I'm not A bitch, I'm THE bitch--and that's MS. Bitch to you!

Well, well, well

adelheide — Sat, 13 Sep 2025 02:08:05 GMT

Turns out, the guy arrested for Charlie Kirk's assassination wasn't black. He wasn't an immigrant. He wasn't trans or gay. And he sure wasn't a "Leftist".

Turns out he was a straight, white MAGA dude. Huh. It's almost like the MAGAsphere breeds hateful, dangerous assholes. And you can bet the Right is turning themselves into knots, trying to say, "He's not one of us! He's not one our ours!"
Sorry, Sparky, but he is. Just like the people who tried to assassinate Trump were. Just like the majority of politically-motivated acts of violence have been. No more screaming about "Reichstag fire" now. When a few try to argue, they twist into logic pretzels, make laughing stocks of themselves. Most have shut up and slunk back under their rocks. I'm still waiting to hear from Nancy Mace, who was sure yesterday that the gun man was a "leftist trannie". What you think today, Nance? Ready to withdraw your knee-jerk accusation? Yeah. I didn't think so.

And MAGA leaders are still trying to make this fit their narrative. They are so desperate to other Democrats and people on the Left, they are falling back onto their old saw, "Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. Only we have the truth."

And MAGA falls for it every time. They are so deep in their delusion, they can't see it. MAGA has become their whole personality. Some are coming around. Those folks need to reach into the hole and pull their brethren out. Hopefully, that will happen.

I'm so tired of the crazy.

God damn it

adelheide — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:01:29 GMT

Charlie Kirk was assassinated. I have thoughts.

The Reich Wing is losing their minds, screaming about "This is our Reichstag Fire! We need to label the Left as a terrorist organization and arrest them all!"

#1, we don't know anything about the assassin. May I remind you that the other two people arrested for trying to assassinate Trump were from the Right?

#2, are you the Nazis in the above example?

#3, funny, I don't recall the Left calling for the arrest of all on the Right after the Minnesota assassinations or any other acts recently committed by Right Wing terrorists.

Am I sad that Charlie Kirk is dead? No. He spewed hateful, vicious rhetoric. Am I glad he was assassinated? Also no. No one deserves to be killed for their political beliefs. Even though people on the Right seem to have a problem with that notion. I have the same feeling about his death as I do about Brian Thompson. While my heart aches for their families, I'm afraid their deaths in particular require compassion that it outside my network.

I hope they find whoever did this and prosecute them. Kirk's family didn't deserve this. It's a terrible situation. But until people stop screaming and start using their brains, this is going to happen again. And again. And again.

There are just so many of them

adelheide — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:07:09 GMT

Morons on the internet are a dime a dozen. But every once in a while, Teh Crazy surprises even me.

CBL = Crazy Bible Lady
Me = me

On the topic of Trump looking weak and scared, CBL wanted to chime in.

CBL: He's showing his grace to our good Lord because he knows it is in him that we are the greatest country on Earth because of him were able to do these deeds without massive casualties and. he's heroic he's stoic he's everything that you will never be. God bless Donald Trump, and Glory goes to the most high because it's with him that we are standing tried and true and for the ones that just don't get it with the ignorance and their voice God bless you as well.. *prayer hands*

Me: CBL, you cannot follow Trump and Jesus at the same time. Trump is the antithesis of everything Jesus taught. By following Trump, you are spitting on Christ's sacrifice for you. You don't worship God. You worship Trump and yourself. You want to convince yourself that it's okay but my understanding is the God takes a very dim view of people who ignore His Son for their own selfish interests. When you pray, it's not going to heaven. It's going to a much darker place where you new master lives.

CBL: dear heavenly father I pray for your guidance and love be bestowed upon Carrie so she can speak your truth and not try to put her name ignorance on others and God's name amen.

CBL: may God's warmth and love always be with you and I really truly believe you maybe twisted my words. I went back and read what I wrote and I could see how it could be twisted very easily but God bless you... Glory always goes to the… See more

Me: CBL, sweetheart, as I mentioned, your prayers don't go to God. Your worship Trump, not God. You've let Satan into your heart. You've turned your face from God. It would appear that I understand Christianity better than you do. Donald Trump is not stoic. He has the emotional stability of a toddler. And he is an evil man who has done so many evil deeds. The fact that he hates all the same people you do is not going to help you in the afterlife. Hell is stuffed full of people who claimed to be a Christian but weren't.

Then it starts to get weird and fun.

CBL:I would be careful of what you speak on to the Lord's anointed The chosen I am a Divine being it's not going to go well for you. And there's nothing I can do to help at this point

We’ve gone from “I love the sinner but hate the sin” to threats. *snork *

Me: CBL, oh, gosh, sorry. I didn't recognize your anointed divine awesomeness. With this summer weather, you are probably overheated. You might need to lay down for a bit. I can get you a glass of water.

Lizard 911!

adelheide — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 22:43:18 GMT

Last night, after I logged out, Oscar hopped into my lap. He had been bashing his skull against me (his version of bunting) and he was eager for lap. But we hadn’t been sitting for 15 minutes when he suddenly became alert. I looked where he was looking. Something was moving.

Now, we have these bugs. They look like mutant cockroaches. They are about 1-1.5 inches long. They are very flat and have huge wings. They are gross. Every once in a while, one crawls into my overhead kitchen light to die. *shudder*

Oscar went over to investigate. I grabbed my glasses and followed him. Turns out, it was a tiny lizard. I’m pretty sure it was a zebra tail lizard. Just a little guy. About 5 inches long. Slender and pale. He was missing his tail because I think he’s been in the apartment for a day or two and one of the kitties tried to grab him.

Oscar kept wanting to sniff and paw. I was going to grab the little lizard with my hand but I was afraid I would squish him. So, I went to the kitchen. I grabbed a glass and a piece of folded paper. When I went back to living room, Oscar was sniffing and the lizard was frozen in place. I shooed Oscar away and put the glass down over the lizard. He didn’t move. I gently slid the paper under the glass, giving him a chance to step onto it carefully. Then I took my new friend outside.

I set my capture contraption down and lifted the glass. The poor little lizard was so scared and not moving. “Go on, little buddy,” I said softly. The lizard scrambled to about a foot away and looked back at me. “Go on. You’re okay.” The lizard scrambled into the plants.

I have no idea how this guy got into my apartment. I still don’t know how those damn mutant cockroaches manage to get into my ceiling light. Flies, yes. I get those regularly. Then I have a fly dive bombing me for a day or two until the damn thing eventually dies. I don’t get too many mosquitoes inside (mostly because I’m not opening my door at dusk). But, I hope my new friend grows his tail back And that he has a good life.

That's weird

adelheide — Sat, 05 Apr 2025 22:05:04 GMT

Some thing I notice as I age. Last week was the reverse puberty spasm. My appetite is back to “normal”, which means I don’t eat much at a time. I’m not hungry most of the time again. Which, I’m not overly concerned about. I’ve mostly been drinking lots of water and tea.

My eyes have become more sensitive. I don’t see better. But bright light really makes me wince now. Like outside light. Like the sun. The sun is extraordinarily bright and hurts my eyes. Which is why I have wrap-around sunglasses because the bright light really hurts my eyes.

Yes, I have considered that I may be turning into a vampire.

I also notice that I have to be careful with task lighting. Being on the computer all day, the only light going to my eyes cannot be just from the computer. I have 3 overhead lights around me on while I work. I also have the screens on both my work and home computers set to very low contrast. With my TV, when I am watching regular TV, my set does this thing where it reads the ambient light and adjusts the brightness of the screen accordingly. This is a very nice feature.

I don’t have that feature when I switch over to use the DVR or internet programming. The screen is always very bright. When all-white screens come on, it’s actually painful. So, when I’m using those features on my TV, I watch with my sunglasses on. It makes a huge difference. I don’t have aching eyeballs or brain anymore.

Same with my hearing. I mean, I’ve always had good hearing. Despite my abuse of my poor ears in my youth. Loud music, concerts, and parties. But I still can hear quite well. But my hearing is sensitive now. I find high-pitched noises very uncomfortable. As well as loud volume. I keep the volume on my TV or radio at home pretty low because loud volume can give me a headache. I like a piano as much as anymore but if the piece is very what I call “plinky”, I have to turn the volume way down.

I struggle with my headset at work. One call has perfect volume. The next call rings in so loud I nearly jump out of my seat. I’m constantly adjusting the volume on my work headset.

It’s weird. I always thought you lose certain senses when you age. Eyesight fades, hearing gets worse, etc. I’m not having those issues. My senses are just changing a lot. I also have misfiring nerves in my now-sensitive skin. Nothing dramatic. I’ll be loading the dishwasher or doing something else and it will suddenly feel like a bug bit me. Just a little, quick peck. There’s never a bug or a bite. Just nerves being sensitive. I try to keep lotioned up but my skin will let me know when I need to slather. I start getting mildly itchy all over. I’m very sensitive to anything in my shoe. The world stops until my shoe is clear.

It’s all very odd. It wasn’t something I expected. It’s not good or bad. Just...odd.

Rain drops on roses...

adelheide — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 00:33:32 GMT

Ahhhhh! It rained!

It’s been an all-day thing, too. Which in the desert is rare. Yesterday was VERY blustery. Holy cow, I took the trash out and almost had the bag blow back in my face when I heaved it into the dumpster. And because I went outside with all the blustery, I came inside and immediately, my nose was dripping and I sneezed repeatedly. I have some nasal allergy spray, which helped. But holy Furiosa!

Today, I woke up to to the sound of rain. It sprinkled steadily all day. Not hard but steady. Of course, the desert rats were panicking, sure this was a sign of the Apocalypse (they can not drive in rain damn it). I had to run out (more coffee). But mostly, I just stayed in. And I had to work so there was that.

People who live in places where is rains normally understand that there are different degrees of rain. There is what I can “spitting”, which is just random drops. Then there’s “drizzle”, which is wet mist and tiny rain. Then there’s “sprinkles” which is a bit stronger. “Light rain” is regular drops just not that fast until it becomes normal “rain”. Serious, “heavy rain” is due to some kind of storm. When there is big wind involved, it can be a “squall”.

“Hurricanes” are just the heavens dumping cosmic-sized buckets of water into a giant vortex. Then the “monsoon”, which can send so much rain so fast it’s like looking at a silvery white sheet. You can’t see through it. If you’re in your car, you are lucky to see the paint of your car. If you’re out in it...well, you can’t be out in it. It’s like standing under a firehose. These last two are Act-of-God territory. But to desert rats, EVERY kind of rain is Act-of-God.

But, oh! To go outside and just stand there, listening to pitter-patter. The air is fresh and feels soft. All those negative ions don’t hurt, either. It was lovely. It seems to have pettered off, which is sad. I wanted to be around more rain.

Dream oops

adelheide — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 05:48:40 GMT

I was just thinking the other day that it’s been a long time since I remembered my dreams. I used to remember at least one per night, but my brain doesn’t work that well anymore. Last night, I remembered a dream. I think it was because I was waking up because when you are in REM sleep, your brain paralyzes your body so you don’t act out your dreams and hurt yourself. Like I did last night.

Someone (I don’t know who) was trying to take something of mine. There was an argument and they just grabbed the item and started to leave. I stopped them and grabbed the item as well. There was a tug of war with all hands on the item (I don’t remember what it was). Since my hands were occupied, I decided to kick them in the shin.

I kicked the wall. My foot making contact woke me up. I kicked the wall pretty hard. My foot doesn’t hurt but I do have a little bruise on my big toe. There was about 20 minutes of me laying there, saying, “Ow!” while I flexed my foot to make sure I hadn’t done too much damage.

It doesn’t hurt today. I can walk on it fine. But this is why your brain paralyzes you while you are in REM sleep. So you won’t do something like kick a wall.

Adventures of an Orange Boy

adelheide — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 23:46:21 GMT

You will recall the drama that occurred when Oscar, being the big, strong, protective boy, got his undies in a twist when Kiki brushed by him. And how Kiki proceeded to kick his ass (orange tufts of fur all over the bed) and terrorize him for 3 days after.

I remember this. You remember this. I guess Oscar does, too.

The other night, I was all settled in bed. Comfy. Propped up just so. I have the cat tree in my bedroom because the top is two pillars with little platforms on them. Puts the kitties right at ground level to the parking lot. Fascinating things happen out there all day. I don’t know what, but I’ve seen either cat staring raptly out the window.

Anyway, one platform is closer to the window. Oscar likes that one. Except Oscar got down and Kiki decided she wanted to sniff the night air. She hopped up and got comfy. A little while later, I feel Oscar use my bed to get onto the cat tree. It took about 15 seconds for me to hear the first soft hiss from Kiki.

I didn’t even open my eyes. “Oscar. Knock it off.” It was quiet for about 10 more seconds and I hear the second, slightly louder hiss from Kiki. I look up. Kiki is not moving from her spot but she had turned to face him. Oscar is sitting up with one limp paw hanging in the air. Like he wants to poke her again. I am not in the mood for this.

“Oscar! Stop!” My sharp tone got his attention. He put his paw down. “Leave your mother alone. She is sitting there now. You need to share.” And the little weirdo actually hunkered down and tucked his front paws under himself. He listened to me.

I’m glad I didn’t have to remind him that if he pushes his mother too far, she will and has kicked his ass.

Seeing ads for VD already

adelheide — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 14:56:58 GMT

I saw an ad for charcuterie boards for Valentine’s Day. “Women DO NOT want chocolate for Valentine’s Day.”

Well, we don’t just want chocolate.

Although, I can see some guy, looking at this stuff on these boards, thinking of it as a “we” Valentine’s Day gift. Buddy, you hand me a lovely charcuterie board and think I’m sharing with you, you’re out of your mind. Go ahead. Reach for something. You’ll be pulling back a stump.

I would also like those nice butter cookies that have been decorated in chocolate. And a big thermos of cocoa. And chocolate. Oh! And maybe some nice exotic fruit to be healthy. Also, chocolate.

I think I’ll just end up buying myself a Lunchables and a packet of M&Ms and calling it a day.

Well, I got my paycheck

adelheide — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:05:00 GMT

I wasn’t paid for Christmas or New Year’s but the other days. The reason I wasn’t paid for Christmas or New Year’s is that I didn’t work a full day before or after the holiday. Of course, I couldn’t work because I didn’t have a computer, but that’s just the kind of petty assholes I work for.

I hate this fucking company so much.

I’m short a couple of days. I suppose it could have been worse. I can pay my bills, put gas in my car, get me prescriptions refilled, and buy food for my beasties.

And I guess they are going to start scheduling our lunches. Just one more thing for them to take away. I’m waiting for shackles to be delivered so I can attach my ankle to my desk.

My supe wasn’t (and it not) helpful. She sent me a message, asking what time I take lunch. I said if I’m not feeling well, I’ll take it around noon. If I’m on a roll, I push it to later. She said she would put me down for noon since there are too many 1:30s. I said I would like to take a later lunch, then. I asked about the shackles. She responded with, “What time Carrie it’s not rocket science here”. She added a superfluous, insincere LOL. I responded with, “As I said, I would prefer a later lunch.”

I’m done. I’ve done everything I can to make this relationship work and she won’t even meet me halfway. It’s her way or the highway. And she refuses to deal with reality. She wants to be friendly but she just can’t get out of her own way. So, we’re done. I will only deal with her when I absolutely must. Every email will be formal. I will ask for help from other people, not her.

It’s called malicious compliance, honey. Maybe you should have looked into that before you pushed me too far.

Ugh

adelheide — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:16:11 GMT

It is still unclear if I’m going to be paid for the days I didn’t have equipment. I had a feeling this might happen. Any way they can figure out how not to pay people, they’ll do.

I spoke to my supe today. She wants me to be more positive. I explained that I have nothing to be positive about when it comes to my job. But she suggested I be more positive in my communications.

See, here’s the thing. You don’t get to pick the parts of me that you like and discard the rest. I’m a package deal. And I am very careful not to say the truly negative things I think. But, I guess that’s not enough. I’m an adult and can conduct myself professionally in the work place. If all you want is singing, “Happy Happy Joy Joy” then you can look elsewhere.

So, I will l only communicate with her and in a brief fashion. I will not say a word in team chat. I will not say a word in team meetings. I will be silent as the grave. Hopefully, that makes her happy. If she asks or says something about it, I will remind her of today’s conversation. “So, if I can’t say anything nice, I won’t say anything at all.”

Demanding an emotional performance for the sake of keeping everyone calm is not something I respond well to. She has told me over and over again how funny she finds me and how much I crack her up. Hope she enjoyed it while it lasted.

Which will make my morale (which is pretty much non existent at this moment) sink to sub basement levels. But I wouldn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. I wouldn’t want to let someone else who thinks the same things I do to know they are not alone. We must keep the dysfunction alive so we can fool ourselves into believing everything is great. Small problem. I do not have the luxury of self-delusion. I am far too pragmatic and practical. I prefer to live in the real world.

And I will continue to make her aware of my displeasure and dismay.

Cardboard cuts suck

adelheide — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 02:21:45 GMT

That is all.

Oh. Hey. Look. I have a computer again.

adelheide — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 00:09:07 GMT

FedEx dropped the first computer off at the wrong location. Luckily, that person was honest and did not keep a free computer but sent it back. Then FedEx screwed up the delivery the second time.

Then, when I finally got it Tuesday afternoon, the damn thing wouldn’t power up. I was ready to cry at that point. But, this morning, after working with IT (and finding out this particular model of CPU has a super touchy power button), I got up and running. I was able to work all day.

I mean, I also needed someone to reload my VOIP system so I could actually talk on the phone, but other than that…

I can work. I was able to work today. Glory be.

I have no idea what work is going to do about my hours. I missed so much time. To the botched deliveries and my stupid computer giving up the ghost. I’ll be glad to send the old one back. It doesn’t deserve a funeral.

Oh, and did you know that there are companies charging $100 for a cake? A CAKE! A regular sized round cake! The decorations aren’t spun sugar and fairy dust. It’s just a cake. But there are companies that sell these things and I guess there are people who buy them.

I’m sorry. I can’t imagine spending that much for a regular cake. For $100, I want my cake to sing a chorus of “Hello, My Baby” before I cut into it. Or be as tall as a toddler. $100 for a 2-3 tier 8 inch cake? These people are either very stoned or they are making money hand over fist.

It’s probably the latter. I’m missing out on a business opportunity. Maybe I can make cupcakes and sell them for $10 each. For regular cupcakes.

Oof. It’s been a couple of days.

adelheide — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 14:55:41 GMT

My work computer died. I’m pretty sure of natural causes. On Thursday, I was right in the middle of a call with a client when we lost power. There was some creative cursing on my part because I lost everything. I mean, I take notes while I talk but those notes went away without being saved. I frantically scribbled down their name. I ended up destroying that bit of info later.

Power was out for about a minute, I think? Then the power popped back on. Okay. So, I go to my desk to get my computer up and running. Just as I’m entering my ID, the power went out again. And stayed out for about 15 more minutes. I called the apartment office. They said the power company was working on some lines and accidentally shut our complex off at the breaker. Or whatever the source was. But, in 15 minutes, our power returned and was not disrupted for the rest of the day.

I sat down again and tried to get my computer up. There was power to the monitors but no response from the computer. The cable that runs from my modem to my work computer was flickering, so there was signal. I checked all the connections in the back and everything was secure. Then I looked at the front. The power light was off. I pushed the button briefly but when I released it, the light went back off. I tried holding it down for a few seconds, but every time I released the button, the light went off. And my computer never really responded. This was the first moment I had that, “oh, no” feeling.

Since I had no work computer, I called IT. They called me back. I did try a few things but remotely, there wasn’t much the poor guy could do. He couldn’t log onto my computer because my computer wouldn’t turn on. So, he checked my equipment list. He said, “Your CPU is about 4 years old. I’m sending you a new one.” He ordered the new CPU from the place that handles all that for the company. They sent the new unit via FedEx. FedEx said they delivered it yesterday at 10:30am.

Well, I don’t know where they delivered it, but it wasn’t here. I was home all day, by my front door, waiting for delivery. Also, our apartment complex uses an off-site delivery office around the corner. They have for almost 2 years now. There is a sign on the old office door, directing deliveries to that address. USPS, UPS, FedEx—all these companies know this. They did not receive it at the delivery office because I called and spoke to a gal who told me they hadn’t received anything from FedEx in 3 days. There is always someone there to receive and sign for packages. Always. That’s the only nice thing about this offsite location.

So, yeah. Someone needs to track down who signed for that package because it wasn’t me and it wasn’t the delivery office. I’ve been keeping in touch with my supervisor. When the depth of the issue became clear, she said, “But, people can see you in Teams.”

“I’m sure they can. There is nothing wrong with my internet this time. It’s my computer.” Believe me, I didn’t want it to be my computer. I wanted it fixed so I could go back to work. My computer wasn’t OLD old, but it had been having fits in the last year. Often, I’d have to restart not because our systems weren’t working (which happens a lot...believe me) but because my computer had a hiccup or a burb or whatever kind of problem that only a restart would fix.

Later, when I told her IT was getting a new CPU, she replied, “Finally!” Because she is aware of the issues I’d been having with that stupid little box.

Today, my hope is the CPU will get here and I can get back to work. Because this waiting for the delivery is for the birds. Every sound outside my door, I’d hurry over and peek through the spy hole. One time, it really sounded like someone set something by my door. I was in the kitchen so by the time I got there, they were gone. I think someone just set something down to get a better grip. I’m ready to start patrolling my neighborhood in my car and stalking any FedEx trucks I see. This is annoying.

I’ve stabbed myself

adelheide — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 21:31:37 GMT

I’m not 100% sure how I managed it, but I accidentally stabbed my right hand (palm, just under the index finger). I was on camera in a team meeting and I spazzed out and flailed a little on camera. It’s very small but at the same time an impressive wound for a metal nail file.

Again, no idea how I did this.

So, after the meeting, I washed my hands very thoroughly. I applied some alcohol (I usually have it handy, so that’s what I use). I got a bandage and some anti-bacterial ointment. My first aid skills came shining through. I even stopped the bleeding by applying firm pressure to that spot. My old Girl Scout troop leader would be so proud.

I watched the Disney “A Christmas Carol”, which is just so good. I mean, the animation is sooo much better that the uncanny valley of “The Polar Express”. It’s quite beautiful to look at. I do feel a need for George C. Scott’s “Carol” because it is my favorite version of all time. A big part of that has to do with Edward Woodward as the Ghost of Christmas Present. He’s just so delightfully snarky. It also has Roger Rees, which to be honest, I’m not a fan of his. He has that very old-fashioned Theatre line delivery that...I don’t much care for. But, Fred Holywell is a very small part of the festivities. I also like Scott’s growly bear interpretation of Scrooge. Oh, he’s nasty, to be sure. But he’s also big and barrel chested, so I wouldn’t mess with him.

Now, once upon a time, Patrick Stewart did a tour where he read “A Christmas Carol” on stage. Just him. No sets. Just him reading the text and acting out all the parts. It was met with great praise. I had that performance on tape (yes, cassette tape). My tradition for a while was to listen to that tape while I wrestled with the lights and decorated. Stewart’s Scrooge is a viper. He later filmed a version and he’s the opposite of Scott. Small, wiry, quick to strike.

There are others, of course. So many others. I try to keep my Christmas movie watch list reasonable. I will need to watch “Krampus”. I sure wish I could find “A Christmas Horror Story” somewhere. That was a fun movie (Kringle and Krampus in an epic fight!).

I’ve also been listening to Christmas music while working. Softly, in the background. I remember when we lived in Cucamonga, CA (before it was incorporated), Mom and I had to listen to Christmas music during the day. Because during the day, poor Dad was stuck behind the ticket counter in the tiny Ontario Airport. Same 12 songs, all day long. Given this, we would make sure to get our Nat King Cole and Bing in before Dad got home from work. But I’m finding all kinds of neat stuff on YouTube. I just heard a grand orchestral version of “All I Want for Christmas”, which was...interesting. It was quite bombastic. Then again, so is la Mariah.

Be safe and enjoy yourself

adelheide — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 12:56:15 GMT

What in the ever lovin' HELL?

adelheide — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 22:21:59 GMT

Can someone explain to me how my country is so goddamn fucking stupid?

Boo!

adelheide — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 13:33:28 GMT

Ow ow ow

adelheide — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 15:36:44 GMT

I have mentioned that Oscar really, really likes being on my lap. Which works out perfect because I love having him on my lap. Nothing is more calming that a content kitty.

I have also mentioned that Oscar is averse to sudden loud sounds. He in no way appreciates 4th of July or New Years Eve because of the fireworks. He gets a little panicky and hides for most of the night.

This morning, while having coffee and watching the news with a contented cat on my lap. I was going to be getting up as my bladder was calling. I set something on the arm of my chair to take it with me. I prepared to get up, so at least Oscar knew something was happening. The box started to slide. I slapped my hand down on it. The sudden movement and the sudden noise made Oscar completely freak out and run away.

But not before clawing the shit out of my thigh. He was gone by the time the pain kicked in. I was concerned that I’d scared him and then suddenly, “Okay, that hurts. Oh, hey—OW!”

I have three slash marks on my leg. One for each foot. He launched himself so hard and so fast that I had to go into the bathroom and do first aid. I grabbed a tissue, sure I’d just need to dab a couple of spots. But when I pulled up my pajama leg, I found that nope! 6 livid marks and one was actively bleeding. With a sigh, I went into the bathroom.

Everything is now cleaned and treated. The bleeding stopped pretty quickly. The slashes are shallow. I gave into guilt and found him to apologize. I mean, I was bleeding, but my baby fluffy Sir Orange of Pants got scared and Mama was worried.

You can come here, Fall...any time...

adelheide — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 14:58:20 GMT

“Halloween Baking Championship” is on now. I mean, not right now. On Mondays. Check your local listings. The theme this year is a mad scientist’s (i.e. Jim Henson) la-BOR-a-tory.

I just love this show. It’s so fun and wholesome. You also get to see some amazing bakers create some pretty interesting stuff. Jiggly eyeballs, body parts, guts, bubbling cauldrons, bats, crunchy bugs, and all kinds of fun things. Every year they have a new theme for the show.

I do love a good baking show. And cooking shows. And people-eating-awesome-food shows.

Oscar is very much under the impression that if I give Kiki pets, it will mean less pets for him. Kiki comes to me frequently now to get her neck and chin rubbed. I’ve been introducing her to me running my hand down her side. When she turns to leave, I stroke her tail, which she doesn’t mind at all.

Oscar does not like this turn of events. Because Oscar is my cuddly wuddly baby with pants so when he gets in my lap (which is a lot), he is the focus of my attention. Which is how he’s come to expect it. So, if he’s in another room and Kiki comes to see me for pets, we have to be quiet. The minute Oscar hears anyone besides him getting love, he has to come break it up. Physically. Dude. I’m allowed to pet your mother.

It’s like living with a toddler.

I went to a ranch market near Mom last Sunday. I always forget how cheap they are. I wanted celery and strawberries (both of which were on sale). I’ve been having bad luck with produce this summer at my local stores, so I picked up 2 plums and 2 nectarines. They both smell good. The stuff I was getting was just dried out mush. Bleh.

There are all kinds of bougie things to get distracted by, but if you focus on the produce, you get great prices. 2 bundles of celery for a buck. 2 medium containers of strawberries for $1.50. I also got a little bit of grapes. It’s kind of hard to screw up green grapes, but some of the ones I’ve had this year were very bland. Juicy but kinda meh. I also got onions and potatoes.

Because I’m forcing myself back into the habit of cooking again. Not huge meals, but more than PB&J or cereal at the end of the day. I keep reminding myself I need both kinds of fiber and vitamins (I take Vitamin D because here in the Sonora Desert during the summer, I become a mole person. The sun is not my friend. I am very pale. Very vampire-like.)

The fact that I hiss when I have to go into the sun has nothing to do with anything.

I am so looking forward to December, when we will have an actual cool down. Mind you, my first Thanksgiving in AZ, it was 85°F. But by December, things are cooling off nicely. The desert rats panic. When it drops below 45°F, you start seeing people trudging around in parkas, scarves, and Ugg boots.

“Where is your coat?” people would exclaim when I arrived at work.

“At home. Because it’s only 45° this morning.”

“You’ll freeze!”

“I have a sweater on. Later, I will take it off because it’s going to be a lovely 65° this afternoon.”

They would pull their cardigan tighter and tuck their hands into the crooks of their elbows. They usually mumbled about how freezing cold it was and I was going to catch my death or something.

My parents have been telling me for YEARS that I will adapt to the desert. That I’ll get “thin blood”. Right now, my blood is the viscosity of ketchup. It’s not happening. I really love Winter because it does cool off so nicely here. I just don’t like how the rest of the year tries to kill me.

Fall allergies are here

adelheide — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 00:21:15 GMT

Earlier this week, I woke up convinced I was sick. I was so congested I couldn't breathe when I first woke up. I went through many, many tissues clearing the goo from my head. I also was pretty sure a slug had moved into my throat overnight because I couldn't not clear it. I had run some errands, but I still mask and wash my hands thoroughly when I get home. But, you know, people are germ factories out there walking around, so I still could have caught something.

But, after a couple of days, the usual aches and pains that come with a cold or flu didn't materialize. Okay, not ill. I hadn't had to take my allergy pills too much this Summer so I got out of the habit. But I may have figured this out.

If I take an allergy pill around 9:00pm, I can actually breathe when I first get up. I mean, I head straight to the loo to pee and blow all kinds of crap out of my nose. For the record, it’s all been clear, so I’m definitely not infected.

Then, around 9:00am, I take another allergy pill. That helps clear up the remaining congestion. Around 5:00pm, I start getting a little drippy again. The worst thing is the itch. My nose itches. I also had something in Autumn in Illinois that when it was around, my nose itched like CRAZY. It was distracting, it itched so bad. I wanted to grab a bottle brush and stuff it up my nose repeatedly because eyagh! Itchy!

This itch isn’t nearly as bad, but I rub my nose a lot. I have found that the spritzy stuff, while helping with some congestion, makes me sneeze. Repeatedly. I have learned not to administer this while Oscar is on my lap.

I’ve also been feeling pooped. I’ve slept okay the past couple of nights. But boy, mid afternoon and I’m ready for a nap. I try to eat some protein at that time of day. I have to slow down on the caffeine so I need something else to get me over the hump until 5:00. I want to fall asleep so early but then I screw up my (sort of) sleep schedule.

Then again, maybe being tired all the time is part of my personality now.

I’m going to rummage for dinner. It may end up being cereal because I’m tired now and I don’t want to cook. I’m out of leftovers.

Baby!

adelheide — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 15:06:58 GMT

I met a tiny baby kitten yesterday. *squeaks*

I had to go get my beasties some food, which requires a trip to the pet store. Their food is spendy, but they seem to get all they need from it because they are only interested in a little bit of tuna water. Also, Oscar is a big boi. He’s been eating it since he was a baby and when he flops on me, I feel it.

So, I went to the aisle where their food was. That was another lady standing at the end of the aisle. I moved my way down and I heard her murmur something. Then I heard a squeak. She was holding this very tiny kitten up close to her shoulder. An itsy bitsy dark gray baby. So small, I didn’t notice the lady holding her.

“Oh, my, aren’t you just a tiny little bit of fluff?” I cooed, holding out my hand. The baby squeaked again and reached for my fingers with both paws.

While I rubbed that little neck and chin, the lady smiled said, “Don’t let her fool you. She’s really evil.”

I cooed again. “This sweet little baby couldn’t possibly be evil.” And let me tell you, baby was eating up the scritches. Purred SO loud.

I found the food and loaded it into my cart. “Good luck with purr evil here,” I said, getting that tiny chin and making her purr again. The lady laughed.

I punned. In public. Because I was overcome with the cute.

Holy cheese and crackers!

adelheide — Sun, 18 Aug 2024 14:21:29 GMT

I don’t know what happened, but that happened.

We’ve all experienced the afternoon slump. You’re going along with your day, feeling awake and getting stuff done. Then you hit The Wall. Suddenly, you are tired and all the records skip. On Friday, around 2:30, I could barely keep my eyes open. I was struggling to stay awake. I was fine one moment then suddenly, I slumped in my chair and yawned. Then my vision went blurry because my body said, “Okay. It’s bedtime. Right now.”

Except I still had to get the rest of the day done. I got up, walking around, splashed cold water on my face, and made myself another cup of coffee. Which would sort of work until I sat down to get something done. Then my eyes drooped and I slouched. I did stuff like snap rubber bands on my wrist to keep it together for the rest of the day.

I also took a longer lunch than expected because I sat down, Oscar snuggled up on my lap, and I fell asleep do deep so quick, I woke up not knowing where I was.

I worked some OT yesterday. I still felt tired. Despite sleeping from 6:00 last night to 6:00 this morning. After OT, I made myself a cup of caffeinated tea so as not to fall asleep before lunch. It worked. Sort of. I kept dozing. And I slept all night.

Today, I feel more awake. I thought I would feel much more refreshed, but I guess my body decided it had a sleep deficit and it was going to fix that issue, whether I was on board or not. I just love it when my body makes decisions without asking me.

I'm going to move in with you now

adelheide — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 13:35:24 GMT

I met a friend yesterday. This friend would have happily been a new room mate but I know better.

Yesterday morning, early, I decided to get my mail. I’m walking along, not paying too much attention (it’s early) when I suddenly find myself standing in front of a tuxedo kitty. Long hair, white socks and whisker area. When kitty turned his head, I saw a collar. So, he lives in the complex. I spoke sweet to the kitty (because I always talk sweet to animals) and kitty wasn’t spooked, so definitely acclimated to people. I bent down and held out my hand. He didn’t want to sniff. He just looked at me. So, I continued on my way.

Once I had my mail, I passed by the bench where we met. Kitty was patiently waiting under the bench. Because when I passed, he got up and followed me.

Oh, kitty. Your people miss you. And you cannot come into my house. As much as I would like to invite you in, I am owned by two territorial, slightly crazy cats. You will not like the inside of my apartment. So, despite the fact that the kitty followed me to my door and waited patiently for me to open the screen, I had to gently tell him he couldn’t come inside.

I hope he found his people.

Oscar, naturally, had to know why I was talking nice to someone beside him. He came out just as I shut the door. I switched to talking to him so he was mollified. I don’t think kitty hung around.

Independance Day

adelheide — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 03:06:32 GMT

Happy Birthday, America.

Hopefully, this won't be the last 4th we can celebrate unironically. If you could get your shit together, USA, that would be awesome.

It's hot. So hot. 115°F today. 117°F tomorrow. At this point, I want to go to the Sahara Desert and see if maybe I can find a cool breeze there.

Everything is hot. The breeze is hot. The ground is hot (and you can feel the heat radiating from it). If you do not own a white vehicle, you can burn your fingers opening your car door. If a shopping cart with a dark handle has been sitting out in the sun, don't take it into the store with you. I tend to do this. I have to remind myself not to do this because I will grab the cart handle and burn my skin off.

The desert is trying to kill us. To be fair, humans aren't necessarily built for the desert. Well, some are. I'm not. But, a/c is my very best friend and I don't go outside very often in the Summer. Not many people here do. The sidewalks are eerily devoid of pedestrians during the Summer. There are people here who LOVE this kind of weather. I think those people are bonkers.