Sunday afternoon

It went pretty easy at the bank, they had very little line, surprisingly.

As I left to go to the grocery store I saw a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk smoking and begging for money.  If I were the store manager (grocery store) I would have a strict policy about calling the police to run these guys off.

It puts me off as a customer, I don't want to be hassled by some filthy alcoholic or drug addict.  I have plenty of problems and manage to care for myself, Ron, and the cats.  I don't see how a person like that can truly be homeless in Houston, for a very long time we had a very short waiting list for Section 8 housing and other benefits.  And rent is so cheap.  There is one place that is all bills paid, $300 a month.  For a 1 br apartment.  Maybe not great for a woman but certainly fine for a middle aged man.

Of course it is the person with the overt disability begging that angers me the most.  They are absolutely getting free housing and at least $1K a month in disability, and free medical too.  Nearly free transit with paratransit assuming they don't have a vehicle.  Yet they whine at me all the time.

Ron would slit his own throat before he did that, and is never more mortified than when a stranger gives him money at the store.

Anyway, I skirted around him and went in the NO BACKPACKS (boy, the place has really gone downhill the last 20 years) store.  I headed over to pet food.  Surprisingly, most of the tuna or fish flavored wet foods have chicken and meat byproducts as the first ingredients.  Mixed grill I know they are using everything at the processing plant, the cats sure don't mind, but if I buy a can of "Tuna Treat" I expect to see tuna as the #1 ingredient.

I bought 2 fancy cans of Blue (which was not popular).  I got a couple of fritters from the bakery and a few sodas.

I paid and went back out to the bus stop.  And had a very long wait on the bus.  It wasn't too hot, though, and I called my aunt.

A man waited with me, he had one of those cheap electric scooters people buy with their own money.  It was not one of the fancier scooters you see paid for by Medicaid.  He didn't know how to drive it well.

When I got home I told Ron "I go out to get a little break, and EVERY TIME there is ALWAYS A MAN IN A WHEELCHAIR to remind me of what's waiting at home!"  We had a good laugh over that.

I found Ron in the kitchen with the vodka bottle.  He asked me to watch while he did treats, I made sure Biscuit stayed at the other end of the house.  I laid down for a nap, with Biscuit.  I couldn't really sleep.

Ron listened to the Astros game (we won), and I got up, got on the computer for a while.  I realized I am having a mixed episode right now so I have to be careful with spending and talking.  Especially as I just put my electronic money in my account.  It would be real easy to piss it all away in a day or two.  But I can't do that.

For instance, the generic brand litter I use is 'fine".  It makes a clump that does not fall apart and the house doesn't smell like a toilet = win.  But I was looking at a fancy corn litter with lavender scent.  Might be nice, but then I got to thinking about that scent and how that couldn't be good for the cats.  I reminded myself I have plenty of litter and what I have is working.  I can get it with Walmart delivery and the cats are USING it which is the #1.

One adult cat is doing the whole "#2 right NEXT to the litter box" routine, but not very often so I am not worried about it.  I have disinfecting wipes for that.

So I just went with the cat food I bought today as my only real purchase.  The nice thing about being manic and riding the bus: I can only carry so much.

I decided to point the manic energy at useful things.  I ran a cleaning cycle on my washing machine (manual says every month, and it still smells good after 3 years), and, more intensively, emptied, disassembled, changed the filters, and scrubbed out the cats water fountains.  Once I reassembled them I filled them with filtered water.

No one was interested in the fountains when I took them away to be cleaned.  Manual says every month.

Just like yesterday, I cleaned all the validators at work with a special cleaning card I bought with my own money.  I like to maintain things.

It results in fewer repairs and replacements.  Speaking of, I need to get another water fountain just to have on hand (they all love them) and some more filters.

All the cats (save Baby Girl, who was glued to Ron all day) gathered 'round as I set up the fountain and plugged it in.  There's always that moment where I wonder if it will work, but it did.  I have so abused the one in my bedroom, run it dry, etc. and it still works.  That's why I want to get a spare, these are really well made.  I'll put up a link.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Premier-Pet-50-oz-Pet-Fountain-Automatic-Water-Fountain-for-Dogs-and-Cats/383201802

I don't normally promote things but it has earned a spot.  Everyone in my house loves that thing, and Cleo figured it out in literally a second when she found it.  Even better, Biscuit drinks lots of water every day, pees a lot, and stays healthy.  That's an all around win.

It is a little more time and trouble but worth it.  Ron got me using filtered water for them, nothing is too good for my cats.  But what's the point of having a pet if you don't spoil it?

Ron went to bed after the game (he has had an easier time getting himself to bed lately) and has been there all day.  We are going out for lunch tomorrow but that is it.  Hopefully the cat tree will arrive tomorrow.

I also got some toys - the old guard, to quote Heidi, love the compressed catnip toys, so I got a mouse for them, and some feather things for everyone that also have catnip.  I have no problem dropping cash on the cats.  $70 bags of cat food (Biscuit)?   Absolutely.  Water fountains and replacement filters every month?  You bet.  Vet bills?  No problem, I will eat ramen.

I need a $100 filling?  Still haven't done it.  Ron was scolding (nicely) me about that yesterday and said he will pay, which is nice.  I will get that done.

My only real task is socializing Cleo, she is making really good progress.  At this point I could probably grab her and put her in a carrier if I had to, which is good to know.

I did wish-list a carrier for my stepmother so she can get that for me, for my birthday, if she wants.  I think $20 is reasonable.  And that makes a carrier for each cat, something I do want.  I always put cheap stuff on my wish list.  I really don't need much.

Now, if I had a Chewy wish list that would be insane.  They are my babies.  I can see why human parents always end up with so many toys.

So I'm going to enjoy my night off.  I cleaned the boxes and did all the stuff I had planned for the first.  Ron is good, he ate 2 TV dinners today.

That's it for now.