I got the idea for this type of "snapshot" post from Stephany Writes who got it from To Love and To Learn. I'm a straight-up copycat of the format.
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Edition #1 11/17/2021
Edition #2 12/22/2021
Edition #3 1/26/2022
Edition #4 3/9/2022
Edition #5 4/25/2022
Edition #6 6/23/2022
Edition #7 8/30/2022
Edition #2 12/22/2021
Edition #3 1/26/2022
Edition #4 3/9/2022
Edition #5 4/25/2022
Edition #6 6/23/2022
Edition #7 8/30/2022
Edition #8 2/25/2023
Edition #9 3/25/2023
Edition #10 4/25/2023
Edition #11 7/25/2023
Edition #12 10/25/2023
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| Someone once asked how fuzzy Zelda's paws are. Check out those front paws. She slides all over our wood floors. |
Time I woke up: 5:30am when the alarm went off.
First thing I did upon waking: Read some of my book while bathing in the glow of my SAD lamp. I'm currently reading The Only One Left by Riley Sager.
Today's weather: Warm and sunny. Look, I couldn't ask for better for a Wisconsin February. I actually went for a walk in the middle of the afternoon while at work and I didn't even need a coat.
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| There was SNOW on Friday. You can still see the salt on the sidewalk. But today I was walking around without a coat like it was June or something. |
An out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today: I cannot stress to you how weird and unusual this weather is. I took Hannah for extra long walks today and tried to be outside as much as possible because while the high was in the high 50s today, on Wednesday, the high is forecasted to be barely above freezing with lows in the teens (brrrr).
Last thing I read (not on the internet): I read a tiny bit of The Less People Know About Us before dinner.
Last thing I read (on the internet): An article on NPR about how Portugal deals with opioid addiction with decriminalization and treating addiction as the health crisis it is. Unfortunately, there are no good takeaways from the article about why it works in places like Portugal, but not in places in the States where similar programs have been tried.
Last text I received: I always tell them about your one letter trick. (From TJC - She asked what advice I'd give to teens taking the ACT. I said that students should answer every question, but if they run out of time it's better to guess all the same letter, i.e., DDDDD, than to alternate letters ABCDE.)
Last text I sent: Hey, every little bit helps when you're guessing.
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| Screenshot from a meeting I had a work today. |
Last website I visited: FedEx to see where the nearest drop-off location to my house is. I currently have three packages that need to be sent - one for FedEx, one for UPS, and one for USPS. Why does everything have to be so complicated?
Last show I watched: We watched an episode of Taskmaster (series 7, episode 3) on Friday night.
Last podcast I listened to: Episode #110 of Books Unbound. I love two friends chatting about books they love
Last thing I said: Zelda's food has gone up by $10 since last month. Last month it was $65.31 and this month it's $73.35.
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| My afternoon snack of these addictive Brookside chocolates. |
Last thing I ate: Popcorn. Ha. I think I eat more popcorn than the average person.
What I was doing an hour ago: Finishing dinner.
What I will be doing an hour from now: Hopefully sleeping or at least reading in bed. (NOTE: This didn't happen. I was still in the shower.)
Current whereabouts of other members of the household: My husband is on the couch watching videos on his phone, the dog is passed out in her bed, the cat is losing her mind with kitty zoomies doing circle laps around the dining room table.
One thing I crossed off my to-do list today: I fixed my issue with Disqus!! For dumb reasons, I could not figure out how to make Disqus let me comment on blogs, particularly Lisa and Torrie's blogs. But! Now I can! This has literally been on my to-do list for months.
Last thing I bought: $15.13 worth of gas for our older car. I was just going to put $15 in, but I got distracted by a guy walking a black cat on a leash down Main Street. All I could think was that Hannah would lose her shit if she saw a cat on a leash on one of her walks.
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| Hannah on our after work walk. She was thrilled to have to pose for a photo. |
2/26/2024 8:08pm
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What out-of-the-ordinary thing has happened to you recently?
Hasn't happened yet... but the forecast says we'll experience a drop of 60 degrees over the course of today. That's wild! I don't think I've experienced something so extreme before.
ReplyDeleteThe temperature drop/wind has made for a very crazy day. My bad leg is not appreciating it. LOL. But it's going to warm up again for the weekend, so I'm trying not be too grumpy.
DeleteWell, I haven't seen a cat on a leash, but a raccoon did run past us while I was walking the pathway! It was huge and a little scary but it was much more scared of Rex than I was of it. Yikes, I didn't realize how big raccoons could be!
ReplyDeleteRaccoons are so big! And I worry about rabies when they get close to people! How did Rex react?
DeleteWait- you saw someone walking a cat on a leash? I've heard of this strange phenomena, but never actually seen it.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to make something out-of-the-ordinary happen today, since it's my day off- I want to go browse in Barnes and Noble and sit in the cafe reading. But instead I'm stuck here waiting for the dishwasher repairman. I guess if I could actually run the dishwasher today that would be out-of-the ordinary, since it's been broken for over a week. SIGH.
Zelda is SO FLUFFY!!!
Yes, there are two (different) white men who walk black cats on leashes in our town. It's cute, but Hannah does not care for them!
DeleteOh, won't it be THRILLING if the dishwasher gets fixed, though? Maybe even worth missing your café reading?
I was the Someone who asked about Zelda having tufty paws. My Marlowe has the same. I love them!
ReplyDeleteWe broke records like crazy in NEO yesterday for high temperatures. We hit 70 degrees, and I was thrilled to spend part of the day outdoors in the sun with NO JACKET OR SWEATSHIRT ON. And no furnace running, windows wide open to get fresh air in the house. Today, a cold front moves in, but this morning, it's 60 degrees until it does. What a gift.
Oh, yay! I'm glad I was able to get a photo that really showcased Zelda's furry paws for you. I love the tufts between the pads.
DeleteIt was SO WARM here yesterday, but the bottom really did drop last night. The winds came and it's now below freezing. *sigh*
"Last thing I bought: $15.13 worth of gas for our older car." I had to read it three times bc I was reading 'cat'.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I walked, coat unzipped, no hat, no gloves. What a treat!
I walked the dog wearing a dress and no coat yesterday. It was AMAZING. I'll have to hold on to that feeling to make it through until May.
DeleteI am so fascinated by your ACT tip. Is that some kind of statistical outcome?
ReplyDeleteI've been a little obsessed with sunset reflections since we covered that in my watercolor class, so I that picture of Hannah caught my eye. I mean she looks pretty regal too.
It was in the 70s here the other day. I don't know if that is out of the ordinary, or the new ordinary...
Yeah, the ACT tip is based on stats. For MOST tests, there are a roughly equal number of correct A/B/C/D answers. So, if you cannot eliminate any answers and you're purely guessing, pick the same letter and you'll be correct roughly 25% of the time. If you pick a letter randomly, you're essentially restarting the 25% odds with each guess. Honestly, it probably only gets one or two more questions right, but for students who are struggling and can't finish in the time limits, it's a nice way for them to feel like they are doing something strategic (and they are!).
DeleteYesterday was GORGEOUS here; sunny, warm and I could feel the hope welling up in my soul that the dark and cold will end.
ReplyDeleteZelda is beautiful. Is there a feline Vogue? If so, she gets the inaugaral cover.
I think Zelda should be on the cover of Cat Fancy magazine, that's for sure. Who wouldn't want to see those fuzzy feet?
DeleteOh! And those Brookside (same flavour as you linked to) are perhaps my favourite chocolate treat in the world!
ReplyDeleteI buy a giant bag at Costco and leave them in my snack cupboard at work. It's dangerous!
DeleteZelda's paws! They remind me of Biscuits paws. I call them his "fur slippers." ❤️
ReplyDeleteThose chocolates look like I need some of those in my tummy...
I love these snapshots of your life.
Zelda's paws are epic. I wish my feet were as fancy as hers.
DeleteI saw Chloe the Keeshond today! She is the same breed as my boy Mulder, and I have now seen her 3 or 4 times in the last year, so it is rare indeed. She lives in the huge apartment building next to our townhome complex. Today I pulled over and talked to her person, and got out of the car and talked to Chloe, and she was so sweet and soft and let me pet her. The last time I met her, she was too shy. That made my day, for sure. She's 13, and so dainty.
ReplyDeleteCalifornia is supposedly going to get walloped with snow this weekend, I think Donner Pass might get 5 - 10 feet. Made me think of the Donner Party, of course. Ugh. Anyway, down here in the Bay Area, more likely it will be a couple of inches of rain only. Today is beautiful and sunny and warm, though.
Oh, I have thoughts about your spending pie chart from a couple of days ago. You spent a LOT on Zelda and Hannah, and I was a little horrified that that didn't even include a vet visit. Question, was that a big month on pet spending? I'm really wanting a dog, my house is too sad and quiet right now, but my husband is resistant. Part of that is the money, and I KNOW dogs are super expensive, but have I completely forgotten how expensive it is? Oh yeah, maybe. Since the price of dog food has gone up $10 over the last month. SIGH.
Chloe!! I bet it was lovely to have some dog time.
DeleteHow expensive are pets? Well, I just did the math and we did spend a little bit less this month on the dog and the cat. There are some unusual January expenses for Hannah - license, dog park license, and I got a 6-month supply of Interceptor Plus, which is pricey.
Here's a "normal" month for our dog: $100ish for kibble (prescription diet - she gets a new bag every 7 weeks or so, so she doesn't use a whole bag every month ), maybe $20 for chicken/eggs/sweet potatoes that we use as treats, $40 for her probiotic, $40 for her Adaptil, $40 for baths, $15 for toothpaste, so even if we didn't do anything unusual like a vet trip or buying expensive meds (her Seresto collar every eight months, the Interceptor, prescription shampoo, etc.) her base monthly cost is $255. The cost of the cat is much lower because, but she's probably still around $100 a month when I factor in her sky-rocketing food costs, litter, probiotic, toothpaste, hairball remedy, my sanity...
Both of our girls are on prescription medication and when we've tried to take them off it, it's gone poorly. So, I don't think an average dog/cat combo costs this much, but I don't know how much other people spend on their special needs dog and middle-aged cat.
So interesting this format.
ReplyDeletehow do you make popcorn? what do you add to it?
how many hours per day do you read? You seem to eat books alive! hahaha....
I use a Whirley Pop to make popcorn. It's just 1-1.5 tablespoons coconut oil, 1/3 cup kernels, and some popcorn salt. Sometimes I add flavors, but not too often. It's great.
DeleteHmm...I generally read for 45-60 minutes a day. I also listen to audiobooks when I walk the dog and do chores, so that can be another 1-1.5 hours a day. I almost never watch television, though, so I have to give up one type of media for another!
I have seen a cat on a leash before, both walking and also on a shoulder as the owner walks. People are strange creatures Engie. My aunt actually keeps her cat on a leash when he goes out, as he is a runner. Or that is what I have heard, but maybe she is also just a strange creature (my aunt, not the cat). I have also seen lizards on leashes, and a guy with a farrett and another with a parrot (one of those huge red macaws!)
ReplyDeleteFerret! I told you I was a bad speller (and blogger does not redline it!)
DeleteLook, I've taken our cat out on a leash before, but really no further than the backyard. I'm not opposed to it, but as a dog owner, I also think if you're walking a cat on a leash, you have got to be hyper-aware of dogs that see your cat as prey! https://ngradstudent.blogspot.com/2012/11/update-on-meowcrazyface-how-ive-become.html
DeleteWhy doesn't blogger help us with our typos?!
How much popcorn are you eating, exactly?
ReplyDeleteLove that photo of the ever-patient Hannah. And I also love the photo of Zelda. She looks SO soft. I want to fluff all her fluff. Not quite sure what I mean by that, but I bet you understand.
When I was a tween, I was in 4-H. A couple of years, I showed cats as a 4-H project. They needed to be on leashes so that they wouldn't flee in the middle of the fairgrounds. My cats' response to being put into a harness was to flop over on the ground and feign total inability to move. It always impresses and baffles me when I see people with cats on a leash. They are either very good at training cats or their cats are having an identity crisis.
I eat popcorn probably 2-3 times a week? I mean, it's a lot, but not insane. I'm not like Jeremy Piven and his sushi.
DeleteZelda hated her harness, but we made it work when we had to. I guess if you get cats started walking on a leash when they're kittens, they'd be okay? I mean, it's definitely unusual here, but there are multiple cats out there in our small town doing it, so it's not impossible!
(Zelda is very soft. Petting her is amazing!)
Zelda! You gorgeous fluffy girl!
ReplyDeleteSo much fur! And it's all over our house.
DeleteI love that first photo of Zelda. She looks so relaxed :)
ReplyDeleteWeather is so crazy. Like J said, we're expecting snow in the Sierras and lots of it. It's not unusual it's just all coming in a big dump. And we had a short hail shower in the valley today.
Zelda is the best sleeper who has ever existed!
DeleteOMG ZELDA! She is so fluffy. I just want to snuggle her (if she will let me).
ReplyDeleteI really want to get a leash for Eloise. I think she would love going outside for a short walk! She goes nuts whenever I open my patio door and rolls around on the ground. Or maybe I need a cat stroller for her!
I used to have a harness and leash for Z and she hated it. I wonder if she'd like a cat stroller or cat backpack!
DeleteI am getting caught up on blogs while on our Omaha road trip. The strangest thing that happened yesterday is that a man pounded on Coach's window outside the Creighton game when I was dropping he and Reg off at the game. It turned out to be one of Coach's old college buddies. So wild!
ReplyDeleteSuch a small world, right?!
DeleteThose are some fuzzy paws, for sure.
ReplyDeleteThe weather last week was INSANE. I drove to MSP on Wednesday and it was so freaking cold that night. I spent the night with my hotel room turned up to 75, I kid you not. At least the heat was working. (And well enough that I was basically a desiccated shell of my self in the morning...). It was much nicer when I drove home on Friday.
Does Dr. BB get up when you turn on your SAD lamp? My recollection is that he does, but wasn't sure.
Popcorn is a whole grain. I say go for it. Fiber, for the win. ;)
Dr. BB does get up when my alarm goes off. He just reads on his side of the bed, not directly under the SAD lap.
DeletePopcorn forever!