So about ten days ago they uttered the dreaded "how many boxes do you need?" question. Yes, indeed, although this is the very end of third quarter and work is ramping up, and in less than two weeks it will be fourth quarter, and although the temperature soared into the 90s this week, they have decided to move us. Back to the same building they moved us out of three years ago because it was going to be remodeled. Here's a hint: they ain't done it yet.

Let's say I wasn't really happy when the boxes showed up last Monday. Already suffering from bouts of...well, you don't want to know, but it happens when the temps are too hot, I packed supplies and stuff in one big plastic tub, and then asked if someone could help me with the rest. Lisa nicely volunteered and she came over Wednesday afternoon to help me, after I had a crisis: the doors in this building don't have keys that are given to the individual office holders. The property people have them only. One lady got locked out of her office one day and it took them four or five hours to find the master key. I had a plastic over-the-door coat hanger on my door to prevent my door closing. But, guess what—Wednesday morning I packed it up. So when I started to go to lunch on Wednesday, I swung the door, intending to leave it just a bit ajar. But the hinge was very lubricated and it slammed shut instead. I would have just gone off to lunch and called later, but I remembered how long it took last time. I had to finish packing and my wallet was in there; I couldn't even go anywhere even if I'd planned to. Luckily it only took an hour for Katie to get someone come open my door for me. Bye-bye lunch.

I'd packed up all my personal stuff either Monday at lunch or Wednesday morning before it got hot, so all I had to do was pack the final few things before I left, and then take my fan and my lamp and without those, it was time to leave, because there was no living in there without them. They're all sitting in my car so it looks like some type of bizarre bazaar, with two photocopy paper boxes, two lamps, a fan, and a Christmas tree in a bag in the back of the car (the rest is hidden under the hatch).

So I was ready for a nice long sleep in on Friday and I took it! Woke at eight, said to myself "One more half hour," and I was out like a light until 9:30. It was supposed to be in the 90s again and I wanted to do any errands early, so I rather grumbled because by the time I ate breakfast and walked the dog, it was after eleven. So I stopped at Barnes & Noble for just a few minutes (since I knew we would go again over the weekend since James had another 20 percent off coupon left) and bought Warlock Holmes with the fifteen percenter they sent in e-mail. Then I went on the real errand, past the big Publix behind the mall to indulge in BOGO madness, since the Publix near our house never has Entemann chocolate loaf cakes (for several days of desserts next week). I bought strawberries and shortcake bowls, too, and cherries for me. Came directly home because one of the twofers was chicken legs or thighs. I got one of each.

I was hoping to get some things done that afternoon, but I ended up doing only a few because I dozed off on the sofa for an hour after having some chicken broth for lunch and watching Lassie. (Oh, and I had to call Kaiser because they billed us for James' sleep study because he "didn't have a referral." He did so have one, thankyouverymuch. The woman who helped me on the phone found it in his file. She's resubmitting it.) It turned out that I got home just in time, because I was just eating my soup when it got very dark, thundered, the weather radio went off, and it started to pour. The actual rain didn't last long, but before the storm it was 91°F, afterwards it was 75 with a nice breeze! And it stayed that way! It was a pleasure to take Tucker outside.

James got home to find me putting the finishing touches on cleaning out the master bath tub (which we never use) and the sink area. For supper we went to Tin Drum and were able to eat outside it was so cool. Afterwards I ran into Bed, Bath & Beyond to pick up a new cylinder for his Soda Stream and a folding stepstool. Finally we stopped in Barnes & Noble to really peruse the books. I looked around at a lot, then bought Kareem Abdul Jabaar's book Mycroft Holmes.

On the way home, we stopped at Baskin-Robbins for dessert and were treated as well to a spectacular sunset, layers of orange and pink and purple and lilac which eventually faded to maroons and violet-grey. A brilliant end to the day.

Walking Tucker Friday night and Saturday morning was a dream. If summer never got up over 75°F with a breeze I wouldn't mind it. After breakfast James headed off to his club meeting. I didn't want to be shopping all day, so I headed out immediately, too, and in fact caught up to him on Bells Ferry Road, although he went left and I went straight. I was headed to the Hallmark store at Town Center, where I had seen something I wanted to buy as a gift. Alas, it was gone. I'll look around some more. I have these two wonderful Hallmark coupons that I do not intend to waste!

By the time they finished calling around to other stores for me, I had a distinct call of nature, so I crossed the parking lot to Barnes & Noble. This one has the best cross-stitch magazine selection, so I took a look, only to find all the cross-stitch stuff squirreled on the bottom shelf to make room for the coloring magazines. The fads always get the bonus spots. Didn't find any books here, but did get a nice Christmas CD of hammered dulcimer music at CD Warehouse next door. Then went on to Michael's to use a half-off coupon (sepia drawing pens) and up the hill to Costco, where gas was an incredible 2.02⁹. Nor was the line long. Score.

Thought about stopping at 2nd and Charles, but missed the turn and just drove to the Publix at Dallas Highway instead; it was 1:30 and I was starving. I got some clam chowder, a Chicago roll, and some Cheetoes and when I got home had that for lunch (and milk, of course). Spent some of the afternoon watching things off the DVR: a show called The Story Trek in a segment that was filmed in Rhode Island (the host interviews people he "picks off a map"), Brain Games, and a documentary about finding and identifying Richard III's skeleton, etc. Did some chores, emptied the dishwasher, stuff like that, until James got home.

We had supper at Fresh2Order. Last time we were there the food was so salty we said something to the manager and she had given James some coupons. So we used those and were able to have supper for $3! Sadly, my favorite, the creamy chicken vegetable soup, which is closer to a stew, is still very salty. James didn't say anything negative about the panini.

We had shopping to do at Costco after eating, and had just finished leisurely perusing the DVDs and books and were picking up the milk when an employee hurried in and chivvied us on; the store had closed at 7 p.m. (Who closes a big store at 7 p.m. on a Saturday night?) So we had to rush through the store picking up the rest: toilet paper, Jamaican meat patties, Skinny Pop, pepper, Omeprazole, and the one thing we really needed, Claritin.

Spent a pleasing evening watching Rosemary & Thyme and the Britcoms.

Today we slept in and had a pleasant day doing some small items that Really Needed Doing. While it was still cool this morning, we put out the new hose and nozzle I bought months ago, installed new windshield wipers (again, bought months ago) on both car and truck, put little flashers (bought ditto) on the power chair with zip ties, put in two LED bulbs in the kitchen (since one bulb was burned out), and hung two pieces of artwork we got for Christmas in the stairwell "art gallery." (That is pretty much full now; we have one space left, but we can't reach it with a ladder, so it's lost space.) (Oh, yeah, and we got all the bills reconciled.)

Later I hung up a pop light in the downstairs bathroom until we get around to replacing the light bulb (it's over the tub, which is filled with emergency water bottles), brought six cans of chicken broth upstairs, cleaned up a shelf in the refrigerator that really needed it, put two more flashers (discovered in the laundry room) on James' power chair, made the bed, and started a small craft project. And watched a special about L. Frank Baum to boot.

Leftover chicken for supper with spaetzle, and now time to relax and watch TV.

Tomorrow it's back to the storm...

Labels: books, chores, food, shopping, television, weather, work

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 8:28:00 PM

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