Fall!

What makes you realize Fall is here?

Living in Nevada it is sometimes hard to tell. It's almost October 1, and you wouldn't know it was Fall based on the temperature - it's still in the 90's. It always feels like it's warm until about the week of Halloween, and then the next week Winter sets in.

As for changing leaves, well we only have about 10 trees in the state that change leaf color. I don't mean 10 species of trees either - I mean 10 actual trees. Okay, I might be exaggerating, but I don't think so. Those 10 trees have a real problem too, by the time they realize they need to start changing their leaves, it's time to start dropping them.

I love Fall though. If I had my way, Summer would end on July 5th. Well, maybe give it another week or two, move up Labor Day and then right into Fall.

So what tells me Fall is here?

It used to be seeing Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations in the craft store. But now they are putting those out in July. Actually I think they are taking my wishes seriously. Yay for me.

The way I really feel like Fall is here? Magazines. I received two magazines in the mail this week and both of them featured Fall! Halloween and Thanksgiving were all over them! I want to roast a vegetable so bad! I'm off to the store to get a butternut squash and a sweet potato.

I'm changing over to my Fall air fresheners too. Hello Cinnamon and Nutmeg! Welcome back!

Maybe I'll just turn down the A/C so it feels cold.

More Random

Well the Mammogram was all good. I didn't need to worry after all. I hate going to the Doctor. It gets me so stressed out. I think even more as I get older - and I know it's rarely fun and games. So check the chore off the list for now, and add on Dentist. Sigh.

So I abandoned my baby kitten (okay he is almost six months) for two whole days. Of course I pushed all of the anxiety on him in my mind. Meanwhile, I was more nervous than he was I'm sure. He has remained attached to my leg (sometimes literally) since I came home. Poor kitten.

We had such a nice time, but I have to admit I am a homebody... and my body prefers to be home too. I mentioned recently about my issues with hives... so when there are changes to my world, my body gets crabby and hivey.

I have spent so much time over the last few years trying to keep things the same, because of the anticipation of pain.It has made me think of my life in small terms, and I want to start thinking of my life in bigger terms. I want to think big and be small (in size), instead of the reverse.

Random

Pardon the randomness of news today.

Item One - I went for a mammogram today. I don't know if you know, but I have a condition that causes me to get hives from physical pressure. So you can imagine the day after a mammogram is not a lot of fun for me. Glad it's over though.

Item Two - I get an email from Amazon letting me know about products and books I might be interested in. I appreciate they care about me enough to give me ideas on how to spend money. Seriously I like a well thought out recommendation. So today I noticed Housecat Confidential as a subject line in an email from Amazon. That's right they recommend my own book to me. Apparently I am my own customer! How fun is that?

Item Three - I am about 7 pages away from finishing the first draft of my screenplay/future book!! I am so excited to finish. All this storyline swirling in my head for so long, and finally it is almost all out of me and on the page. I have lots of rewrites ahead of course, but I am going to be so happy to see complete. I always worry that I don't have the fortitude to finish what I start, so when I accomplish something it's a big deal for me. 

Fall?

Fall? Where are you buddy?

I miss you. It is too darned hot still. Mr Summer has overstayed his welcome here.

I can't wait to start to walk outdoors again. Actually to do anything outside really.

I feel like I hibernate all Summer, and come out of my cave around this time of year. I feel like the Groundhog of Groundhog Day fame. I stick my head out of my warren, and if it's over 100 degrees it's going to be two more weeks of Summer.

I shall continue to look for you pal.

Rough Week

The best part of working at home?

When you have one of those days at the office - when you just wish you could have a good, five-minute cry in your bed - you can.

Okay, maybe it isn't the best part. I do love my furry co-worker too.

The worst part of working from home?

Knowing all the work you have piling up on your desk is only twenty-five feet away from your bed - with a kitten lounging on it. 

Some days I can tell any rough patch is, at least in part hormonally-charged, but I think I had some legitimately rough edges this week.

Although the desire to hook-up an IV drip of chocolate by the desk - does point back to hormones.

I have a couple of days of vacation, making for a very long weekend. I am thrilled. I plan on averting my eyes whenever I walk past my office. Quill might not appreciate the lock-out.

He enjoys putting in the full eight - he even puts in overtime and sleeps through lunch.

Who me?

I had the oddest call the other day. Some nice lady called me to ask me about my charge card. Had I been shopping that morning?

Nope.

Did I buy a hundred bucks worth of perfume?

Um, never in my life.

Did I spend a couple hundred at a jewelry store?

No, but I wish! Hey Hubby, did you buy me any presents today? Hm, no.


How about four hundred at a lingerie store-

Stop right there, Uh, you got the wrong lady!

Someone stole my credit card number, and they were out in the world having a great time with it.  A far better time than I have ever had with it for sure.

I was so grateful a they noticed the odd spending pattern in the same day it started. They were able to take steps to cancel my card immediately.

Apparently my cheap ways made it easy to spot the change quickly and efficiently. So at least there's good news.

Alarming

I finally decided to say goodbye to my alarm clock. The on and off button for the radio has been broken for ages. It never worked well, then after years of struggling to push it on and off, it broke in the off position. I don't use the radio - except for waking up of course - so I wasn't too concerned. It still came on in the morning, and turned off, if I used the switch to turn off the alarm.

Sure I had no way of knowing what the sound volume was like - always a surprise in the morning. Would I hear it at all - or would it blow me out of the sheets. No wonder Fin and Quill hated it so.

I typically always wake up before my alarm goes off. Years of a fur alarm named Fin helped. I don't care to hear alarms at all. I stop the microwave seconds before it goes off too, for the same reason. 

Quill is happy to sleep in, so when I saw alarm clocks on sale in a Back to School sale, I decided it was time to go for a new one yesterday. I was pretty excited when I plugged her in. I set right to getting the time correct.

I discovered it has a weekday and a weekend alarm. Sweet.

It figured out the time zone automatically - and changes itself when the time changes! Seriously!

Well last night came the best part. The power transformer down the street was struck by a car and all the power went out in the middle of the night. After about an hour the power came back on - thankfully. Of course it was a Saturday night, I wasn't too worried about setting the time, so I didn't.

I woke up this morning, expecting to be disoriented by not knowing the time, and I looked over to discover it had set itself! Yep my new super-charged alarm clock set itself to the correct time. I guess it scans (something?) and sets its own time.

All this for $19.99! I wonder if it makes breakfast too?