Weekend Update

In addition to the new living room storage, Tulip keeps walking over all the wires behind the TV. 

I've had to reset my Blink cameras twice so far. 

The AT&T cordless phones are an endless fascination. She will not leave the handset in front of the TV (the master set) alone. I tried putting it in a plastic box, but that didn't work.

Once I finish writing this entry, I'm going to move the phone as high as I can. I've already removed the candle sconce I had on either side of the television. That's no guarantee that it'll fix the situation.

At the same time, I can hear her trying to open the tall cabinet where her food is stored. 

Clonk - Clonk - Clonk. 

Even though the doors are closed by wrapping the doorknobs with rubber bands, Tulip was able to start emptying the cabinet. It needs stronger elastics for a tighter fit.  That's my second job for the evening.

Tulip gains more freedom

Lately, I have been run ragged by chasing after Tulip's many kitchen explorations. So, I scaled back on the fencing on the kitchen counters. Now she happily investigates everything by being really a real Nosy Parker when I cook. (Note to self: look up the history of this phrase.)

The loose papers and folders were still unsafe, so I put them inside a pillowcase. She even gnawed on the pillowcase! A variety of goods placed in cloth totes were too easy for her to get into. Tulip found everything to be . . . a delicious challenge. 

Remember the cloth box that I replaced a few weeks ago? Its big lockable clear tote contains the two small sealed boxes of prescription meds and supplements. Naturally, Tulip pushed the whole kit and caboodle down to the floor. (Note to self: look up the definition for "caboodle.")

Since that horrific crash, Tulip has knocked three pictures and Nana's 19th century cowbell off the living room shelf. All are now stored in the medicine tote. Whenever I tell her to "knock it off," I do not mean it literally.

Now there are no knick-knacks for her paw-y paw-y whacks. (...give a dog a bone...)

For the longest time, I had kept Tulip's food in a plastic container sitting atop my tall kitchen table. Until this morning, I'd forgotten that she could jump so high. From today on, her food will be stored in the fridge. She is going to be Super Inquisitive every time I go near the refrigerator.

From left to right: a small blue holey box I inverted over a can of pencils, three vertical tubs replaced several cloth bins that Tulip helped rearrange the contents. Had to put a plastic sleeve over a cardboard Chewy box to keep my cat from gnawing the box.

This morning, I realized that Tulip now appreciates her newly-found jumping abilities because most things that WERE on the kitchen table were now on the floor. What I had to pick up; a tomato (1 of 2), a warranty card, an unopened box of a dental guard, and a pack of Scrabble Slam! cards. Haven't yet found the second tomato.

Oops! I bought stuff twice.

Some items I rarely use get put away in I-don't-know-where. The locations make sense to me at the time. That is, until I need to find it some days, months or years later. 

❓

For instance, I had a red stadium chair that I put in my car's trunk. When I traded in my new car for an even newer car, I was surprised not to see the red chair. I was extremely suspicious of the sales clerk; had she kept it for herself?

About a month ago, I bought myself a replacement (blue) stadium chair. Then a week or two later, I found the original chair had been stowed inside the recesses of my bedroom closet. 

Meanwhile, the new chair sits in my car trunk. So now what will I do with two stadium chairs that I probably will never use?

🪑  🪑

Then there was my pair of red-handled grass shears. I assumed (I know; never assume) that either a neighbor "borrowed" the new pair I bought OR I lost them in the mound of leaves I left sitting at my curb. At any rate, the clippers needed to be replaced. Since I had already bought a pair a few months ago from the local hardware store, that got me steamed. So I ordered a new set on Amazon; they should arrive  this week.

Today I found the newish pair I thought I had lost forever. Oops.

          🦔    This hedgehog sits in place of hedge clippers

ANYWAY...I count myself fortunate because I didn't start making accusations, despite my certainty that So-and-So did it. For whatever reason, I held my tongue (rare, indeed). At least I won't look like the jackass that I am. Whoops - the secret is out.

Duh!

For a descriptor of Merilee's Journal, see my November 15th post.

Today I was supposed to have a Zoom call with my doctor, but first, Tulip started lobbying for attention. Just like a little kid.

Next on my To Do List: 

• Remove everything from the living room shelf since Tulip started emptying it.
• Maybe I'll even dust the shelf (even though it's too high for me to see).
• Purchase more plastic boxes to keep Tulip away from destroying what is now stored in cloth totes.

Book Published!

Amazon has just published my second novel, Merilee's Journey. While I still have yet to see the proof copy, you can place an order for it now.

Your honest review on Amazon is so important for independent authors like me and would be greatly appreciated. If you can't find it easily by title, search my name.

What's the book about? I'll cover that in my next post.