Life is a combination of magic and pasta.

I feel like the White Rabbit lately, rushing around to everything.

Yesterday morning I turned wrong or bent wrong or something and my lower back was angry at me most of the day. I was following my disability accommodation to the T yesterday and after giving Sir Whiny Feline his lunch, I propped myself up in my recliner, set an alarm, turned on an ASMR video and zonked out for about half an hour and then another 20 or so minutes still reclined checking email on the iPad. I really should get a small but decent laptop for such things - especially for whenever I get that surgery done. Fortunately with enough rest and some anti-inflammatories, the back is improving but I'm moving and bending cautiously as not to anger it again. I need to get back to pool time at the Y soon so I need to get it to a safe condition before doing that.

Emily's sister is moving at the end of the month and while I don't think that Emily has lined up a contractor for the basement yet, since her sister is turning off the utilities (and we'll need them on for the work), Emily has to put that bill in her name so I'm sure that will light a fire there. I'll have to arrange after she goes to bring my measuring tape to start planning my bedroom/bathroom/storage/office spaces and the shared spaces. I also wonder whether I should think about painting the bedroom since having lived in apartments all my adult life, that's not been an option for me before. Anyway, soon to see that.

Honestly, if I didn't have the perpetually nervous boykitty to worry about, I'd just have the utilities put in my name and move right away (hopefully I can get out of my lease early) and continue to send out my laundry while the basement work fuss goes on. It would be wonderful if most of that could be taken care of by summer since I would be in heaven to be in a place with central air. I'm not looking forward to another sweat-fest at the current apartment.

Ok, need to get back to work. SO BUSY.

Had a battle with the back last night since it's trying to go out. Documenting here since I try to keep track of when it's acting up. Also might be slow to respond here and elsewhere since I may need to be prone for a while.

Ugh. Seriously?

I try not to make too much of an issue but the maintenance guy that we've had for years is nice but mostly useless. Three years ago I asked to have my kitchen faucet replaced because the screw went missing and it wouldn't stay on. He got a screw but he knew it wouldn't hold since it's a cheap faucet and the parts are worn out. But he gave me the story about how the management wouldn't replace anything. So for THREE years, I've had to repeatedly tape the faucet on which usually lasts about a month. I tried duct tape, stretchy electrical tape, silicone tape. Nothing holds for long. On top of that, the sprayer sometimes sticks in the on position.



This is the same maintenance guy that pretty much ignored the request that I put in to management to replace the battery in the hallway smoke detector and I had to end up getting Emily's sister who is taller to stand on my stepladder to replace it.

Recently, I was seeing lots of big fat bees around my kitchen door when I'd come up the wooden stairs and I also saw sawdust near the door. I reported this to management but didn't have much hope. But they responded quickly and said they'd have the person call me and it was a different name. It was a different person and by the next day, they attached this trap to the deck next to my door


It's reduced the amount of bees, though I am starting to see more again recently and also more sawdust. If it gets too much, I'll report that again.

I decided to take a chance and emailed to request my faucet to be replaced which they responded within hours to put in a ticket. I got a call and there seems to be TWO new guys. One of them came by to take a look at the faucet of which there was a "Oh yeah, that's shot" kind of reaction and they're going to get a new one and they're supposed to come after 11 today to replace it. Thank goodness since this latest round of taping is about to fail again at any moment.

On the way to work, I got a sandwich which I had half for breakfast and will take the other half home when I leave before 11 to have it for lunch. Then I won't have to turn on the sink to wash dishes.

In other stuff, back is still fighting me so I'm trying to take as many breaks as it needs. Junie is still sneezy/wheezy and sometimes refuses food but I'm hoping she'll bounce back again. Dad has good days and not so great days. He actually doesn't call me as often so if it's been a while, I check in. I make sure it's at least once daily.

My neck was stiffening up then when I stepped out of the shower yesterday morning, it suddenly seized up. I tried cold and hot and pain relievers which got it down slightly but I knew it was a matter of waiting it out. Then last night I carefully laid on the side that I hoped would give less issues and while the neck wasn't any worse, I got a deep ache on my right lower side.

The rest of the night, I tried my best to sleep in the recliner which was my least painful option. I took half a Xanax to serve as a muscle relaxant about 2am and another Advil with acetaminophen pill. At 6, things were only marginally better so I took today off. Driving and sitting up for long periods of time will only make things worse.

I'm hoping that if I rest and move carefully, things will be down to a dull roar tomorrow and I can take things carefully this week to get things back to "normal." I've a feeling that this is a result of the stress that I haven't had the time nor willingness to deal with over the last many months.

Taking a sit-up break since I need to make sure to try to be mobile now and then. Doing about the same but at least that's not worse and I hope things improve. Usually when the back goes, if I can't lie on my left side, I am usually comfortable on my right but last night was difficult to lie down much at all. I finally got an assortment of pillows and lying propped up on my back with my knees and calves propped seems to be the least problematic sleeping position so I napped on and off most of the day since it's difficult to do much else in that position.

Emily and I were going to go to Ikea tomorrow but not sure about my back and also, she needs to take her car back in because she spent over $2000 to get her AC replaced just last month and it stopped working while she was on vacation.

I called the parents to check in and according to Mom's new-ish kidney doctor, she needs to go on a low potassium diet. If anyone has had to deal with that and has recommendations, let me know. I read off things to avoid and things that are ok. She doesn't eat consistently, even with the meals on wheels and I know she snacks on things she shouldn't but sometimes if a doctor - especially one she likes and she likes this one - says to do something, she'll behave for a while. Doing some quick research, I made some recommendations for snacks and other foods she likes like applesauce, hard boiled eggs (I had sent then this little egg cooker a while ago since I have it and really like it), carrot sticks. Also so that she's drinking less things like OJ and vegetable juice, she does like gatorade and unsweetened iced tea.

I had a feeling that the lugging around of the cat carrier would catch up to me. The back isn't out completely...yet...but it's trying its damndest. I took off Friday and rested and have been doing so since. The tell tale twinge in the usual spot in the back is still there so I emailed that since I have some use-or-lose vacation days to use in June anyway that I'll be proactive this week and take half vacation days Monday through Wednesday. My disability accommodation already in place allows me to WFH in the afternoon and taking the vacation time will allow me to stay at home and rest whenever I feel things going south. I'm crossing fingers that I can get it to chill and not go out altogether by mid-week.

Today I have a few things I really need coming from Target and will be very careful about lifting. I have some cat food coming this week that I hope will be delivered to my upstairs porch (if not, I'll see if Emily can roll by and bring it upstairs). Wednesday at lunchtime I have FreshDirect bringing some food and undoubtedly they'll come to the wrong door but maybe by then I'll be ok. If not and the guy doesn't drop and run, I'll see if he'll do me a solid and bring the bags upstairs. I'm purposely not getting a lot and I'm also getting some prepped food so I don't have to stand in the kitchen much.

While I've been somewhat down and out, I got a text from the cousin-in-law that I've been working with to discover my aunt's actual parentage. The DNA half-brother has been corresponding with him and he sent some pictures. Both the cousin-in-law and I were flabbergasted at this young picture of her half brother( Cut for mindboggling pictures )

Oh and cousin-in-law and his wife are traveling to Boise and will drop the bombshell on the auntie. To be a fly on that wall...

I was going to do the Glimpse at My Day but then last night as I was bending over to give kitties their food, there was a popping feeling and my lower back has been aching pretty good since then. Ah well, not like things are that interesting anyway.

Anyhoo, well, the trip to the mechanic did not involve asking me about why I cut them off. He was all happy-nice and said that his wife says hi and such. Ok, sure. But then he pissed me off. I went there specifically because it mentioned on their website that they do NJ State inspections and I've had his place do it in the past. Mind you, when you fill out their online form, you put in what you need done which I said State inspection, oil change and fix my turn signal. I got a personal email confirmation saying he was looking forward to me coming in today.

I then drive all the way there during morning rush hour only to find out that they no longer do State inspections and haven't done them in years. The fuck? Dude, I could have gone ANYWHERE to get a simple oil change and turn signal fix. But fine, I was there, get that done at least. I had previously put in that I would wait for the service and since I wasn't getting an inspection, that should be shorter, right? Well nope. I sat there for over an hour and forty-five minutes with my low back aching in their shitty chairs in the tiny waiting area, wearing my mask.

Never again. I'm done with them. Geez.

So I figured since I had already took a partial day off to get this shit done, I'll go to the official State inspection station to get it done. It was a bitch and a half to drive there because I saw on FB while waiting that one of the main roads I took to get there was going to be closed completely for tree work. The county is doing one shitty job of giving us all advance warning. I had intended to cut through a park road to get to the inspection station area but it was backed up so far over major roads that I had to use my knowledge of New Brunswick and campus roads to get around all the nonsense.

Fortunately since it was mid-month and not the beginning of the week, I at least lucked out that there was no line at the inspection station. That and since it was the State station, it didn't cost anything to get the inspection done. So the car is good until August of 2024, the turn signal works and it's riding smoother due to the oil change.

From now own, for little car updates, I'm doing the damned Valvoline drive through