It's been a weird couple of years, for sure. I don't know if it's age or just stuff happening, but it's really hard for me to keep my focus on things. So much on my mind, none of it important.
For instance, we started watching the show Yellowstone on Paramount Plus last week. I'd tried to get Brian interested in it before, but he just kind of shrugged. Well, tired of the "well, what do you want to watch" typical evening conversation, I said "let's watch it, see what we think". Yeah, we're hooked now.
I'm mentioning that because it leads to telling you about the kinds of thoughts that fill my mind. Does Beth realize that she treats Rip the same way her father does? I mean, he would do anything for the two of them. And Jamie. Is Jamie going to end up dead at some point? He's annoying AF, for sure. And little Tate is growing up so quickly!
So, these kinds of thought enter my mind and I get lost in them. So, hard to focus.
At least I'm keeping up with paperwork and housework! Oh, my gosh, I'm doing way better at getting the house cleaned. For a couple of years there I was starting to get worried that I really didn't care. That seems to be going away. Maybe some sort of depression? Or just getting back into the swing of things after Brian doing so much when my hip went bad? The year I couldn't walk down to the hallway without thinking my leg would give out? Or when it took me five minutes to get into the car? Because my leg/hip hurt so much? I couldn't drive, it was the right hip. I didn't trust that it would keep working when hitting the gas or brakes. Not a very fun time. Money was tight and it just wasn't the best time of my life. Then Covid hit (we are fully vaxxed at this time; the first vaccination and three boosters - we still mask up when we're in public).
But things are a lot better now.
The business has taken off. It's doing quite well at this time, knock on wood.
The Avengers are all grown up. The boys have gotten so big! I asked Steve this morning who his daddy was. He didn't answer. Natasha (mom) really isn't all that big, so the big genes must have come from daddy.
Last year, I found out I might have a half sister. Earlier this month, one of my cousins sent me an Ancestry kit so we could find out for sure. Delving into the timing, though, it wasn't possible. My dad was transferred to Greece in 1965/1966 and we were there until 1968 (I remember we came home ten days after Bobby Kennedy was shot). He had come home for his dad's funeral, so there would have been the opportunity at that time. I looked for his passport and could only find one. I found three for my mom (figures - did I ever mention what a flaming narcissist my mother was?). I remembered the book that one of my uncles by marriage had put together about the family and found that my grandfather died in 1966. The woman who was looking for her dad (the result of a one night stand - that's what times were like back then) was born in 1968. So, it wasn't my father.
And wouldn't you know, the week after I spit in the cup (for the DNA test), she gave more information to my cousin. Her father would have been from my grandmother's side of the family. She's not a sibling.
Technology. Isn't it grand?
It's that time of the year that I work on my holiday cards. Dragging my feet on it (I'm super horrible at finally starting something I want to do, but once I get started, I work on it until I'm done). I finally came up with a great idea, got all the ducks in a row. Now to see if what I want to do will work. I love the Lawn Fawn products and that's where I got my ideas. I had to fudge a little and took one of their dies and made a template for the Cameo (working with that again, as well! yay me! Remember I saved up for months to get the Cameo 4 plus, their library software was buggy and I couldn't delete files, they'd just copy, so I'd have even more I couldn't get rid of? I was so frustrated, I just said "f*ck it" and put the machine in it's carrying case and set it aside. Even after hours with their technicians trying to replicate the problem, entering my computer and Silhouette software remotely; they got the fix, but I was burnt out at that point). Over a year later, I'm back at it). So, I found a sweet background on Etsy (I'm a big fan of digital paper) and started the design. I got it pretty much figured out and I was trying to print more than one at a time. Tuesday, I fired up the old Epson R1900. And four of the colors didn't work. I guess the ink had dried in the ribbons and when I had fresh ink going through, they loosened the dried ink and it blocked the nozzles. I've been trying to unblock the nozzles, but was not having much luck. Remember when I said I start something then just keep at it? I was up late Tuesday night, working on it. At that point, none of the colors were working. I let it set overnight and after about a dozen cleanings, four of the eight colors were working, but not the other four.
I asked Brian what was my budget for a new wide format printer. We figured it out and my new printer will be here tomorrow. The one I'm getting has great reviews and is on sale right now (it's probably always on sale, but it makes me, the consumer, feel better thinking I'm getting $150.00 off). I'm not giving up on the old one, though. Not yet. Just have to figure out where I'm gonna put it for the time being.
So, here's what happened when I bought it (where my time goes). I've mentioned getting points for purchase through MyPoints in the past. Save these points up and when you get enough, you can get a rewards card (this is one of the ways I saved up for the Cameo 4 Plus).
I got two printers (shhh....don't tell Brian; I was still under budget - but there were no after market trays for the pvc credit card things for that printer). For the wide format, I'm looking at Amazon. And I find it odd that they have the same one listed with two different prices. One, sold by Amazon, was a hundred and fifty dollars cheaper than the one sold by the market place seller. So, I order that one. And the smaller one. I added a four year warranty. Done.
Then I look at the printer specs again. Wait! Wait! They AREN'T the same numbers! Runs over to Google, type in this printer number vs that printer number...the lesser cost one is not wide format! Crap! Quickly cancel that one. Order the other one and a warranty for it. It won't be here until Tuesday! No! I need it now!
Check Best Buy. I get points at Best Buy. Same price for both of the printers I want. Free shipping. Would be here Friday. And points! I'd get points!
Cancel the orders at Amazon. For the both of the printers. I keep the warranty, though. (They'll cover products bought elsewhere, not just through Amazon.)
Head over to the Best Buy website. Order both printers. Finish order. A message pops up letting me know when they'll be ready for pickup next week. Pickup? Next week? Go back to Best Buy. I'm able to switch the option to ship to address. Will be here Friday. But wait!
I didn't click the My Points thing! I won't get my points!
I cancel the order and start over.
So, I'm getting my printers delivered on Friday and I'm getting my points as well. And because the sales tax is a little higher at the store than it is at our house, it was five dollars less.
And I wonder where the time goes.
Pancho hadn't been feeling well and we took him into the vet last week. He had the sniffles and it was a good time to get his bloodwork updated. Well, he has kidney disease. So, he gets a phosphorus binder and subQ fluids three times a week. He's feeling much better now. He's purring again and eating a little more. Bobby gets fluids daily now. This past summer we had a couple of scares with him during the hot days (and it was the hottest summer on record). I upped his fluids to daily and it worked.
Ever since the old vet, we've gotten a deal on the cost of fluids. We started out paying $2.50 and now it's up to $5.00. This is a great deal since the regular price is $30.00 per bag. Well, last week when the vet called to give me the results of Pancho's tests, I requested additional fluids as well as the meds for Pancho. Three bags. Brian went over to pick them up Thursday afternoon and when he came home, he was upset. "You'll have to go over this with them" and hands me the invoice. They'd given us food samples of kidney food as well as the fluids and meds. The food and the total on the invoice threw him for a loop. The bill was $154.00. Whoa, there's something wrong here. I look at the itemization. Thirty dollars for each bag of fluids. There were three. It was ninety when it should have been fifteen.
I called on Friday, but the person who takes care of this wasn't in. I called again on Monday and she credited the seventy-five dollar overcharge, since we'll be using it anyway. I ordered a box of 20 gauge needles (with Pancho getting fluids, I'll be using thirteen a week).
Fun times, right?
I wish you all reading this a Happy Thanksgiving. Hoping you all have a pleasant holiday.
p.s. I really need to add photos to the album. I have a bunch.
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