Thursday morning

 I didn't sleep well but I felt like I got enough rest.  I am back to the waking up every few hours thing. 

I had Biscuit and Cleo in my bed, they like to walk on my chest as I'm lying down. It is cute, albeit a little painful. 

My aunt is pretty sure they will be coming to visit this weekend. That would be great; I can copy my key, try to cash that IRS check made out to me AND Ron, etc. I also hope to run by the thrift store. I have a lot of old shoes I want to donate. 

One thing the homeless don't seem to have here are shoes so I am sure the thrift shop will appreciate the donation.  And they are in good shape they don't stink or anything, but I like to change them out around 6 months or if they start hurting my feet. 

I plan to have 3 copies made of my key. One for backup, one for Sara (pet sitter), and one for Jack he would be good to have it if I locked myself out or something. I don't plan to hand out the mail box key as I will put a hold on my mail. 

I am happy with the front room. I had a bunch of evangelism stuff on the "orange"couch and a lot of cat hair on the blue one. That's all gone,it looks good. 

I think I will buy myself another "Pello" chair from Ikea to replace the one I put in the Bible room, the plastic chair is pretty uncomfortable for watching TV or talking on the phone. That's only like $50 I am not going to find a more comfortable or cheaper alternative that looks OK.  I will save up for that.  

As it is I spent about $80 yesterday on candy, half for Halloween (with bags) and half to hand out because I am tired of running out halfway to my day off.  So that's my luxury money. 

I still need to figure out what's left of my budget.  I do hope to go to the thrift shop this weekend and get a cute tunic top to wear in CA, assuming Dad fixes my reservation. He tried to get me to do it and then said if he couldn't do it he would ask my aunt, who was NOT pleased!  

My poor aunt has quite the reputation as the family "fixer".  

It is nice to be up early on a work day.  I worked the budget and managed to get some Green Gobbler drain cleaner.  My drains are fine and I want to keep them that way.  I get hair going down (in spite of my hair trap) the tub drain and grease (in spite of careful dish washing) going down the kitchen sink so I think it's a good idea to rout it out every now and then. I can pour it in, go to work, leave it all day and flush it out when I get home (it is an enzyme cleaner and will not eat the pipes).  I am very happy using it and try to get some now and then.  

I had a main line backup back in 2014 I think it was, the blockage was about halfway back in my house, on my birthday no less, I had ick coming into the tub drain whenever I flushed the toilet.  The kitchen (front of the house) was OK so I washed my hair in the kitchen sink but It was revolting and awful.  It cost us a fair chunk of change to get someone out to clean it.  

If I can prevent that by spending $100 a year or so I am fine with that. I am very careful what goes in the drain, brush my hair before I take a shower, and use a hair catcher in the tub (that catches a lot!) so I feel like I'm being a Good Homeowner. 

Interestingly enough our second place Ron and I put anything down the drain, he would shave off a 3 inch beard and rinse it down the drain, stuff like that and never clogged.  We were on the second floor though.  It was an older place built in the 1940's. That was 1993-1999. 

I do wonder how we got injured from the mold.  I know Ron had chemical sensitivity from it and I still have a lot of headaches.  But there was literally no other place for us to go. Housing was obscene and we made too much to qualify for "poverty level" housing, so we spent like 75% of our take home on rent and utilities. It was awful.  

And I am a homeowner here in Texas.  I don't blame anyone for wanting to move here but Texas is great because it has conservative Christian values.  Respect that. 

I am going to take my shower and do my God time.  Shocking, yes, I know.   

Did that, got dressed, even put my hair in a very simple braid (it doesn't get in the way that way and I don't do it tight enough to hurt).  

I am going to buy lunch at work and eat before I start that way I don't have to worry about break/lunch although that isn't as much of an issue these days.  I brought my little half gallon water thermos hopefully I can buy some ice from McDonald's and put that in there. I am not going to take the ice without paying.  That, to me, is theft.  

And like I tell them at work "I'll do anything at work that doesn't break the 10 Commandments".  and they all laugh.  

That's it for now.