What went before ONE: Duty to the cats performed. Walk walked. Reading of WIP done.

Very pleased to see that it's nowhere as awful as I of course assumed it would be. Needs work, but who among us does not?

Next steps are adding corrections and moving pages as noted on the hardcopy, making Yet Another Chapter-by-chapter, and then as a reward for the Long Clerical Schlepp, I get to write new words.

Have an appointment for a potential cleaner to come by next Tuesday, take a look around, and give me an estimate, so *that's* in train.

Right now, I need to do some kitchen-y things, like getting honey into the syrup dispenser, and cutting up the yam for skillet yam-onion-and-garlic. After which, it's back to work.

The day remains very pleasant, and the windows remain open, which is so very nice. I get tired of Station Air, even though some days it's for the best . . .

What went before TWO: Summing up: Yesterday afternoon, someone shot a motorcyclist dead on the Roosevelt Trail at the Windham Shopping Center, subsequently taking off in his car.

The Windham police hit the FEMA all-call, which hit Every Cell Phone In Maine, and a bunch in New Hamphire, too, with a godawful shriek, to let us know that there was a shooter on the run, and instructing everybody everywhere to shelter in place, lock doors and windows.

As of 7pm the suspect was reported "located" and the shelter-in-place lifted. The Windham police apologized for hitting the Big Red Button instead of the Smaller Red Button to the right.

What went before THREE: Tools down now, I think, rather than get sucked in to going all night. Tomorrow, I have more (LOL . . . yeah) correx to enter. I've already deleted +/-3,000 words, so there's that.

Coon Cat Happy Hour is up in a few minutes. I will, regretfully, be closing the windows and going on to Station Air before I draw a glass of wine and do a little bit of reading before dinner.

Everybody stay safe; I'll see you tomorrow.

Saturday. Sunny and still cool. Windows are open; Station Air is off.

Trooper has had his gravy, whined for and received a bowl of gooshy food, which he proceeded to ignore.

I? Have already been to and come back from the walk-in clinic, and I was honestly embarrassed to be there. I had gotten an earring stuck in my ear, and since I can't see the back of my own ear, there we are. Long story short, the post had bent down, and since it wasn't straight, it couldn't come back out the hole in my ear. So, now I have a pair of earrings I probably shouldn't wear, which is kind of too bad because I liked them.

The nurse was extremely good-natured, and told me they see lots of earring problems, which -- almost 60 years of wearing earrings and this has never happened to me.

Anyhoots, back home now, tea to hand (breakfast was a Kodiak blueberry breakfast bar on my way to the clinic), and it's time to get with the WIP.

And how's Saturday treating you?

What went before ONE: Man, TJMaxx was like Wonderland this morning! Looking better than it has in a LONG time. I scored a bamboo three-shelf unit to got into the bottom of the closet to hold shoes and the like. This should also make it more obvious when Rookie had invaded the closet, though I'm sure he'll work out a Stealth Procedure pretty quick.

Also bought a syrup dispenser, which answers my honey dispensing problems -- and spare shower curtains, and coasters, and a pair of kitchen shears to replace the pair that rusted.

Honestly, the trip was notable by what I didn't buy.

Halloween was everywhere, naturally. Insofar as these things may be, classy Halloween. I had gone into the store feeling v. sad because the former JoAnn's next door to TJMaxx is going to be one of those ghastly (and not in a good way) Spirit of Halloween stores, but I left TJMaxx feeling -- energized.

Retail Therapy for the win.

One of the things I didn't buy was a sit-up-in-bed and read pillow --- you know the ones? They have a chair back and little soft arms, and the whole thing is a pillow? The ones on offer today were covered in fleece, which I suspect may be too much of a good thing. But that got me thinking -- who uses one of these to read in bed and how does that work out for you?

Trooper has had the rest of the can of gooshy food I opened for him this morning, and it's time for me to get my snack and to pack a sandwich to take with me, so I can take my meds on time.

No, the excitement never DOES end.

What went before TWO: Mission(s) accomplished with only one, and very slight, necessity to refrib the chanimeester, so that's nice. If anyone local-ish wants a signed copy of Diviner's Bow, there's one at the Augusta BN.

Trooper demanded that I feed him immediately I returned home, so he's in the bathroom, chowing down. After he's finished, I'll do the clean-the-bathroom thing, and look to start writing after I get home from having my hair cut tomorrow morning.

I note that the outdoor computer-driven machines are faltering under the heat. Took three tries at two different pumps before I could refill the car, and then I couldn't get a receipt. Nor could I wash the windows, because someone had taken in all the squeegees and all the fluid wells were dry. I grant that this last is not a machine failure, but -- grrr.

What went before THREE: I begin to see an error in my Life Plan. No kids = no grandkids. No grandkids = no help with the housework and the weeding.

Of course, people may not put their grandkids to work anymore. I cleaned my grandmother's house and weeded the garden.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to find somebody to help me out around here, though I am kinda getting frustrated with the whole business of hiring somebody, settling down with them, and they need to move on.

And, no, not an option to move to a smaller place. I hear that some people, when they lose a partner, are driven to get rid of the house, because the memories that have soaked into the walls are just too painful.

I've tried on the idea a couple of times, but honestly, I don't want to move out of this house. It's a comfort to me, in that it does remind me of who and what we were, and what we'd accomplished, together.

And with that said -- I'll go put the bathroom back together.

. . . the cats, by the way, are of the opinion that I've lost my mind. "What's she doing?" "Why isn't she sitting down and rattling papers?" No comment on Charmer the robot vac, who has never gotten the respect he probably deserves from the cats.

And I hear Trooper announcing that he has eaten what he pleaseth and must be liberated from the bathroom neeOW!

What went before FOUR: And in other news, I found the earring back I lost a month ago.

What went before FIVE: So, that's enough fun for one day. The cats get an early Happy Hour, I get an early dinner and a couple hours on the couch to read.

Everybody stay safe; I'll see you tomorrow.

What went before SIX: So, here's a story. A Maine Republican, off his own bat, writes to the provinces of Canada fartherest removed from Maine, to . . . tempt them to join the US. In doing so, he attacks the Canadian form of government while promising freedom and respect.

British Columbia is Not Amused, responding in part that the lawmaker's undated memo "lands more as a manifesto of arrogance."

My source is the Bangor Daily News, linked, but might be paywalled. Link

This reminds me of All The Lonely Guy-Children who write that they deserve a woman, and then go on to demonstrate such contempt for women that you've gotta wonder why they even want one.

Thursday. Cloudy but still warmer than I like.

Trooper has had his meds-in-gravy, and a few mouthfuls of gooshy food.

Had another good night's sleep, making four in a row. The tired feeling ought to be going away pretty soon now, right? RIGHT?

Breakfast was leftover ginger chicken. Lunch will be salad and something. Fish, I guess.

Haircut coming up in an hour and also I need to remember to stop at CVS for -- checks notes -- lidocaine patches. Hmm.

Upon my return, I will perform my duty to the cats, and do the banking. After lunch, I will reunite with the WIP.

I'm doing a cost-benefit on a glassworking course that's being offered through adult ed in the fall. It's stained glass, which I've never done, and God She knows, I need another suncatcher in this room, but, fee and materials, the cost for the class is hitting right at $200.

Still reading Stone and Sky and having a good time. Haven't heard back from the Corning Museum, but then? I didn't expect to hear back from the Corning Museum.

What've you got on the schedule today?

Today's blog post title brought to you by Mr. Langston Hughes, "Tired."  You often see the first four lines quoted, but very rarely the last four.

“I am so tired of waiting.
Aren’t you,
for the world to become good
and beautiful and kind?
Let us take a knife
and cut the world in two—
and see what worms are eating
at the rind.”