Estoy Nueces

Except for writing about the eclipse, I'm two weeks behind. It is a very rainy Saturday morning here after some lovely days this week. I have an order of mulch and soil and such waiting for me at Lowe's, but it seems pointless to go get it when it will just sit in my car making it stink. I'm glad I didn't order manure.

Phil the Cat has been sick for a while and I'm worried for him. He is almost 15 years old and has seemed more tired and "grizzled" for a few months. Last week, the night before I left town, he either was showing his displeasure at me leaving or he was sick. I woke up at 4:30 and he was beside me on the bed and he turned around and squatted! I grabbed some laundry that was within reach and pushed it under him to catch the poop, I hoped. Stinky. Gross. I jumped up and turned on the light and picked up the laundry with poop on it, and there was lots more poop on the duvet. Gross gross gross. He started before I woke up apparently. That is such a gross story and an awful way to wake up at 4:30 in the f---ing morning. I had to get up and do laundry. This duvet had not ever been washed and I would prefer to wash anything that big at the laundromat. But no choice now so I stuffed it and all the air in it down into the washer. But then I was afraid to go back to bed because it might overflow or unbalance. So I filled it with water and went back to bed and finished that later.

So I was worried about him while I was out of town, but my sister said he greeted her and seemed fine. Since I've been back he's been a bit lethargic. It seemed to get worse yesterday and he was staying under the bed and in the closet and I didn't know if he had even peed. I called vets and no one could get me in (I don't have a regular vet since I used a mobile service last time). I also didn't WANT to try to get this baby into a carrier and freak him out by going to a vet. I made him a litter box in the bedroom and gave him a heating pad to sleep on. He does seem better today and it looks like he peed and he ate food this morning. He was begging to go outside. The yard is a lake with the rain coming down (not heavy rain now). I took him to the front door because he likes to sit on the porch on the bench. I thought maybe that would satisfy him and keep him out of the rain and puddles. Nope, he wandered off immediately, drank some rain water, and then went on around the house. So, stupidly, I let him out. It has stopped raining, it is just cold and windy now. I hope he finds his way back to the porch soon. I'm sure he found protection. He might be on my neighbor's porch.

Otherwise, this week has been kind of a blur. I know I haven't worked that much. My work computer came back to me on Monday. I didn't bother booting it up until Wednesday and then it wouldn't boot! Just fixed and I couldn't get it to get past the first screen. So I was on the phone with the help desk until we got it going. Thursday morning I got up to go to work and same thing!! So, back on the phone with the help desk. There was one point in the process where he had to read a number to me to put into the computer so it would know I wasn't a hacker and fix itself. That number had to be like 60 digits long. JESUS! And then, just a few minutes later, it did it all again and he had to read them to me once more. This time I said, "Would it be a good idea for me to write this number down?" He agreed and I took a pic of it and, sure enough, I needed it again before we were through. It seems like it is "fixed" now. I would hate to have that help desk guy's job. I know at some point I'd just say, "Hey, I'm frustrated and I can't do this and I'll call you back tomorrow" or just quit. Maybe hang up mid-sentence so they think we are disconnected.

I have things to do today, but it is such a calm, quiet day with the rain I will probably just sit and think and drink my coffee for a long while. Then do a sudoku. I've done Wordle for the day.

I bought some "real" groceries yesterday and even bought some chicken. It's for Phil if he keeps being sick (following internet advice). I cooked some last night and ate a salad while it cooked (yes, I even bought lettuce and tomatoes). Of course, when it was done I wasn't hungry anymore. I ate a couple of bites to see if it was good and it is waiting for me if I get hungry today. I bought a LOT of chicken because they had a special, Buy 1 get 2 free. That's a LOT of chicken. But it is all chicken breasts and they are pre-seasoned. I don't know if I like that, but sometimes I do cook chicken and it is so gross I never eat it. We'll see. Yes, I like chicken when anyone else cooks it. I also bought some ground beef for a soup recipe I want to make. I don't cook beef either.

I will have to write about last weekend another time. It was a lovely weekend in Austin.