Spinning

Where in the world did my days off go? I certainly don’t know.

The first one was spent moving into my apartment - made two trips to WL and one trip to IC to pick up items.  My gas tank is on empty - something that hasn’t happened in quite awhile as I’ve been keeping it up around half a tank.

When I arrived at the unit there was no refrigerator but that came later while I was picking up the TV from my son.  It is nice and new - can’t ask for much more then that.  I almost bought ice cube trays but when I found out I was getting a brand new refrigerator, I decided not to as a new refrigerator almost always comes with ice cube trays.  Well, wrong.  Yes, my new refrigerator in FL did come with two ice cube trays but this one had nada so I will have to grab some sometime.  Not a big deal, mind you, just a little irritated when I got home as I didn’t have anything cold to drink then but such is life.

Got the TV and DVD player hooked up so have been putting on my movies when I need background noise.  I almost got speakers for my computer, having left mine in FL, but I couldn’t remember if my computer had a built in speaker or not.  It doesn’t.  Just means I can’t listen to my music until I get computer speakers which I will do on the 1st.

The maintenance man came over on Wednesday because the toilet water hose was leaking.  He thought he had it fixed but it still leaks a little every time I flush.  I put a rag under it so that takes care of that problem.

Baxter and I have gone for walks twice a day since being there.  He loves going and I love that it gets me out exercising.  We haven’t gone far - though today we did go farther then previously.  Part of it is not knowing my way around town that well but the biggest reason has been the heat.  We didn’t get a walk in tonight before work due to the rainstorm.

Yesterday my nephew and I moved the loveseat and entertainment center my sister gave me.  It is so great to have some furniture in the apartment! The loveseat is almost comfortable enough to sleep on - something I might have to do because my air mattress keeps losing air.  Another sister has a bed in her basement that I might see about using if they can bring it to NL for me as I don’t have a way to transport it.  I’m not in any rush, I can sleep on the floor if I need to for awhile.

Several of the ceramic and glass pieces I sent up from FL were broken.  I was disappointed because I packed them in bubble wrap and everything.  A couple of other pieces were chipped or broken but not so badly that I can’t glue them back together.  Ah the joys of shipping things.

My beautiful skirt that I was looking forward to wearing to my nephew’s wedding next month was left down in FL too.  I was upset to find that out.  But I left a bag in my closet there that I meant to grab - it had all my favorite clothes in it so I should have guess the skirt would be in it too.  Oh well, I will have to find something else to wear.  I’m going to plead with my neighbor down there to send me the bag - she can take the whole bag to the UPS store and they will do all the boxing and shipping. She hates to be put out but I’m hoping she will take pity on me and do it.

I have been asked by work to switch my hours this coming Monday and Tuesday from 7pm-3am to 3pm-11pm because the trainer on that shift needs a hand with the trainee.  I agreed to do so though it means getting off at 7am on Monday morning and having to be back at 3pm the same day.  I will also have to do it the following week.  On Wednesday they are putting out OT requests for the other days as well, I may sign up but changing shifts like that makes sleeping so much harder again.

It continues to rain outside which is good, it means we won’t be doing many traffic stops and, hopefully, the guards will be staying longer at each building.  I really could use a quiet night.

No Service

I get no bars on my wonderful AT&T cell phone here at work.  It can be frustrating when I am waiting for a call to come in because I have to remember to go outside during break to see if any calls came through.  My phone doesn’t even beep or give me any indication at all that a call was received until I go out.

Well, tonight I went out just to see if I had any messages.  I actually did too.  It was my new landlord telling me I could start moving in on Wednesday - possibly Tuesday.  I am suppose to set up a time tomorrow to go to his office to sign my lease and pay whatever rent I will need to pay for the rest of this month.

Because I didn’t get the call last night at 7:30, when he actually called, I can’t get the electric put in my name until Wednesday now.  Had I been able to do it last night, I might have been able to have it on Tuesday.  But that is OK, Wednesday is fine.  I doubt they’ll let me stay there overnight Tuesday night though if electric isn’t in my name.

I have already put in a change of address as well and changed my address with the University.  I am very excited and hope it is a good thing.  Putting down the deposit was such a rushed thing that I still need a few questions answered like - do they pay water/sewer or do I; where are the mailboxes; where is the laundry room; etc.

I am sure I will find out a lot more tomorrow - including what kind of a deposit I have to put down for electric service, etc.  Still, it is nice to know that I will soon have my own space and can finally unpack.

I still won’t have cable till next month so that is kind of a bummer with the new season of Closer starting tonight but oh well.  Can’t have everything.  Guess I can buy those dishes by the end of the week…or the first of the month anyway. 

It will be so good to get Baxter and I back into a routine.  I miss sleeping with the little bugger but couldn’t sleep during the day with him in there because he likes to bark when he hears Kato bark.  He will have to be broken of that barking habit - he rarely ever barked at all in Florida.  I sure do love the little guy.

As I was going to St Ives

Yeah, I really didn’t have a title for this blog so rather then keep struggling with it, this riddle popped in my head so I used it.  Strange, I agree.

Today is my last day “off” work for the next six days.  I actually work 3am-7am tomorrow morning - don’t ask me how that came about because I have no idea.  I will go to bed tonight but have to be up at 2 am to get to work on time.  Ugh.  Then I start working 11pm-7am Wednesday thru Friday, then 7pm to 7am on Saturday and Sunday.  My regular schedule that I hopefully will start on the end of July is 7pm-7am Sat & Sun and then 7pm-3am on Mondays and Tuesdays.  I suppose I should get on work’s email system to see if anything has changed in my absence.

Right now I’m getting ready to go into Iowa City to get a present for my nephew’s new baby girl.  I don’t really know what they need so will get them some cute stuff and hope they like it. 

I really wish I could get my life into more of a routine.  I know it won’t happen this month but hopefully next month - especially if work lets me stick to my schedule so I could plan out my month.  I’d like to get a second job for awhile - probably working mornings since I work for the University in the evenings.  I just have so many bills that I’m behind on - I hate it.  Before I moved I had every bill paid up on time but now it is more of a struggle.  There I could fill my gas tank up once every three or more weeks - here I’m filling it each week.  Even when I move to NL, I will still be spending a lot more in gas then I did.  Still, I’m not sorry I moved up here but I do miss some of my friends down South and I miss my condo.

According to the doctor’s scale, I’ve lost 18 lbs since moving up here.  I can tell my clothes are a bit baggier but think that 18 lbs is such a drop in the bucket to what I need to lose.  Of course, it is a start and I expect I’ll continue to lose as I go along.  I am not as down as I was in Florida so am not eating as much since a lot of my eating then was due to being down. 

So there you have it.  I guess I best get my butt in gear if I want to run to town quickly.  I don’t want to be gone long because I need to do laundry and want to hang the clothes out if I can find the clothes pins.  I love the smell of clothes that have been hung out versus the dryer. 

Sunny Sunday

It is Sunday morning and the sun is out, the birds are singing, and a quiet breeze is blowing along.  I have no idea what to do with this day other then maybe go into town and walk around the mall or something.  I need to get a present and stuff but hate the idea of driving way out to the mall most days.  Today I think I could probably hit Sycamore Mall as they have a Benjamin Franklin which would have some stuff but not baby stuff like I need.  Maybe I’ll have to hit Coral Ridge Mall but I really don’t want to.

I imagine I’ll be spending a lot of time at the mall once I move to North Liberty.  Face it, what is there to do in NL? Nothing.  So I’ll run down the street to the mall to walk around and hang out - probably especially at Barnes and Noble.  I’ll probably go to the theater there if I go because who wants to drive all the way across town to the newer ones? If I went with someone else then that would be one thing but not by myself.  Who knows if I’ll ever get back to a point when I can afford to go to movies by myself.  I suppose I will eventually.

There is a Pier One there too but I probably won’t see it much.  I know there are other stores on the other side of the interstate like Kohl’s, Super Walmart and a Petco so will probably spend time at them as well.  I could ride my bike down there…if I ever get a bike.

I will not be that far from the Reservior either so can take the dogs for a walk there once and awhile.  I’m sure NL has some sort of park around.  No where has the dog friendly parks that Sarasota had.

Is It Wednesday Today?

I hope it is because that would mean it is hump day and I only have two more to go before I’m back on the night shift.  I just want to be out of training so badly!!!

It is another cloudy and cool day in Iowa.  I’m not complaining - the birds are chirping and a slight breeze is coming in through the windows.  I’d say it is a nice day overall. 

Baxter is mad at me because he wants to go for a walk and I don’t want to go outside because it is wet and muddy.  I know that I should take him for a walk but he does have a huge backyard to play in right now.  It isn’t that I think the backyard should be enough and I shouldn’t have to walk him anymore - no way, walking isn’t just for exercise, we bond together when we go for walks.  It is just that I don’t want to go out in the wet and mud - not to mention the gnats.  Still, I hate him looking so dejected.

I need to groom Baxter but want it to be warmer and dryer outside so he can run around to get dry.  If he gets the chance, he’d roll in the mud.  He is such a stinker…such a stubborn little soul.

Right now I need to go get a shower in before Emily gets home to get ready for work.  I will probably leave before 2pm so I can stop at the store to get a can of soup for supper at work.  I park about five blocks from work too so I have to give myself enough time to walk there and get to my locker for my junk.  Once I go to nights I can park right there at work but I don’t know, I still might park further away and walk - it is good for me.

 

Bugs

Baxter and I went for our walk around the wetlands this morning.  It was incrediably buggy which made the trip less enjoyable then it was yesterday when the wind was stronger and the bugs less.  We have an 80% chance of rain today - hope so.

Baxter has been rather depressed lately and has started acting out more.  He growls more at the other dogs and sometimes at the kids as well.  He isn’t eating that much and just wants to lay around.  He does tussle with Rocko some each day but not as much as he did.  It is time to find another place to live.

Baxter and I will most likely go live with my sister for a month or two until we can figure out some logistics about renting her house.  It allows me to pay the taxes on my condo and get those payments up to date.  Maybe the first week of July I will drive down to Florida to get the rest of my stuff and get my condo up for sale.  It could sit on the market for awhile so would like to get a Realtor and get it all started anyway.  I’ve never sold anything so it is stressful thinking about what might be needed and what paperwork has to be done.

The kids have found a nice duplex to move into come the middle of July to August 1st.  They are very excited about it as it has a huge kitchen and a very large backyard with a patio.  They are already envisioning having their friends over for grilling out.  The yard is very important for the dogs sake.  Rocko is getting too big to be cooped up in an apartment all the time - the yard is fenced so he can go out as much as he wants.

I told them that duplexes require the renter to mow the lawn - they both frowned on that idea but I think they’ll warm up to it.  Like my son finally said, they’d have to mow the yard if they owned a place so might as well get in the practice. 

One more week of 3-11pm and then I’m back on nights - I can’t wait.  I would have sworn I’d be thrilled to be back on 3-11pm’s since I worked them for so long, but I’m not.  I hate it…absolutely hate it. 

One thing I really don’t like about this job is that they are always behind in paying out overtime.  Like I worked 21 hours of overtime in May but I won’t get it paid to me till July.  So whatever I work in July won’t be paid to me until September.  {sigh}.  Guess it is good if you know something you want to have extra money for a few months in advance…like Christmas.

Well, there you have it folks - don’t know what else to write about and I need to get ready for work here shortly.

Odd Hours

So I went shopping briefly today.  I picked up my hiking boots - $45 at Walmart.  I hope they are good ones.  They are Brauns and called “Frontier”.  I was going to get the “Rustler” one but decided the sole was so heavy that it would kill my knees on uphill hikes.  Both are waterproof.  The ones I bought are a tan color so will show dirt but hey, that just means they are getting used…right? I’m anxious to try them out tomorrow.

I was going to buy a compass but as I know so little about compasses, I wasn’t sure if the one I was looking at was good or bad.  They had two - one for map reading and one for sight measurements.  Wish I knew a bit more about them before I made my decision.

I wanted a buck knife rather then a folding knife but will probably go with the latter just cuz it will be easier to carry in my pocket.  I don’t know about rope, what kind of rope does one take camping and hiking in the wilderness???

While out shopping, I picked up Dean Koontz’s new book “Odd Hours” which is the fourth book in the series about Odd Thomas.  I’ve really enjoyed the other three and hope this one is just as good.  I love Odd Thomas and the way he approaches life.  I don’t know if you have tried any of them but I do recommend them.  They are “Odd Thomas”, “Brother Odd” and “Forever Odd.”

One of my son’s friends brought over his dog for a minute.  This dog was freaking beautiful! I haven’t seen a dog with such awesome markings since the dog show last year where the collie won.  This dog had brown and white markings but of a varying degree and unique pattern.  I would classify the dog as beautiful as my son’s boxer.

It rained here for awhile but is suppose to be fantastic weather all weekend.  I don’t know what I have planned other then meeting up with my sisters tomorrow in the park - I’d take Baxter but as I don’t know what we will do when we leave the park, I best not.

Happy Weekend Folks!

 

Wetlands

A stiff breeze greeted Baxter and I as we visited the wildlife that inhabit the wetlands this morning.  The sun played hide and seek behind clouds that were hastily gathering as if warning of bad weather ahead. 

Ducks and even a couple of swans glided effortlessly across the rippling pond surface, a testament to their grace.  Blue Jays, Robins and a few Red-Winged Blackbirds serenaded me with a cornucopia of vocals, replacing the night time symphony of bullfrogs.

Mr. Beaver kept a suspicious eye on Baxter, who seemed too enthralled in the vegetation to notice he was under surveillance.  A trio of turtles, however, decided simultaneously that any dog - even one confined to the pond banks - was too much of an intrusion, they slid off the log to disappear under the floating Lily pads.

Seriously fatigued, I was lulled to a euphoric state of mind by the gentle wetland sounds.  My bed beckoned earnestly to me, I could feel it’s call way down in my bones.  As much as I enjoyed our walk, I did not keep my bed waiting.

Hickory Hill

Today Baxter and I tackled Hickory Hill Park. It is a large, wooded park that has a lot of steep hills to the trail. I thought we’d enjoy a vigorous walk and I needed the exercise to help me get ready for Wyoming. I’m afraid I’m not going to be in very good shape by then. Might have to stick to the easier trails.

Baxter managed to find the only mud puddle in the whole park to lay down in. He was filthy. We had a great 2 hour walk - admittedly part of the reason it was so long is that Baxter got us lost. I used my incrediable sense of direction to find our way which I did, no thanks to the dog. He just wanted to play in the creek so went out of his way to direct us back to it rather then to the car. LOL

The park was as lovely as I remembered - a lot larger though. We saw some rabbits, Cardinals and even two deer. Many trees were in bloom - I tried to take a few pictures but don’t think any of them came out well.

What a bad call…

Well, did I call it badly or not? The wind is blowing hard and the temp continues to drop as the night goes on. Suppose to be down to 38 degrees and SNOW possible tomorrow.

I froze being outside. Had to walk to my car and then take Wayne back to work. It is so cold out there I can’t get warm. Really hate being cold but oh well. It will warm up again soon. We actually had a tornado warning again so we got to put out another Hawk Alert. Work was very busy but I did awesome. I love when I do awesome.

The weekend is here and other then meeting my niece for breakfast on Sunday morning, I have no plans. Guess that isn’t a bad thing…especially since the weather is going to be bad.

Well, I’m tired and it is time to go to bed. I’ll try to call it better next time.