Monday

The week is off to a good start. Mundane household and other chores started or completed. Laundry, groceries and cooking for the week accomplished in between thunderous showers. Things are washed and drying and Mercy is flying around gleefully as I play with her favorite bird toy in an effort to both make her happy and convince her to sleep when I go to bed. Being a kitten, she has energy to burn.

Our weather has been a challenge. We have had 90 degree heat with 90 percent humidity so my time outdoors is limited and I've had heat stroke twice, thus hydration has become my middle name. The flat is warmish during the day despite air conditioning because the single paned windows date from 1974 and are in no way energy  efficient. Any cooking has been done on the stove top as the oven heats the kitchen too much. Fruit, yogurt, salads, and sandwiches are current mainstays. My condominium has been a stressful place to be. The budget meeting is tomorrow evening and we will see how much we each have to pay for monthly maintenance. That has become my largest expense other than food.

I've enjoyed a couple of books. One, recommended by blogger Joanne Noragon of Cup on the Bus, is titled Nowhere Girl. It is as compelling as she indicated it would be and I read it in three days. I've since read a set of books about a Florida equine vet written by her husband. My horse fixes are entirely vicarious these days. Are you enjoying the Paris Olympics?

What is going on in your corner of the world?

Mercy has it right...

 Miss Mercy is mightily anxious and taking her hiding behavior to an extreme. Still a kitten, though a larger one, that skill kept her alive alone outside until she found shelter and my friend to care for her, eventually coming to me and her forever home.

Since the fireworks of the fourth, Mercy has been hypervigilant and any outside or unfamiliar noise is suspect and reason to sequester herself behind the bathroom sink cabinet, from which she can be neither seen nor heard. While great for her, that poses problems for me because unless I see her conceal herself, I have no idea whether she can dart out from behind something and escape if I open the door to someone. 

Although intelligent, I'm unsure whether she could find her way home since she hasn't been outside my door in the seven months she's lived with me. I do not trust others to have sense enough to protect a curious kitten so must assume they cannot and act 

accordingly. This means securing her in her favorite stroller and blankets prior to scheduled deliveries, not opening the door to unscheduled visitors who do not call, keeping her well out of the way of any persons who do repairs and monitoring the noises beyond our walls so that she knows I and she are safe. This last has been the most difficult because the upstairs neighbor loves to talk at anyone she encounters coming or going and as bad luck would have it, her voice carries, always putting poor Mercy on alert. She of the recent bathroom ceiling damage is also an inveterate gossip, and despite several attempts to ingratiate herself to me, she does not seem to understand my distaste and distance. The fact that she puts Mercy on edge only underscores to me how smart my cat is learning to be.

After a time of noise and mayhem, Mercy responded to the quiet by eating her supper and playing a rousing game of chase the snake. She is now next to the laptop watching funny things appear across the screen...

Happy weekend...

Missing this guy today...

 It is one year since Lukas departed. I still miss him and wish he had been given more time.

Mercy says...

 Our house is quiet and my human is resting while I'm making biscuits on the blankets in my stroller and purring. I hope it calms both of us because she made several trips to the loo and has been drinking a steady supply of water after having an upset tummy. I don't think she wants any dinner but I can't let her forget mine...

Happy Weekend...

Mike and Doug finish up

 The two men working in the bathroom finished up this evening Between them and a call to the team at Grit Freedom Chair, they figured out why my off road, all terrain hybrid did not function properly and corrected the problem. Their enthusiasm for this task eclipsed that for painting my bathroom ceiling but they did that as well, even hanging a new curtain and liner. I will need to mop and clean the bathroom but I am grateful to have this completed.

One out of three showed up today...

The wheelchair technician called and came by briefly to attach the last bit to my chair. I did not see him, preferring to leave my ultralite on the screened porch. I knew he was here because Mercy began to growl and hid herself. She has a keen of hearing. The same thing happened when an Amazon lady rang the bell later. She is uncomfortable with any strange noises since the fireworks of the fourth. Poor little girl.

The others have been a no-show thus far, so the bathroom ceiling though much improved. remains to be painted. Perhaps they were afraid I'd find more for them to do besides the painting.

Looks like an early night for me. I was up before the birds.

Cheers...

Not over yet

 The two men repairing my  bathroom ceiling showed up this afternoon while I was in the loo...

While I like them both, I do wish they'd given me a quick call. Aside from applying skim coat, sanding and finishing with paint tomorrow, they took care of my water softener, took out some trash, retrieved and briefly assembled my hybrid Freedom Chair which is meant for outdoors and off road, checked an re-wired the float switch for my AC, changed a light bulb and saw to a flooring issue in my front room. I believe they earned their money. There is still more to be done but who knows when that will be.

Mercy the guard kitten growled at their knock and sequestered herself beneath the bed...

My wheelchair technician is due in the morning, rivet gun in hand, to put the new footplate cover on my chair frame and drop off the parts he forgot were in his truck on Monday.

When all of this is done, I will indeed be relieved just as Ms. Moon surmised.

Until then, goodnight!

 

Wheelchair Visit Part I

 Finally, the call I anticipated arrived just after eight this morning and the technician was at my door within 45 minutes with a cushion and cover. Designed to provide support and prevent pressure sores, they are expensive and very necessary for wheelchair users not only for comfort and support but stability and eliminating a potential health threat.

I left the chair on the screened porch with a box containing a sling (seat) with rails and screws which I had the presence of mind to purchase from another company while waiting for this visit. This was installed, as were a spare set of casters, also purchased as spares, along with two new Kenda tires I've had for several years, a back cover and cushion cover, extra screws and a new foot plate cover. My foot plate is part of the frame of this chair but has a cover, which, at fifteen years old, bit the dust by cracking while I was waiting for this appointment. Unfortunately, the cover could not be put on during this visit for lack of a rivet gun.

To my surprise, the technician used all of my spare parts. When I called my vendor to inquire about the parts I had ordered from them, I was told by billing that they would need to speak with the technician and parts department to determine what happened. In the meantime, the technician, who had departed, called to tell me the parts were in his truck. He will be back with a rivet gun and parts Wednesday morning.

This has taken four weeks...

I wonder what she is thinking...

 We've had a quiet day here and much needed after the fright of fireworks. The contractor who agreed to repair the bathroom ceiling finally called and wants to come by on Monday, the same day the technician is due for my chair. I said I would let him know after the chair repair. 

I've got to put the chair and tires and parts out on the screened porch and that means cleaning it again tomorrow. Another chore is a small grocery list, a bit of laundry and cleaning the bathroom. That is enough for the next day or so.

Any recommended reads out there?

Cheers!

Exhausted from useless booms...

 Gone are the days when people attended organized public fireworks displays. Now, they set them off in neighborhoods, regardless of the hour and heedless of noise ordinances, scaring small animals and making their guardians bleary-eyed. Mercy was frightened and hid beneath furniture in a room furthest from the noise. When she finally emerged this morning, she was hungry and exhausted. Sometimes I find humans to be the stupidest and most insensitive of species.

Happy weekend...

Happy Fourth of July 2024

 What are you up to today?

Mercy has had her monthly trim as well as flea, tick and heart worm preventive. She is vet-estimated to have been born on October 4, 2023, so today is the start of her ninth month. She gets a few extra treats. As for me, a few extra nods before fireworks start going off would be great as I got up at 4 AM.

Whatever you do, whether you celebrate or not, be safe.

Cheers...🎪

Help on the horizon...

 As of this morning, the supervisor of the wheelchair services department at my vendor returned my call and very politely said that a technician will be in my area 8 July and will text me an ETA. A nice way to begin the week! 

Happy upcoming 4th of July for those who celebrate!