It's Been A Week From Hell, Part I

...and it had almost nothing to do with Tulip.

• This past week my mulberry tree started producing. I have stains on the bottom of my shoes which I keep on the back porch. My house has many, many new stains each day clean up. The berries attract flies and birds. It tends to smell funky as they ferment.
• Unfortunately, every other pair of shoes I wear have the same stained bottoms, but I keep those pairs inside the house.

• Recently, I've been spilling things around here a lot. One day (and I could foresee this happening), Tulip was angling to jump on my lap so she could sample my hot cocoa. I shifted in my recliner to intercept Tulip mid-flight. 
• That was my intention anyway. Cocoa landed on and beneath my recliners. I was surprised how far however-many-ounces could go.

• I had poured coffee grounds in a Melita© single cup filter. I suspected it would be a problem when the mug I selected was too wide-mouthed. Sure enough, the coffee mug tilted. There was coffee "mud" and many, many grounds that fell all down the kitchen counter, refrigerator and . . . you get the picture.
• Tulip had no part in this even worse disaster.

#TulipTales

#CatTales

What's Up?

Tulip has been busy, but I just got the Internet back late this afternoon. I never knew I'd become so dependent on it!

First off, while I was showering last week, Tulip got into my maxi pads. She chewed on the top corner of it.

Even though Tulip never met Liberty, she is starting to behave like him when it comes to loving Q-tips. Liberty tried to intercept the swabs as they were headed from my ears, to the bathroom trash can. Tulip likes going through the bathroom trash in search of used cotton swabs. And she found the plastic cup where I keep my unused stash. Just one more thing to keep away from Tulip. I regularly move the toilet paper out of reach, and now the Q-tips are on a higher shelf.

#Tuliptales

#Cat_stories

#CrazyCat

Why do I constantly misplace things?

Okay, I'll say it for you. I am old and becoming more forgetful. Sometimes it's Tulip's fault.

Cases in point: 

• On Monday, I needed to find my heating pad. I found the empty box it came in. Looked everywhere, but no clues were found. This reminded me of another time when I searched for the heating pad. Not surprisingly, I ended up owning two. A few years ago, I gave the surplus to a friend. 
• In a repeat performance of events, I ended up buying yet another heating pad at Walgreens.
• Totally my fault.
• I should reassign one of my living room bins exclusively for storing spare DME (Durable Medical Equipment). Blood pressure cuff, various braces for my heels, my back, etc.
• Disorganized me!

• I bought a fancy insulated bottle from Coffee on Raiford. When I was looking for it, I asked myself, "Did I put it on the car roof?" and "Did I leave it at the last place I was in?"
• The bottle was spotted in a cat bed amongst a variety of cat toys.

• Totally blame this one on Tulip. 
• She had to knock it off a table first, then nudge it over to her kitty bed. 
• Bad Kitty!

#losingstuff

#Tuliptales

#Cattales

I don't live alone

While my relatives might think that I live alone, they keep discounting the fact that Tulip rules the roost.

It's depressing when I think about how much power she has over me.

🏡

I will start touring adult assisted living places. First off, in Durham. The places sponsored by A Place for Mom sound expensive, but that's probably because they are high-end facilities. They probably get kickbacks for being sponsored places. I will look into local places in Smithfield and Selma.

🏡

Speaking of my housing situation, I copied an AP image of the White House. It has nothing to do with this blog entry. It's like the weather outside today.

🏡

I don't know what kind of living situation I'll find myself in. Could be a one-bedroom apartment or a studio. Between now and the June Endless Yard Sale, I'll need to get rid of all my doo-dads, books, etc. The bottom line is, I have a few months to get rid of a ton of crap.

#downsizing

#assistedliving

Am I That Bad?

Now I am faced with finding an assisted living place, selling my car, stop going to writing conventions ("It's a hobby, Mom") and giving up my freedom in general. 

WHY

BECAUSE and ALTHOUGH:

• I've fallen three times since last June.

       Hey, I'm 72. It happens to seniors everywhere.

• It costs so much to keep paying insurance and a car payment.

       In rural towns, I need my car/freedom. 

       My car accident occurred three years ago; that didn't  necessarily make me a bad driver.

       Come November 2026, my car insurance costs will be halved.                     
       

       Upkeep is negligible for a 2024 Nissan model.    

                                                            

                               

• In the last three months, my bank balance has been in the red.

      I realize this is concerning. That's why I brought it up. I agree that I need help to                             manage my finances.   
          

        This month, I will take my first required withdrawal from my 401K, gaining over $7K.
      
        Publishing costs were higher than I expected.     
                                               
        Medical bills keep racking up.

• What I've done about it:

        Netflix will be canceled as of April 7  

        Changing Internet providers April 15

        Adobe canceled as of April 16

         BeFunky canceled as of April 18

         Canva canceled as of May 4

• What is next:

       Talk to my doctors

         Ask questions at senior centers and/or Social Services

         Start touring facilities

         Think of stuff to sell

#agingsucks

#aging