Wrappin' Up

What Went Before: Tuesday

Total WIP +/-118,724. The cats were a great help.

I? Had forgotten there's a Zoom business meeting this afternoon at 2, so I'd better get my chores done and my lunch et.

The driveway, as predicted is a sheet of ice. I've figured out that all I actually have to do is get inside the garage, so I can get in the car. I can stop on my way out (in the car) to needlework, to collect the mail, which is small snowy tramp. It'll work. Ghod, I hate ice.

I did not try to take the trash or the recycling to the curb this morning, ref "ice" above. Maybe next week.

How's everybody doing at midday on Tuesday?
#
So, that was exciting. I was getting ready to leave for needlework and!

The garage door was frozen shut. By luck, I had been heating water for tea, and went out and poured the kettle along the inside the door and it opened. Sadly, I did not think of this before I had called my excellent plowguy to see if he had any ideas, and disturbed his evening, but I think I did catch him before he got on his way to my place with rock salt.

I went to needlework, and came back. The car is in the garage, but I don't dare close the door because I have a PT appointment at 7:45 tomorrow morning.

This is why I hate ice. In addition to the whole sliding situation.

The coon cats have had happy hour and I have poured a glass of wine.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe.

I'll check in tomorrow.
#
Wednesday, sunny and cold.

Back from my early PT appointment, from which I have gained a lot more homework, which I'm supposed to do many times a day. I'm going to have to put a lot of thought into how I'm going to accomplish all this and, yanno, write, read, play, with the cats and all those other extraneous things I do. I obviously don't want to be crippled with back pain, but I'm thinking there's a middle ground here, and I need to find it.

After PT, I treated myself to breakfast at Governor's where, I kid you not, one waitress was handling the whole room, and busing too, until somebody else came on shift. It wasn't over-crowded, but it was busy enough, and this is where it pays to be a long-term employee in a business that thrives on regulars. She knew just about everybody, we all knew her, nobody was in a hurry or on their way to a Big Freakin' Meetin' or anything -- and between us, we made it work.

I stopped by the Post Office, collected the mail, stopped by the crosstown Hannaford, which I'm going to have to visit more often, as they seem to have more of what I'm wanting than the one round the corner, and came home to get one of the bags of Emergency Ice Melt Steve had stashed in the back of the garage onto the sled. I opened it with my trusty shovel, then we all half-skated out to scatter melt-crystals over the driveway.

. . . I'm getting down to the bottom of things that Steve stashed away against need, which is a somewhat melancholy realization, along with the other melancholy realization that I'm going to have to be advertent regarding these things.

Ice melt disposed, I came inside, made myself a cup of hot chocolate and checked on the cats -- who are all in Steve's office, because That's What We Do in the morning.

Excellent cats.

Today, is making 2026 files, which I didn't have the oomph to do earlier, and setting up next year's accounting. I have leftovers for lunch, and a good book to read when I'm done my chores.

How's Wednesday at your place?

Wednesday morning cat census:

Last post of 2025

2026 accounting set up. Got sidetracked on the swapping out of files by the recollection that Dead River was supposed to have delivered oil yesterday and?

That didn't happen.

Called, and the dispatcher is temporarily unavailable, and someone will call me back. Staved off a panic attack by stripping the bed and putting the sheets in to wash. Tali came to sit on my lap, and assured me that she'd go get oil for me, just as soon as she got in all her scheduled naps. Won't do to get behind schedule.

So, I'm guessing I should finish with the files, then heat up my leftovers, and hope somebody calls me back, or yanno, just sends an oil truck.
#
The oil truck has arrived, and the young lady in charge has knocked on the door to make sure that "This is the house, right?"

And another praise well-earned, the young lady did not bring her truck down into my still slidey drive, but parked across the top. While she was minding the hose, the mailman came by, so I put on my ice grippers and my jacket. By the time I was ready to brave the tundra, she was coming back with my receipt and my mail -- "Oh, no!" she said. "I didn't want you to have to do all this. You stay safe, and stay warm!"

The home office at Dead River couldn't exactly tell me why my oil has not been delivered on schedule, but they sent their A Level to fix it.

For whomever was wondering about the price of oil -- Mary Carol?

268.1 gallons #2 heating oil @ $3.299/gallon. $884.48.
#
Files changed out. 2026 accounting set up and awaiting entries . Desk put into neatness, and the dining room table, too. Remade the bed. Dishwasher doing its thing.

I am a tired woman, and I have a glass of wine in hand.

I either will or will not stay up to usher the old year out. I'm hoping that the Accounting Department sends us something akin to Mad Delm Theonna for 2026, because the Gods They know, we're gonna need that kind of energy on our side.

Tomorrow, as has been my habit for many New Year Days, I intend to begin as I mean to go on. Which means I will be writing.

Possibly I will watch a movie, tomorrow. I had thought I would do that this evening, but, yeah, I'm too tired to be patient with a movie.

Everybody stay safe; if you're partying, be careful. Oh, hell, be careful even if you aren't partying.

I'll see you tomorrow.