Saturday ...

   It has been a busy, mind-overwhelming week of training.  At 3a the other night [insomnia] I likened it to high school (or college) algebra.  The instructor wants you to memorize and understand multiple complicated formulas and for the majority of us, all we'll ever need is basic math and a calculator that can do algebra for that one in a million time we need it.  Right now we are getting trained on a lot of different scenarios, with a huge amount of information to look up and be aware of.  But we will likely never need it.  For now, it is really teaching us research skills for that one call that we will need the answers to ~ and even at that, we are probably going to transfer the call to a dedicated team.

   During the week, a city crew came in and cleared out the lot next door.  Completely.  I was devastated that the beautiful flat slate rocks that I had wanted to use for pavers in my future shade garden were thrown away.  Even after I asked if they could chuck them over the fence into my yard, rather than the dumpster.  Probably a few thousand dollars of rocks that had been brought in for the AirBnB house next door.  Now to figure out how to make chipmunk houses for the coming winter in my yard since the weeds, branches, and rubbish was home to quite a few that I could see from my dining room window when my office was downstairs.

    The rose bush has revealed its secret.  The blooms start out yellow, then fade to white with a pink tinge to the edges.  Now that the lot next door is cleared, it may get more sun and thrive.  I'm almost (almost) guilted into raking and cleaning up my yard this weekend, but with temps and humidity in the upper 80s, I think I will work inside the house and finally get my dining room and office in order.  Raking can wait for a few months until the temps drop and my shade garden plant order has arrived.  I'll clear out the dead leaves and fallen branches from the past few years, get my planting done, then let the new fall leaves mulch in for winter.

  I may see what a bag of Quick Crete costs to make some of my own pavers, using the ones broken in April, and maybe some other decorative broken dishes.  I haven't decided what do to about an angel garden here, and have been thinking about getting a large wine cask half made of resin to use on the patio so that I can keep a garden in sight.  I could plant shade perennial flowers in it that will bloom throughout the season, and have also been thinking of putting Trooper and Oreo's ashes in the bottom of it before I plant.  My intentions originally were to have my ashes mingled with theirs and then scattered, but since my ashes will not come back to anyone, there is no point in waiting.  I don't anticipate moving again before I die.

  Since my office is now upstairs, and bird-watching not as frequent, I'm moving some of the feeders to the front yard where the futon sits by a window for the cats to people watch.  Gracie likes to nap in the afternoon sun there, and it has become a convenient place for me to take off shoes or boots when I come in.  I need to get attractive coat hooks for the wall, and my entryway will be complete.

  Healthwise, my weight has been holding, fluctuating up and down by one pound.  Gastro discomfort and inconveniences continue.  Tongue ulcers have beaten me into defeat and I asked my doctor for a steroid ointment because the Orajel is not numbing them long enough and they are taking longer to heal and disappear.  Afternoon fevers and night sweats continue.   Occasional lightheadedness and exhaustion.  Naps are being added to my weekend agendas.  The CT scans scheduled for the 13th cannot come soon enough.  I'm ready for some answers.