Things are supposed to start getting colder tomorrow. My husband has just let me know we have a parcel to pick up. It is most likely the heat lamp we ordered to use in the sun room. If so, that will be perfect timing! I’ll have to wait until tul the post office reopens for the afternoon to go get it, though.
Meanwhile, I just have to share this photo.
This is Toni, grooming our greasy grandma. Extra greasy, since we are still doing daily ear cleaning with coconut oil. For the past while, grandma has been basically hiding out and not interacting with the other cats much. Usually, she was especially attentive to the kittens, so this was a change. We now think the change in behavior, and possibly even some of her weight loss, was because her ears were nothing her so much. We just couldn’t see how bad it was, until we started the daily cleaning. There turned out to be several cats that were especially bad. Most were not too bad at all, but grandma is among those where we are still finding chunky bits. The mites are most likely dead; we’ve gone well beyond their life cycle. However, as long as there are any cats that still have a build-up, we will be doing all of them.
A bonus in doing this is that grandma is no longer hiding out. Instead, she’s been camping out on my bed, where it’s much softer and warmer. Plus, the cats are grooming each other’s ears more – and none are allergic to coconut oil – though not as enthusiastically as when we were using the mineral oil. It was crazy how much Shadow, in particular, kept trying to eat it. I had so much trouble keeping him out of the garbage can, as he’d drag out the paper towel cleaning strips and try to eat them! The coconut oil seems tasty enough that they all groom each other more often, which is improving relationships. They are more likely to sleep in huge cuddle piles, including cats that previously didn’t get along very well.
I’m happy to say that I have no errands to run, no unexpected outings, nothing. Just a day to stay home, inside and out of the wind!
We’ve had a very mild winter so far, but as we head towards the end of January and into February, we are expected to get more average temperatures. Not so much that we need to worry about the vehicles freezing, or even plug them in. Which is good, since I discovered the truck’s block heater plug end was ripped off and never repaired. Clearly, it wasn’t an issue for whomever owned it before. This thing can handle the cold much better than the van could.
We do need to try and get the garage door closed, though. One corner wheel came off the track. I’m hoping that, if one person is able to push up the opposite corner, it will move the loose corner close enough to the track to be able to get it back on. This is something to do on a warmer day and will require taking the truck out, setting up a little ladder at one corner, and the folding scaffolding set at the other. It will take three of us to manhandle the thing. One to push up the opposite corner, one to move the loose corner towards the track, and one to try and get the wheel back on the track. It’s an unusually large door for its type.
The outside cats are appreciating being out of the wind. This morning, I counted 33 of them. Last winter, we had a ceramic heat bulb set up for them, but the old fixture we were using stopped working. We currently have a replacement on the way. What we had before was something my brother had put together to set up under the kitchen sink, so the heat from an incandescent light bulb would help prevent pipes from freezing, while the house was empty. The kitchen has no heat vent, so it was the one area of concern in the house.
What we are getting is a clip-on lamp designed for chickens. It has a heat reflector shade and comes with a ceramic bulb. I plan to set it up facing under the platform, which will have the added benefit of the sheet of insulation above, to help keep the heat in their favorite sleeping spot. If it gets too warm, they can go on top of the platform. The only thing I’m not sure of is how I will attach it securely. I’ll figure that out, once it arrives, and I can see exactly how the clamp is designed.
Meanwhile, we are still figuring out our phone problems. I spoke to my brother, through Messenger, and told him we thought the problem was the jack in my husband’s room. My brother suggested we simply detach that jack and see. I never even thought of that! So I went into the basement and traced the wire to the hub, and removed it.
Nothing changed.
My brother said it sounded like moisture got into a jack, which is what we think, too. Likely due to our two fixed males that still spray! There are two other jacks on the ground floor, but there is no way cats or moisture could get to either of those. That leaves the one jack upstairs, which we’ve never used, which could have had damage to it. So, one of my goals for today is to find and trace that wire and remove it.
If that doesn’t do it, then the problem is something else, and we’ll have to call someone in.
The main problem is, either how we have things set up, it’s hard to access all but one of the jacks. We will have to clear things for a tech to reach them, if he needs do.
Speaking of clearing things, once Christmas is over on Jan 6, and we store away our decorations, we need to rearrange parts of the living room again, so I can access the big aquarium greenhouse. We need to get our onion seeds started!
Then we will need to bring other things in from the sun room, including one of the shop lights, to set up our growing zone again. We won’t be able to do the same setup as we did last year, but I think we might not be starting quite so many seeds indoors this year. We shall see.
Okay, I have to admit, I was expecting this. I was hoping to avoid it, but I knew it was coming.
I just got off the phone with the computer repair shop.
Good news is, all my data has been saved. No loss there.
The bad news…
My computer isn’t worth fixing.
He did manage to get it started, but right off the hop, I need a new hard drive.
And a new power supply.
Plus, other things are starting to go.
I’ve been hearing that from my machine for quite some time. Honestly, I’m amazed it didn’t die earlier.
It’s just old. He could fix the main things, but I would be on borrowed time. Plus, Windows 11 is coming, and my machine is not going to handle that well. It’s simply not worth the cost of repair.
So when I’m in the city again, I’ll get my data and a new external hard drive to store it on, since there is not enough space left on the external hard drive I have at home. I’ve been looking at new PCs, but they are all insanely beyond our budget, to get a system that meets my needs.
However, we might be able to swing a refurbished machine. I don’t know. When I pick up my data, we can talk shop.
My husband and I needed to head out today, so I made sure to get his walker through the sunroom doors for him before bringing the truck over. Going through the sunroom eliminates stairs, but there are still thresholds and different levels of sidewalk blocks that make it harder for him.
The cats love his walker!
Our trip today was to the bank. It’s amazing how much difference having a car payment has already made to our credit scores. While I was able to get a low limit credot card (though I was approved for more), it was for naught, since this financing company would only use my husband’s income, rather than a generic “household income”. While we were going through all the financing battle, my husband tried applying for a credit card online, to rebuild his credit rating, as I was doing.
He was instantly turned down.
After only 2 months of car payments, when he tried again, not only was he approved, but approved for a limit twice what I was approved for!
One thing was different from my getting my card, though. He couldn’t have it mailed directly to him. It was sent to the nearest bank branch (we never switched our home branch after the move, as there was no need). He needed to show two pieces of ID to claim it.
He still does not have photo ID for this province. They would not accept the name he has always used as his given name, since it did not match his birth certificate. Never mind that they still had his old driver’s license data on file with the name he uses. Or that all his other ID has the name he uses. While we lived in another province, the rules changed here because of identity theft. It took me months to get my ID done. For my husband, they told him he would need to do a legal name change.
In the end, we found he didn’t, and what he needed to get his ID, but he simply could not handle the pain while being made to wait, etc. So he never went back.
Which means he was expecting to have issues today.
He was right.
The funny thing, though, is they accepted his expired driver’s license from the other province with no problem. It was still on file! Finding a second ID their system would accept took a bit longer, but they did eventually figure oit their system could accept birth certificates.
That done, he could activate the card, but still needed to use the card, using the chip rather than tap, first.
After deciding he was up to the trip, we went to the nearer city and Walmart, to pick up more cat food. The 8 bags I picked up at Costco, just a couple weeks ago, were pretty much gone. There was still some for the inside cats, but the bin for the outside cats had enough for today, and that’s it.
I counted 37 yard cats this morning, do… yeah. We go through a lot of cat food. Especially since it’s winter. The inside cats need far less.
We got another six bags. There was only one 11kg bag on stock, so the rest were 9kg bags.
The 11kg bag actually cost a couple dollars less than the 9kg bags.
So the whole thing cost over $200 – before taxes!
Thankfully, we got a donation, plus my daughter will be transferring funds as soon as PayPal does its thing for her.
At least we have a break at the gas pump. Our province is temporarily stopping tax collection on fuel right now. Regular gas prices are now around 115.9 or 116.9 cents per litter. Someone local on FB posted the Costco price right now. 99.9! It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen a gas price under a dollar per liter, even if it is just 0.1 cents.
By the time we got home, though, my husband’s pain levels were getting really bad.
Not as bad as they could have been, thanks to the truck! He’s able to tolerate noticeably more travel in it!
Tissue just crawled over right on top of grandma. Poor thing is in heat right now. Considering what happened when we tried to get her fixed before, that’s going to be a challenge!
In other things…
With our land line down, I messaged my sister, yesterday evening, to let her know. I’d managed to leave messages on my mother’s answering machine about it. It took two tries, as my call got dropped mid sentence, even though I was using wifi calling. I told my mother that the best way to reach me was likely by calling my sister, who could then send me a message. So, of course, I had to let my sister know this!
It turned out my sister had talked to my mother earlier, and she told my sister I was coming over today, to help her either groceries.
Last I spoke to my mother, she refused to settle on a day, and just settled on “after New Year”. I was supposed to do a follow up call which, obviously, was going to be a bit trickier.
After finding this put from my sister, I tried calling my mother again. She had a hard time hearing me, but at least the call wasn’t dropped. We worked out arrangements for me to come over, and when I asked, she suggested using her car, in case she was up to going out.
We haven’t used her car pretty much since getting the truck. Just once, maybe, shortly after we brought it home. So, this morning, while doing my rounds, I got her car out of the garage and checked her tires. The two on the driver’s side were a bit low. I just used the hand pump to top them up.
I had some things to do, since I was going to be out anyhow, so I left quite early.
Well.
I tried to leave.
I drove through the gate and stopped to close it behind me, when I heard a loud bang from the back. My mother’s car has always been noisy in the back, but not like this! I tried to look to see a cause, but there was nothing visible.
So I locked and kept going. I got as far as the stop sign, maybe 300 ft away. When a started moving after stopping at the sign, there was a loud, repetitive knocking from the back.
I turned around and came home!
I font know what the noise is, and have had no time to look it up, yet.
I took our truck.
Once in my mother’s town, I made a stop at the grocery store. Before going in, I took advantage of having a strong signal and called the computer repair place, to give them my cell number.
My timing was good. The tech guy was working on my computer when I called. After giving the number – with a warning that it may or may not work, if I was at home – he gave me the good news so far. Be was able to secure and protect my data. With that done, he was about to move on to starting the machine and seeing what he could find out.
I really hope it can be fixed. Blogging with my phone really sucks. Plus, there are things I do that I won’t even try on my phone!
I also updated my brother about what was going on with my mother’s car.
After going into the grocery store for our own few items, I called my mother to let her know about the vehicle situation, and ask what she wanted me to pick up for lunch. After going on about how fried food makes her sick, she then asked me to pick up potato wedges for her.
Which are fried, of course. 😆
So that was a stop at the gas station. While there, I also got some fried pierogi, plus a couple of pieces of chicken. Just in case.
When I got there, she happily had a bit of everything, including the chicken! 😆
As we were talking and eating, she showed me a Christmas card she waxed poetic on, about how beautiful it was. By which she means, it was a religious themed card, rather than a secular one.
It was from our vandal.
Out of curiosity, I looked inside.
Wow. He can’t even give her a Christmas card without going weird. The only good thing I could say is, his attempts to guilt and manipulate her went right over her head. I did get a picture of it.
Since my mother couldn’t come with me, we went over her list and I did her shopping for her, though I made sure to message my sister about the car, and letting her know that, until we can figure put what ti do about my mother’s car, before I forgot.
This trip, I paid for her shopping using my card, then gave her the receipt, as she requested. While she was getting cash to pay me back, her phone rang, do I answered it for her. When I do that, I answer like a receptionist, identifying myself in the process.
There was silence, then a hang up.
I checked caller ID.
It was our vandal.
Once we identified the number, we got a chuckle over him hanging up on me, then kept talking.
The phone rang again.
This time, I checked the number, first.
It was our vandal again.
My mother told me to answer it, like I did before.
So I did.
Once again, there was silence, then a hang up.
We got another laugh out of it, but then my mother told me something she didn’t mention before.
My vandal hand delivered that Christmas card, on Christmas day.
Then she told me how they had a lovely tea together. With his wife.
Oh, he would have been on his best behavior, with his wife there! She would not know about his abusive calls. He does those while she is at work.
I do wish my mother had let us know, though!
With all this, before I said my goodbyes, I decided to check her answering machine. At the very least, there would have been my two calls to clear, which she doesn’t know how to do.
Sure enough, there was a message from our vandal – left near the beginning of December! We keep asking her yo let us know about these, but she doesn’t!
I took a video of the message while it was playing, so the date would be recorded, then cleared her machine. The message was his usual ranting. First, demanding to know if he’s being recorded, and if he was, that’s entrapment.
Yes. Seriously. He’s leaving a message on an answering machine, and asking if he’s being recorded.
Then he launched into his usual accusations of how I font work, but spend all my time trying to put him in jail. The only new thing is that he’s now using my late brother’s children to manipulate her. Children that are estranged from her, largely because of him.
Well, at least he’s not telling her my late father and brother are looking down from heaven at her, angry that she didn’t give him the farm, and that she won’t go to heaven because of that.
Which reminds me.
My mother has been talking about giving her car to my nephew. Of course, it’s not from the goodness of her heart. It’s her usual bribery attempt: pay attention yo me, and I’ll give you things. But she only does that with the people who treat her the worst. We learned our vandal managed to swindle many thousands of dollars out of both my parents, over the years that way.
She told our vandal about her thought of giving the car to my nephew, so he now uses that in his rants against me.
With the car now suddenly making that noise, she said maybe it’s time to give the car to my nephew. I told her, that’s hardly a gift! Apparently, he works in a garage, though.
My name may be on the ownership papers, as that was the only way fir me to be able to keep it licensed and insured for her use, but it’s her car and she can do what she wants with it. Talking to my family about it later, we all agree on the salient points. If she wants to give it to him, and he has the skills and resources to fix it, that free uo funds in our budget. Finds we can use to pay the truck down faster. It also takes away a headache for us. That car has been no end of expensive trouble.
However, it would also mean, i can no longer drive her anywhere. She simply cannot get in and out of our truck safely. My sister works part time, so she could use her car to drive my mother around, but when it comes to things like doctors appointments, my mother doesn’t want that. My brother is not an option, as he would have to book time off work, and he lives the furthest away.
Ideally, we would replace her car, but we can’t afford two car payments, and she certainly would not be willing to buy another car herself.
A conundrum.
Ah, well. We’ll figure it out.
Meanwhile, before I left my mother, I made sure to tell her to check the phone if it rings again, and if it’s our vandal, let it go to machine. With me answering her phone earlier, he would absolutely lose it on her. His wife, after all, would be at work, so he would not be on his best behavior!
So that’s how my day ended up going. I had intended to try and clear end organize my husband’s room, so we have access to that phone jack, while he was still ambulatory. Tomorrow, I have to drive him into my mother’s town for an errand I can’t do for him, and even that short trip will wipe him out. So it may take a few more days before we can get to it. Especially if I end up driving to the city to get my computer!
Oh, wouldn’t that be nice!
This time of year, I’d rather be in hibernation mode, though! 😆
I counted 37 this morning! As I was returning to the sun room after doing my rounds, Syndol kept reaching out and grabbing at me, until I finally picked him up for a cuddle. He so loves to be cuddled!
If this morning is a sign of how our year is going to be, it’s going to be a messy, destructive one!
I woke to discover a cat threw up on my bed. It’s a good thing it’s such a big bed, or I would have rolled over, right on it. So I’m doing laundry right now!
My husband woke to find his mouse on the floor and his cowboy hat knocked over. His wired ear buds the hat was protecting were completely chewed up.
He’s keeping his door closed now.
Which reminds me: the door the girls were measuring for is not for between the rooms uo there, as i thought. It’s for over the stairs.
When my parents were still living here, a frame of 2×4’s was made around the bottom of the bannister to hold a plywood cover that was flush to the floor upstairs. This was so that they weren’t heating the upstairs in winter, when they weren’t using it. We’re not sure what happened to that plywood cover. So the girls want to cut a new cover to size so that they can keep the cats out while they sleep, and have it hinged and rigged to easily open and close as they need to use the stairs.
Oh, we don’t have a land line anymore. For about a week or two, people have been having trouble reaching us by phone, getting crackling noises, or it would go straight to machine. Then, a couple days ago, a light started blinking on the phone base I’d never seen before. It’s the “hold” light. The display says “home line busy”. Apparently, the phone thinks we’ve got it put on hold, but it won’t turn off. When I try listening, there’s just a crackling noise.
Something similar has happened before. The repair man replaced a jack in my husband’s room to fix it. My husband used to have a corded phone set up there, but he unhooked it and has no phone hooked up at all, now.
We suspect it’s the same jack that is the problem, and that it got sprayed by a cat, though to be honest, I can’t really see signs of that. The problem is, my husband has his room set up in such a way that it’s not really accessible. We are going to need to rearrange things. That room is so small, it means actually taking things out of the room. Except his hospital bed. Because it’s extra long, it can only be taken out by dismantling it. It can’t be moved around in the room without taking pretty much everything else out, first.
So we have to clear all that up, just so we can see what we are dealing with, and for a repair man to access the jack to test it. We also need to arrange it so we have access to the section of wall against there the bath tub is. We still need to replace the tap and faucet, but are not sure it can be accessed from the front, once the tub surround is removed. If it can’t be accessed from there, we’d have to access it from the bedroom, and right now, it’s blocked by a wardrobe. There is a closet in this room, but it’s currently being used to store some of my late father’s belongings. Between my husband’s hospital bed and the little table that’s holding his medications fridge, the closet it completely blocked off.
It will be a huge job, but one that’s overdue. We haven’t been able to clean that room properly in ages.
To be honest, I need to do the same thing in my room. How I have it set up, with my “office” in one corner, and my craft table completely covered with stuff to try and keep the cats from getting into things they shouldn’t, it’s a disaster. I would love to be able to get the wall shelf out and replace it with more functional selling, but aside from not having replacement shelving, I’m not sure how to take it out. I’ve asked my mother about it, but all she could tell me was that she thought it was brought in, in two parts. Which I figured it had to have been. I just can’t figure out where it came apart! What I’d really like to do is set my bed up on the other side of the room, but there’s a heat vent there.
The Re-Farmer 