools.

I'm not about to go all "Karen" on anyone, but my gosh I'm allowed to say that my patience is running thin.  I want to get this stupid dog adjusted to the sunroom and calm before she has surgery.  I want to put my plants on shelves and see who's gonna live.  We want to move the litterboxes out there, and I want to shampoo the carpeted area where they were once we move them.  We can't do any of that until the sunroom is completed and I'm not enjoying trying to psych myself up to do this work (especially because the dumb dog and the plants are going to mess with me emotionally) only to keep having the date I actually have to confront all of this moved on me.

Anyway, I suppose this turned into a vent / rant and I didn't mean for it to, but like I said - my attitude isn't the best today.  I don't know why.  It was cloudy and maybe I missed my sunbeams.  I don't really care for days without sunbeams, I've found.

Well, I'm going away.  Hopefully my bad attitude doesn't rub off on anyone else.  Be better than I am today.  You can do it!