The Day in Spikedluv (Monday, June 16)
Jun. 17th, 2025 07:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spikedluvI had plans to get a lot of stuff (including stuff for mom) done in the afternoon after visiting mom, but my sister got out of work later than she thought and I stayed later because the surgeon had come in and so I got none of that stuff done.
I did do a load of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I read and watched an HGTV program.
I was hungry by the time I left the hospital as I hadn’t had lunch yet, and I didn’t want to wait until I got home to eat. So I went to a place called the Hawkeye Bar & Grill in the Otesaga Hotel and had some very good fish and chips. This was the view from my seat on the patio:
Temps started out at 57.4(F) and reached 81. (According to Pip. I’m not sure whether to believe him, but he actually had a number instead of yesterday when he just said ‘it got hot’.) The whole day was overcast/hazy, for which we should be thankful, I guess, if it really did reach 81.
Mom Update:
Mom was feeling better today, which was a relief. A lot of stuff happened, so I expect this to get long. ( it did get long )
I did do a load of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I read and watched an HGTV program.
I was hungry by the time I left the hospital as I hadn’t had lunch yet, and I didn’t want to wait until I got home to eat. So I went to a place called the Hawkeye Bar & Grill in the Otesaga Hotel and had some very good fish and chips. This was the view from my seat on the patio:
Temps started out at 57.4(F) and reached 81. (According to Pip. I’m not sure whether to believe him, but he actually had a number instead of yesterday when he just said ‘it got hot’.) The whole day was overcast/hazy, for which we should be thankful, I guess, if it really did reach 81.
Mom Update:
Mom was feeling better today, which was a relief. A lot of stuff happened, so I expect this to get long. ( it did get long )
The Day in Spikedluv (Sunday, June 15)
Jun. 16th, 2025 08:37 amspikedluvI did a load of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I finished one book and started another. I talked with mom on the telephone and visited her, as well as sent messages to her.
I forgot to mention that Pip’s buddy dropped off more BBQ chicken quarters yesterday, lol! At least I didn’t have to worry about what he was going to have for supper.
ETA: I forgot to mention the sad news that the four killdeer eggs are missing completely. No sign that they hatched. Pip caught sight of a red fox eating the sunflower seed he puts out, so we think that's what got them. I can't believe that just a day or two after I decide to tell you all about them, they're toast. *sniffle*
Temps started out at 57.9(F) and reached 69.2. (Pip said it had gotten higher, but that’s the high I saw when I got home.) It was mostly hazy all day.
Mom Update:
I called mom in the morning (now that she’s in SCU she has a phone). ( cutting for those who don’t want to read )
I forgot to mention that Pip’s buddy dropped off more BBQ chicken quarters yesterday, lol! At least I didn’t have to worry about what he was going to have for supper.
ETA: I forgot to mention the sad news that the four killdeer eggs are missing completely. No sign that they hatched. Pip caught sight of a red fox eating the sunflower seed he puts out, so we think that's what got them. I can't believe that just a day or two after I decide to tell you all about them, they're toast. *sniffle*
Temps started out at 57.9(F) and reached 69.2. (Pip said it had gotten higher, but that’s the high I saw when I got home.) It was mostly hazy all day.
Mom Update:
I called mom in the morning (now that she’s in SCU she has a phone). ( cutting for those who don’t want to read )
The Day in Spikedluv (Saturday, June 14)
Jun. 15th, 2025 06:55 amspikedluvI hit Price Chopper, the Pharmacy and the Bakery while I was downtown. I stopped at the library on the way home to pick up a book. I made spaghetti sauce for supper when I got home. I did a load of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter.
For fun stuff I watched the current ep of Resident Alien and some HGTV programs, read some more Lily Adler, and sent more messages to mom. I also wrote ~550 words on a new fic.
Temps started out at 55.0(F) and reached 61.2. It was originally supposed to rain all day, but the forecast showed that the percentage was going to drop to very low after 9am, though we weren’t going to have any sun. And that’s sort of what happened; there were still sprinkles, but not a soaking rain. Still it was very chilly.
Mom Update:
Mom had been moved to the SCU when my sister, A, arrived this morning. She’s talkative and actually ‘eating’ her lunch (beef broth and Italian ice – still on liquid diet). My sister said she’s much more herself today, which is great news! She’s getting a roommate, which is not good news as we were hoping for a private room, but what can you do. They didn’t get her up to walk at all, so that must’ve been PT coming around yesterday, not just the nurse. It’s ridiculous that the patients get zero PT on the weekend. Seems like they'd lose some of the progress they made.
For fun stuff I watched the current ep of Resident Alien and some HGTV programs, read some more Lily Adler, and sent more messages to mom. I also wrote ~550 words on a new fic.
Temps started out at 55.0(F) and reached 61.2. It was originally supposed to rain all day, but the forecast showed that the percentage was going to drop to very low after 9am, though we weren’t going to have any sun. And that’s sort of what happened; there were still sprinkles, but not a soaking rain. Still it was very chilly.
Mom Update:
Mom had been moved to the SCU when my sister, A, arrived this morning. She’s talkative and actually ‘eating’ her lunch (beef broth and Italian ice – still on liquid diet). My sister said she’s much more herself today, which is great news! She’s getting a roommate, which is not good news as we were hoping for a private room, but what can you do. They didn’t get her up to walk at all, so that must’ve been PT coming around yesterday, not just the nurse. It’s ridiculous that the patients get zero PT on the weekend. Seems like they'd lose some of the progress they made.
The Day in Spikedluv (Friday, June 13)
Jun. 14th, 2025 07:24 amspikedluvVisited mom again at 11am. I didn’t go downtown, but did manage to get some chores and computer stuff done before I left the house.
I did a load of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I made it to the library to return and pick-up a book. I started a new book (the first Lily Adler one), watched the current ep of Murderbot, and sent mom another message. I hope she enjoys them when she’s home and sees them.
I picked up my car from the garage this morning when I dropped off Grant. I forgot to mention it in yesterday’s post, but just when I pulled out on the main road to head to the hospital it started acting up. (Thank goodness I leave early to make sure I can find parking. And thank goodness Pip has a used car he can lend me.) It bucked and sent the dreaded ‘reduced engine power’ message, along with the ‘service stabilitrak’ and ‘service traction control’ messages I’ve gotten before. This time Pip replaced the gas pedal, of all things. He said there are two sensors in the gas pedal and they weren’t lining up. It drove well today, so hopefully that’s the fix.
I also haven’t mentioned that a bird, a killdeer, built a nest in our driveway. At first we spotted the male dancing around trying to attract a female. Then the male chased Pip one day and we joked that he might have a nest nearby. Then we saw the female sitting in our driveway forever, and it turns out, they did have a nest in the driveway. Seems like a weird place to build a nest, especially with cats and dogs living here, but what do I know, nature is weird. I got photos of the female and the eggs when she was off the nest one time.
~*~ 
Additionally! On the drive to the hospital I pass a house that has a bunch of irises on their front lawn. Solid dark purple and solid pale yellow. They’re gorgeous and they look so pretty together.
Temps started out at 54.1(F) and reached 73.6. It was hazy most of the day. We’re supposed to have more rain tomorrow.
Mom Update:
Mom was much better today. ( not long, but cutting for those who don’t want to read it )
I did a load of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I made it to the library to return and pick-up a book. I started a new book (the first Lily Adler one), watched the current ep of Murderbot, and sent mom another message. I hope she enjoys them when she’s home and sees them.
I picked up my car from the garage this morning when I dropped off Grant. I forgot to mention it in yesterday’s post, but just when I pulled out on the main road to head to the hospital it started acting up. (Thank goodness I leave early to make sure I can find parking. And thank goodness Pip has a used car he can lend me.) It bucked and sent the dreaded ‘reduced engine power’ message, along with the ‘service stabilitrak’ and ‘service traction control’ messages I’ve gotten before. This time Pip replaced the gas pedal, of all things. He said there are two sensors in the gas pedal and they weren’t lining up. It drove well today, so hopefully that’s the fix.
I also haven’t mentioned that a bird, a killdeer, built a nest in our driveway. At first we spotted the male dancing around trying to attract a female. Then the male chased Pip one day and we joked that he might have a nest nearby. Then we saw the female sitting in our driveway forever, and it turns out, they did have a nest in the driveway. Seems like a weird place to build a nest, especially with cats and dogs living here, but what do I know, nature is weird. I got photos of the female and the eggs when she was off the nest one time.
Photos
~*~ Additionally! On the drive to the hospital I pass a house that has a bunch of irises on their front lawn. Solid dark purple and solid pale yellow. They’re gorgeous and they look so pretty together.
Temps started out at 54.1(F) and reached 73.6. It was hazy most of the day. We’re supposed to have more rain tomorrow.
Mom Update:
Mom was much better today. ( not long, but cutting for those who don’t want to read it )
The Day in Spikedluv (Thursday, June 12)
Jun. 13th, 2025 07:49 amspikedluvAgain, I had some time before I had to drive to the hospital, so I got some chores and computer stuff done.
I did a load of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I finished System Collapse, watched an HGTV program, and sent my mom some more messages.
Temps started out at 67.8(F) and reached 77.7. It was so nice out this morning, I got in a walk before I left to go visit mom.
Mom Update:
Mom was miserable today. ( more back here )
I did a load of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I finished System Collapse, watched an HGTV program, and sent my mom some more messages.
Temps started out at 67.8(F) and reached 77.7. It was so nice out this morning, I got in a walk before I left to go visit mom.
Mom Update:
Mom was miserable today. ( more back here )
The Day in Spikedluv (Wednesday, June 11)
Jun. 12th, 2025 07:30 amspikedluvI did not go to visit my mom. My sisters took it in turns today so I could get some stuff done. I’ll take my turn again tomorrow morning.
I had a chiropractic appointment this morning. I hit Walmart while I was downtown and got in a longer walk around the park. I also stopped in at the Feed Bag to pick up the suet Pip forgot (and to reserve two large metal garbage cans for Pip to pick up on Monday; he got one when he got birdseed this past Monday (the task fell to him since I was a tad busy) and decided he wanted more. They’re big enough that I can’t take them in my car. As it turns out, he doesn’t have any more in stock so will have to order them.)
I hit Stewart’s on the way home, returned a book to the library, stopped to check mom’s mail, visited my aunt (since I won’t be available to do so tomorrow; and complained to the social worker about how they do her hair – it’s such a minor thing, but it would be so easy to keep her hair in curls instead of straight and straggly by not using a hairbrush on the curls and I’d like her to look nice, at least, because she has so little dignity left, you know?), and stopped at Sunnycrest again to check on the beef stick status. If you guessed they ~still don’t have them, you’d be right. I’m going to be annoyed if I found something Pip likes and they won’t carry them anymore, or at least regularly.
I did a load of laundry, ran a load in the dishwasher and emptied it, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I baked chicken for the dogs’ meals and fed Pip leftover pulled pork (yes, from the big b-day do a couple weeks ago; mom put it in the freezer) for supper. I did get fresh strawberries at Sunnycrest, so I made biscuits. I had strawberry shortcake for my supper; Pip prefers his biscuits with peach jelly because that’s how his mom used to do it.
(He refuses to eat a biscuit with anything other than peach jelly. It’s very frustrating. You can imagine my shock the first time I made chicken and biscuits for supper and Pip only ate the chicken and gravy and completely refused the biscuit because I didn’t have any peach jelly. Basically a bowl of soup, lol! I had no idea anyone would eat biscuits with ONLY jelly. I mean, I eat my leftover biscuits with butter and jelly, but solely?!! I know now and prepare accordingly.)
The surgeon’s office called today to schedule the removal of the node they found during Pip’s endoscopies. August 11, the day after my birthday, so one heck of a b-day pressie. *g* [I told him when he got home from work and he was like, I'm not having that removed! And I'm like, why not? Apparently he thinks it's not necessary when two different doctors think it is. *shrug* He's going to talk to the doctor himself to get it sorted. He's such a pain in my butt about this sort of thing.]
I finally started System Collapse, watched an HGTV program, and sent mom some messages she'll see when she gets home, in lieu of our usual telephone conversation.
Temps started out at 55.0(F) and reached 82.8. There was a mix of sun and clouds and a breeze, thankfully.
Mom Update:
My sister kept us informed of events as they occurred:
( I did bullet points so it got long )
I had a chiropractic appointment this morning. I hit Walmart while I was downtown and got in a longer walk around the park. I also stopped in at the Feed Bag to pick up the suet Pip forgot (and to reserve two large metal garbage cans for Pip to pick up on Monday; he got one when he got birdseed this past Monday (the task fell to him since I was a tad busy) and decided he wanted more. They’re big enough that I can’t take them in my car. As it turns out, he doesn’t have any more in stock so will have to order them.)
I hit Stewart’s on the way home, returned a book to the library, stopped to check mom’s mail, visited my aunt (since I won’t be available to do so tomorrow; and complained to the social worker about how they do her hair – it’s such a minor thing, but it would be so easy to keep her hair in curls instead of straight and straggly by not using a hairbrush on the curls and I’d like her to look nice, at least, because she has so little dignity left, you know?), and stopped at Sunnycrest again to check on the beef stick status. If you guessed they ~still don’t have them, you’d be right. I’m going to be annoyed if I found something Pip likes and they won’t carry them anymore, or at least regularly.
I did a load of laundry, ran a load in the dishwasher and emptied it, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I baked chicken for the dogs’ meals and fed Pip leftover pulled pork (yes, from the big b-day do a couple weeks ago; mom put it in the freezer) for supper. I did get fresh strawberries at Sunnycrest, so I made biscuits. I had strawberry shortcake for my supper; Pip prefers his biscuits with peach jelly because that’s how his mom used to do it.
(He refuses to eat a biscuit with anything other than peach jelly. It’s very frustrating. You can imagine my shock the first time I made chicken and biscuits for supper and Pip only ate the chicken and gravy and completely refused the biscuit because I didn’t have any peach jelly. Basically a bowl of soup, lol! I had no idea anyone would eat biscuits with ONLY jelly. I mean, I eat my leftover biscuits with butter and jelly, but solely?!! I know now and prepare accordingly.)
The surgeon’s office called today to schedule the removal of the node they found during Pip’s endoscopies. August 11, the day after my birthday, so one heck of a b-day pressie. *g* [I told him when he got home from work and he was like, I'm not having that removed! And I'm like, why not? Apparently he thinks it's not necessary when two different doctors think it is. *shrug* He's going to talk to the doctor himself to get it sorted. He's such a pain in my butt about this sort of thing.]
I finally started System Collapse, watched an HGTV program, and sent mom some messages she'll see when she gets home, in lieu of our usual telephone conversation.
Temps started out at 55.0(F) and reached 82.8. There was a mix of sun and clouds and a breeze, thankfully.
Mom Update:
My sister kept us informed of events as they occurred:
( I did bullet points so it got long )
Wednesday Reading Meme & Books 40 - 42 of 2025
Jun. 11th, 2025 07:10 amspikedluvWhat I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: In a Dark House (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) by Deborah Crombie, All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells, and Seeing a Large Cat (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters.
What I am Currently Reading: After finishing the Amelia Peabody book on Monday I didn’t really feel like starting anything yesterday, but I plan on starting System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells today.
What I Plan to Read Next: I have more library books out, so most likely one of those!!
Book 40 of 2025: In a Dark House (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) (Deborah Crombie)
This book was really good!! ( spoilers )
I've already requested the next book in the series; I'm giving this one five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 41 of 2025: All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)
I did another re-read because I felt like I had already forgotten what happened and I wanted to compare it to the tv show. No additional comments, just making a note of it.
Book 42 of 2025: Seeing a Large Cat (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) (Elizabeth Peters)
This book was really good! ( spoilers )
I enjoyed this book a lot and must go request the next in the series. I'm giving this one five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
What I am Currently Reading: After finishing the Amelia Peabody book on Monday I didn’t really feel like starting anything yesterday, but I plan on starting System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells today.
What I Plan to Read Next: I have more library books out, so most likely one of those!!
Book 40 of 2025: In a Dark House (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) (Deborah Crombie)
This book was really good!! ( spoilers )
I've already requested the next book in the series; I'm giving this one five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 41 of 2025: All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)
I did another re-read because I felt like I had already forgotten what happened and I wanted to compare it to the tv show. No additional comments, just making a note of it.
Book 42 of 2025: Seeing a Large Cat (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) (Elizabeth Peters)
This book was really good! ( spoilers )
I enjoyed this book a lot and must go request the next in the series. I'm giving this one five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
The Day in Spikedluv (Tuesday, June 10)
Jun. 11th, 2025 06:59 amspikedluvI planned to visit mom, but since she’s in the ICU and visiting hours don’t start until 11am I had some time to kill. I did not go downtown, but stayed home to do some chores and stuff on the computer.
I did two loads of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter.
I typed in edits, coded and posted the![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
smallfandomfest fic I’ve been working on!! It’s Murder, She Wrote crossed over with V (1983). To make it work, I gave Jessica another niece, lol! I read some fanfic and watched some HGTV programs. It still feels really weird to not call mom in the evening to talk about our respective days.
I saw my brother (and his GF) and my sister S (the nurse) while visiting mom. There can only be two at a time in the ICU so we took turns.
I fell again. *head desk* This time inside the house (slipped on a puddle of wet on the floor), but I landed on that same knee I keep falling on and bent that same big toe. It hurt and I swore a lot. And I realized it’s almost the one year anniversary of my first fall when I scraped my knee so badly, pulled every muscle, and cracked my big toe.
Temps started out at 61.0(F) and reached 82.6. It rained all morning, but the sun came out in the afternoon. I got in a short walk with Pip and the dogs when he (they *g*) got home from work. Within a half hour of that the clouds moved in and the temps dropped 12 degrees before it started raining again for a bit.
Mom Update:
Mom was doing pretty well when I saw her. She was so out of it, thanks to the drugs. Her voice was very raspy (because of the tube, which they removed before I got there) (if I wasn’t facing her while she was speaking, I never would have known it was her) and she slurred a bit due to the drugs. Sometimes she forgot what she was saying. She talked about Matlock a lot. *g*
They gave her an epidural for the pain and her nurse (she seemed awesome) said that they were going to keep the epidural in for a few days, and that while it was in she’d remain in the ICU. I’m happy about both; no pain, and great care.
The bad news came later in the evening when my sister S passed on (in the Family Group chat) that the surgeon thinks that my mom may have originally had pancreatic cancer that jumped to the bile duct. She won’t know for certain until the labs come back. I do not fucking want it to be pancreatic cancer. As you may have guessed, I had a knot in my stomach the rest of the evening and didn’t sleep super well, even though I doubled my melatonin to make sure I would fall asleep.
All positive thoughts welcomed.
I did two loads of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter.
I typed in edits, coded and posted the
smallfandomfest fic I’ve been working on!! It’s Murder, She Wrote crossed over with V (1983). To make it work, I gave Jessica another niece, lol! I read some fanfic and watched some HGTV programs. It still feels really weird to not call mom in the evening to talk about our respective days.I saw my brother (and his GF) and my sister S (the nurse) while visiting mom. There can only be two at a time in the ICU so we took turns.
I fell again. *head desk* This time inside the house (slipped on a puddle of wet on the floor), but I landed on that same knee I keep falling on and bent that same big toe. It hurt and I swore a lot. And I realized it’s almost the one year anniversary of my first fall when I scraped my knee so badly, pulled every muscle, and cracked my big toe.
Temps started out at 61.0(F) and reached 82.6. It rained all morning, but the sun came out in the afternoon. I got in a short walk with Pip and the dogs when he (they *g*) got home from work. Within a half hour of that the clouds moved in and the temps dropped 12 degrees before it started raining again for a bit.
Mom Update:
Mom was doing pretty well when I saw her. She was so out of it, thanks to the drugs. Her voice was very raspy (because of the tube, which they removed before I got there) (if I wasn’t facing her while she was speaking, I never would have known it was her) and she slurred a bit due to the drugs. Sometimes she forgot what she was saying. She talked about Matlock a lot. *g*
They gave her an epidural for the pain and her nurse (she seemed awesome) said that they were going to keep the epidural in for a few days, and that while it was in she’d remain in the ICU. I’m happy about both; no pain, and great care.
The bad news came later in the evening when my sister S passed on (in the Family Group chat) that the surgeon thinks that my mom may have originally had pancreatic cancer that jumped to the bile duct. She won’t know for certain until the labs come back. I do not fucking want it to be pancreatic cancer. As you may have guessed, I had a knot in my stomach the rest of the evening and didn’t sleep super well, even though I doubled my melatonin to make sure I would fall asleep.
All positive thoughts welcomed.
Fic: Murder, She Wrote/V (1983): One Good Hoax Deserves Another (Jessica & Julie; PG13)
Jun. 10th, 2025 09:26 amspikedluvAnother Jessica crossover! I hope you enjoy it.
Title: One Good Hoax Deserves Another
Author: Spikedluv
Fandom: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/V (1983) (tv)
Rating: PG13/Gen
Pairing/Characters: Jessica Fletcher & Juliet Parrish (appearances by Mike Donovan and Elias Taylor)
Length: 3,380 words
Spoilers: Takes place during ep 1.04 Hooray for Homicide of Murder, She Wrote and during the first V (1983) mini-series.
Summary: Jessica Fletcher’s trip to Los Angeles turns out very differently than she’d expected.
Author’s Notes: Written for Round 37 ofsmallfandomfest for the prompt: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/V (1983), Jessica & Writer's Choice, Jessica happens to be in LA when the truth about the Visitors is revealed
Feedback: Would be greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.
Posted: June 10, 2025
Read Fic @ AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66375037
Title: One Good Hoax Deserves Another
Author: Spikedluv
Fandom: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/V (1983) (tv)
Rating: PG13/Gen
Pairing/Characters: Jessica Fletcher & Juliet Parrish (appearances by Mike Donovan and Elias Taylor)
Length: 3,380 words
Spoilers: Takes place during ep 1.04 Hooray for Homicide of Murder, She Wrote and during the first V (1983) mini-series.
Summary: Jessica Fletcher’s trip to Los Angeles turns out very differently than she’d expected.
Author’s Notes: Written for Round 37 of
smallfandomfest for the prompt: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/V (1983), Jessica & Writer's Choice, Jessica happens to be in LA when the truth about the Visitors is revealedFeedback: Would be greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.
Posted: June 10, 2025
Read Fic @ AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66375037
The Day in Spikedluv (Monday, June 9)
Jun. 10th, 2025 07:17 amspikedluvI spent most of the day at the hospital, which I talk about below if you want to skip it. I did some hand-washing of dishes and scooping of kitty litter when I got home. I finished the Amelia Peabody book while sitting in the waiting room. It felt weird when I was finally sitting on my bed, NOT to make my daily call to mom.
Temps started out at 59.2(F) and reached 75. It was weird coming out of the window-less waiting room (for trips to the cafeteria or restroom) to see that it was still light out.
Mom Update:
Thank you so much for all of your good wishes for mom's surgery yesterday! I really appreciate it.
( cutting for those who don’t want to read )
Temps started out at 59.2(F) and reached 75. It was weird coming out of the window-less waiting room (for trips to the cafeteria or restroom) to see that it was still light out.
Mom Update:
Thank you so much for all of your good wishes for mom's surgery yesterday! I really appreciate it.
( cutting for those who don’t want to read )
The Day in Spikedluv (Sunday, June 8)
Jun. 9th, 2025 07:07 amspikedluvI did a load of laundry, ran a load in the dishwasher and then emptied it (!!), did the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I baked chicken for the dogs’ meals and made brownies. I mowed the lawn.
For fun stuff I watched the current ep (season finale *sniffle*) of Leverage: Redemption and an HGTV program, read more in Amelia Peabody, and talked with mom on the phone.
The water in the pond has gone down to normal levels, thankfully. Pip used the shop vac in the basement, but stirring up that water made the entire house stink. Not sure what else we’ll need to do.
Temps started out at 55.0(F) and reached 78.4. It was nice and sunny all day, with a slight breeze. Tomorrow: more rain. Ugh!
For fun stuff I watched the current ep (season finale *sniffle*) of Leverage: Redemption and an HGTV program, read more in Amelia Peabody, and talked with mom on the phone.
The water in the pond has gone down to normal levels, thankfully. Pip used the shop vac in the basement, but stirring up that water made the entire house stink. Not sure what else we’ll need to do.
Temps started out at 55.0(F) and reached 78.4. It was nice and sunny all day, with a slight breeze. Tomorrow: more rain. Ugh!
The Day in Spikedluv (Saturday, June 7)
Jun. 8th, 2025 07:41 amspikedluvToday was supposed to be parade/chicken dinner day at mom’s. Unfortunately, we had a huge amount of rain that caused ditches and creeks to overflow their banks. The parade was canceled because of flooding but the chicken bbq was still on so my siblings and I gathered at mom’s for chicken dinners. My brother came, when he doesn’t normally come for the parade and other festivities, because he wanted to see my mom before her surgery. We sat on the screened-in porch and listened to it rain outside, which was surprisingly nice when we weren’t getting wet.
I managed to do three loads of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I also watched the current ep of Resident Alien and an HGTV program, read some more Amelia Peabody, and still talked to mom on the phone. I also got extra sleep because I slept in until 8am for the first time in ages! (Going back to bed after getting the dogs back inside, of course.)
In bad personal news, we even had flooding at our home, which is unheard of because we’re not near any creeks. What happened, in two instances, was a matter of blocked drainage. The drain outside the basement got plugged, so our basement flooded for the first time ever. (Back when Hurricane Irene gave us about 13" of rain, a tiny bit of water entered the basement through a crack in the floor, but nothing before or since, until now.)
The other was the pond. Pip puts a mesh wire over the spill pipe in the spring so the baby geese don’t get sucked down it, and that mesh got blocked, so the pond built up until it spilled over the banks. A lot of fish were caught in the spill, unfortunately. And that’s in addition to the normal build-up of water we get in a line across the property (where the slight down hill from the house meets the down hill from the hill where the pine trees are). There was so much water.
Pip has been squeegeeing the basement, but a squeegee can only do so much. He’s going to have to jack hammer an actual hole into the basement floor for a sub pump and squeegee the water into it. What a pain in the ass. (Thankfully Pip had a change of plans! He’s going to try to vacuum the water out with a shop vac ~before he goes to the effort of jack hammering a hole in the floor!) He also had to go in the pond several times to unclog the mesh so the water could flow out the way it was supposed to. (In addition to the rain, the pond fills with run-off from the hill above it, and there was a LOT of run-off.)
Temps started out at 63.0(F) and reached 76.4. Thankfully the rain ended mid-afternoon and the sun came out.
I managed to do three loads of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I also watched the current ep of Resident Alien and an HGTV program, read some more Amelia Peabody, and still talked to mom on the phone. I also got extra sleep because I slept in until 8am for the first time in ages! (Going back to bed after getting the dogs back inside, of course.)
In bad personal news, we even had flooding at our home, which is unheard of because we’re not near any creeks. What happened, in two instances, was a matter of blocked drainage. The drain outside the basement got plugged, so our basement flooded for the first time ever. (Back when Hurricane Irene gave us about 13" of rain, a tiny bit of water entered the basement through a crack in the floor, but nothing before or since, until now.)
The other was the pond. Pip puts a mesh wire over the spill pipe in the spring so the baby geese don’t get sucked down it, and that mesh got blocked, so the pond built up until it spilled over the banks. A lot of fish were caught in the spill, unfortunately. And that’s in addition to the normal build-up of water we get in a line across the property (where the slight down hill from the house meets the down hill from the hill where the pine trees are). There was so much water.
Pip has been squeegeeing the basement, but a squeegee can only do so much. He’s going to have to jack hammer an actual hole into the basement floor for a sub pump and squeegee the water into it. What a pain in the ass. (Thankfully Pip had a change of plans! He’s going to try to vacuum the water out with a shop vac ~before he goes to the effort of jack hammering a hole in the floor!) He also had to go in the pond several times to unclog the mesh so the water could flow out the way it was supposed to. (In addition to the rain, the pond fills with run-off from the hill above it, and there was a LOT of run-off.)
Temps started out at 63.0(F) and reached 76.4. Thankfully the rain ended mid-afternoon and the sun came out.
The Day in Spikedluv (Friday, June 6)
Jun. 7th, 2025 09:08 amspikedluvI hit Walmart, Price Chopper and the Bakery while I was downtown and got in a short walk around the park. I hit Stewart’s (for gas and milk) on the way to pick up the dogs, and hit the bank drive-thru on the way back home (because the dogs get treats). Most of my shopping was to stock up on some items in case I couldn’t go shopping next week. It was a small step in reducing my stress.
I did two loads of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and changed kitty litter.
I added ~1,400 words to mysmallfandomfest fic!! It’s a comfortable place to end it, I think, so just need to give it a re-read/edit. I started the next Amelia Peabody book, watched the current ep of Murderbot, and attended Baby A’s dance recital.
(Their 'number' was adorable! It was basically their teacher helping them form a bridge with their body, then laying down and rolling along the mats, then helping them 'stand' on their hands before lying them down to do somersaults to the end of the mat. They performed to Circle of Life from Lion King. (The theme was broadway.)
Mom and I left during intermission (we'd seen about a dozen performances and there were about that many left), but my niece Ireland remembered me mentioning that I'd have to miss them do 'Dancing Queen' so she recorded it and sent it to me, which I thought was nice.)
I browned ground beef and boiled pasta to make ziti for tonight’s supper.
Temps started out at 65.1(F) and reached 73.4. We were supposed to have patches of rain and thunderstorms all day, but we only got some rain in the afternoon (no thunder or lightning, thankfully, because the dogs hate it).
I did two loads of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and changed kitty litter.
I added ~1,400 words to my
smallfandomfest fic!! It’s a comfortable place to end it, I think, so just need to give it a re-read/edit. I started the next Amelia Peabody book, watched the current ep of Murderbot, and attended Baby A’s dance recital.(Their 'number' was adorable! It was basically their teacher helping them form a bridge with their body, then laying down and rolling along the mats, then helping them 'stand' on their hands before lying them down to do somersaults to the end of the mat. They performed to Circle of Life from Lion King. (The theme was broadway.)
Mom and I left during intermission (we'd seen about a dozen performances and there were about that many left), but my niece Ireland remembered me mentioning that I'd have to miss them do 'Dancing Queen' so she recorded it and sent it to me, which I thought was nice.)
I browned ground beef and boiled pasta to make ziti for tonight’s supper.
Temps started out at 65.1(F) and reached 73.4. We were supposed to have patches of rain and thunderstorms all day, but we only got some rain in the afternoon (no thunder or lightning, thankfully, because the dogs hate it).
The Day in Spikedluv (Thursday, June 5)
Jun. 6th, 2025 06:59 amspikedluvI hit Agway while I was downtown (to pick up a GC for Pip’s dad for Father’s Day – I wanted to make sure I had it on hand because I don’t know what the next week is going to be like; for the same reason I picked up more dog treats so I’d have them on hand and wouldn’t need to make another trip anytime soon) and got in a short walk around the park.
I stopped by the library to return and pick-up books on the way to visit my aunt and deliver some checks to the nursing home (one for her personal savings account so she can continue to get things like pizza, massage (on her feet and lower legs because of the swelling), and hair appointments).
I stopped at Tractor Supply after visiting my aunt (Pip called; his usual supplier of corn for the geese and every other animal who eats it, let him down again), then stopped to see if the beef sticks had been restocked as I had been told they would be. Shocker, they hadn’t been. (TBF, they got more of the singly packaged sticks, but I want a bag of them. The person I talked to this time said they’d put it on the order. So I’ll check back next week.)
I did a load of laundry and the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, emptied the dishwasher, scooped kitty litter, and calculated & e-filed the quarterly sales and tire tax for the garage. (I wanted to have that done before everything happened with mom.)
I went on two short walks in the afternoon. Instead of doing the ‘crazy 8' I did a short-ish walk that I usually don’t do by myself. I’d seen flowers growing on the side of the road and was like, we have those! So I did the walk where I could see those flowers. Then I did another shortie when Pip got home and took the dogs for a walk to make up for not doing the longer walk earlier.
I got some more writing done!!!!! I added 1,100 words to mysmallfandomfest fic. I also re-read All Systems Red because I’ve already forgotten some of the details and I wanted a refresher before I watched more of the show. I watched a couple HGTV programs and talked with mom.
I grilled Italian sausage for Pip’s supper; I had more French toast. What can I say? It hit the spot.
Temps started out at 70.7(F) and reached 88.2. There were some periods of straight sun, but also a lot of haziness, which helped keep the temps below 90, at least. The temps didn't get as high as yesterday, but there was more humidity. We were originally supposed to have thunderstorms today, but they’ve been moved back to tomorrow.
I stopped by the library to return and pick-up books on the way to visit my aunt and deliver some checks to the nursing home (one for her personal savings account so she can continue to get things like pizza, massage (on her feet and lower legs because of the swelling), and hair appointments).
I stopped at Tractor Supply after visiting my aunt (Pip called; his usual supplier of corn for the geese and every other animal who eats it, let him down again), then stopped to see if the beef sticks had been restocked as I had been told they would be. Shocker, they hadn’t been. (TBF, they got more of the singly packaged sticks, but I want a bag of them. The person I talked to this time said they’d put it on the order. So I’ll check back next week.)
I did a load of laundry and the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, emptied the dishwasher, scooped kitty litter, and calculated & e-filed the quarterly sales and tire tax for the garage. (I wanted to have that done before everything happened with mom.)
I went on two short walks in the afternoon. Instead of doing the ‘crazy 8' I did a short-ish walk that I usually don’t do by myself. I’d seen flowers growing on the side of the road and was like, we have those! So I did the walk where I could see those flowers. Then I did another shortie when Pip got home and took the dogs for a walk to make up for not doing the longer walk earlier.
I got some more writing done!!!!! I added 1,100 words to my
smallfandomfest fic. I also re-read All Systems Red because I’ve already forgotten some of the details and I wanted a refresher before I watched more of the show. I watched a couple HGTV programs and talked with mom.I grilled Italian sausage for Pip’s supper; I had more French toast. What can I say? It hit the spot.
Temps started out at 70.7(F) and reached 88.2. There were some periods of straight sun, but also a lot of haziness, which helped keep the temps below 90, at least. The temps didn't get as high as yesterday, but there was more humidity. We were originally supposed to have thunderstorms today, but they’ve been moved back to tomorrow.
The Day in Spikedluv (Wednesday, June 4)
Jun. 5th, 2025 06:27 amspikedluvThis one got long. Sorry about that. o_O
I had a chiropractic appointment and a pedicure this morning. I was relieved about the chiropractic appointment because my back started bothering me this morning in the shoulder blade area, to the point where I got up early because I couldn’t get comfortable and back to sleep. The pedicure was lovely and I chose a salmon-y color for my toenails.
I hit Price Chopper while I was downtown and Stewart’s (for milk) on the way to pick up the dogs. I got in a short walk around the park and did another ‘crazy 8' walk with the puppers (.50mi). (It’s a combination of two other trails that resembles a figure 8, hence the name. It’s my favorite and takes me around the pond and through the orchard.) I realized this morning that the next few weeks will be less than ideal for walking, since I’ll be going to the hospital the first week, then spending time with mom (split with my other two sisters), as she can’t be left alone for long because she’ll need help getting around and with the tubes.
(We’ve been told she’ll need care for three weeks, but we’ll see how that plays out in actuality. My one sister has already offered to take night duty and will be spending the nights with mom, so my other sister and I will just need to figure out the days. It helps that we won’t need to spend every minute of the day with her, so there’s some leeway for one leaving before the other arrives to take over.)
(Those who know me well know that I’m already dreading this, despite loving my mom very much. Not only the disruption to my usual schedule for an entire month, but also having to spend more time than I like ‘people’ing’. *bites nails*)
Speaking of my mom’s surgery, I have just found out from the surgeon (via my sister, the nurse) that the operating room has been reserved for ten hours. Ten frelling hours! For some reason, that makes me more nervous about the surgery.
In other unhappy-making news, I have sores in my mouth. The tongue sores from being burned by the pineapple went away and I had one glorious day without sores, and then, whammo!, more sores. I have a sore on the top of my tongue, inside cheek, roof of mouth, and at least two canker sores on the gum on the bottom front. I don’t know if it’s related to the pineapple, or if it’s from repressed stress, but I’m salt-water-rinsing like a fiend.
(I had a ball of anxiety in the pit of my stomach last night that kept me awake for a while, so another vote for general anxiety over everything that’s coming down the pike in the next few weeks.)
I did a load of laundry (more dog sheets), ran a load in the dishwasher and did the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, paid a bill online, placed an order online, wrote out checks for my aunt, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals, and scooped kitty litter.
I finished the Duncan Kincaid book, watched an HGTV program, and talked with mom.
I grilled steak for Pip’s supper and made French toast for myself before Pip got home (he likes French toast, but we haven’t found a good GF bread to make it with and I didn’t want him feeling left out, even though he was getting steak).
Temps started out at 62.6(F) (quite a difference from yesterday morning!) and reached 93.7. (I feel the need to remind everyone (myself) that this is the temp in the shade. It’s probably ten degrees warmer in the sun. *melts*) Pip put the AC in the bedroom last night.
I had a chiropractic appointment and a pedicure this morning. I was relieved about the chiropractic appointment because my back started bothering me this morning in the shoulder blade area, to the point where I got up early because I couldn’t get comfortable and back to sleep. The pedicure was lovely and I chose a salmon-y color for my toenails.
I hit Price Chopper while I was downtown and Stewart’s (for milk) on the way to pick up the dogs. I got in a short walk around the park and did another ‘crazy 8' walk with the puppers (.50mi). (It’s a combination of two other trails that resembles a figure 8, hence the name. It’s my favorite and takes me around the pond and through the orchard.) I realized this morning that the next few weeks will be less than ideal for walking, since I’ll be going to the hospital the first week, then spending time with mom (split with my other two sisters), as she can’t be left alone for long because she’ll need help getting around and with the tubes.
(We’ve been told she’ll need care for three weeks, but we’ll see how that plays out in actuality. My one sister has already offered to take night duty and will be spending the nights with mom, so my other sister and I will just need to figure out the days. It helps that we won’t need to spend every minute of the day with her, so there’s some leeway for one leaving before the other arrives to take over.)
(Those who know me well know that I’m already dreading this, despite loving my mom very much. Not only the disruption to my usual schedule for an entire month, but also having to spend more time than I like ‘people’ing’. *bites nails*)
Speaking of my mom’s surgery, I have just found out from the surgeon (via my sister, the nurse) that the operating room has been reserved for ten hours. Ten frelling hours! For some reason, that makes me more nervous about the surgery.
In other unhappy-making news, I have sores in my mouth. The tongue sores from being burned by the pineapple went away and I had one glorious day without sores, and then, whammo!, more sores. I have a sore on the top of my tongue, inside cheek, roof of mouth, and at least two canker sores on the gum on the bottom front. I don’t know if it’s related to the pineapple, or if it’s from repressed stress, but I’m salt-water-rinsing like a fiend.
(I had a ball of anxiety in the pit of my stomach last night that kept me awake for a while, so another vote for general anxiety over everything that’s coming down the pike in the next few weeks.)
I did a load of laundry (more dog sheets), ran a load in the dishwasher and did the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, paid a bill online, placed an order online, wrote out checks for my aunt, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals, and scooped kitty litter.
I finished the Duncan Kincaid book, watched an HGTV program, and talked with mom.
I grilled steak for Pip’s supper and made French toast for myself before Pip got home (he likes French toast, but we haven’t found a good GF bread to make it with and I didn’t want him feeling left out, even though he was getting steak).
Temps started out at 62.6(F) (quite a difference from yesterday morning!) and reached 93.7. (I feel the need to remind everyone (myself) that this is the temp in the shade. It’s probably ten degrees warmer in the sun. *melts*) Pip put the AC in the bedroom last night.
Wednesday Reading Meme & Books 37-39 of 2025
Jun. 4th, 2025 07:27 amspikedluvWhat I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells, Out of the Deep I Cry (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) by Julia Spencer-Fleming and Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells.
What I am Currently Reading: In a Dark House (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) by Deborah Crombie.
What I Plan to Read Next: I have three more library books out, and four more on request, so definitely one of those!!
Book 37 of 2025: Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)
So good! ( spoilers )
So good! I'm trying not to read these all at once, but I'm already getting the final two books from the library, so it's going to be hard to hold back. I'm giving this book five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 38 of 2025: Out of the Deep I Cry (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) (Julia Spencer-Fleming)
I really enjoyed this book!!! ( spoilers )
Really good book. I've requested the next and am giving this one five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 39 of 2025: Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)
So good! ( spoilers )
This book was really good. I'm giving it five hearts, natch.
♥♥♥♥♥
What I am Currently Reading: In a Dark House (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) by Deborah Crombie.
What I Plan to Read Next: I have three more library books out, and four more on request, so definitely one of those!!
Book 37 of 2025: Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)
So good! ( spoilers )
So good! I'm trying not to read these all at once, but I'm already getting the final two books from the library, so it's going to be hard to hold back. I'm giving this book five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 38 of 2025: Out of the Deep I Cry (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) (Julia Spencer-Fleming)
I really enjoyed this book!!! ( spoilers )
Really good book. I've requested the next and am giving this one five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 39 of 2025: Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)
So good! ( spoilers )
This book was really good. I'm giving it five hearts, natch.
♥♥♥♥♥