Saturday, November 30, 2024

I had a good nap

 I like to nest in the winter, when it's cold (not all the time in Houston).  I pile up every blanket, the feather quilt, all of it.  The cats apparently don't like it.  They haven't slept with me since I did that but I'm not freezing at night.  

I have the house about 70 degrees.  

I am going to get a small space heater (I keep typing my name instead of "heater") for the bathroom because I need my heat at shower time, and there's no way I can get out of a shower in the morning.  

I forgot I like to clean the toilet seat off every morning before I take my shower.  

A little about Walmart bathrooms: they can be horrific, even with the best custodial staff.  Most of the customers have worse manners than an animal.  They do disgusting things in that stall.  Homeless women with God Knows What diseases go in there and spend an hour doing God Knows What.  I know many diseases like Hepatitis C can be transmitted by body fluids not just blood.  I try to be careful but I am well aware my facilities are not clean, even if they look OK.  

This is why I said OK to both Hepatitis vaccines in addition to the tetanus.  

I figure my butt and thighs are covered with germs when I walk out of there every day, and then I go sit on my toilet.  So I clean the lid before I take my shower.  And, at least until I go back to work, I have a clean body and a clean seat.  I forgot to do that this morning and feel vaguely diseased as a result.  

Anyway I need a warm bathroom for an hour in the morning.  I am going to fix that when I get paid.  We have one for $20 and I get my discount on that too.  The last one was good for about 5 years.  

I found my hand lotion but it doesn't seem to be helping, and my hands are red after I apply it.  I need to see if it has almond oil.  I do have some petroleum jelly worst case I will apply that before bed tonight.  

I am cooking my Chana Dal right now.  It takes a couple hours, this is a good weekend project.  A couple hours cooking the beans, then add the seasonings, cook another hour.  I also need to make some basmati rice.  I have that soaking.  

I really like basmati rice (not the price tag!), have some I use judiciously.  I thought that might pair well with the chickpeas.  

I have 2 loveseats in the front room (my current location).  One is by the front door.  One runs in a line with the hall, at a right angle to the first one.  I generally sit on the second one.  Well, "Little" Miss Cleo has taken over that couch and sleeps on the remote to the TV (I just have a TV with an antenna and not a big one either).  I would never disturb her so it's going to stay there.  I can't really sit there either, she takes up a lot of room.  

Eventually I would like to replace that loveseat with a longer couch I could lie on or seat more people.  It only seats 2 and then if they're good friends.  The other loveseat I plan to keep as it converts to a bed which can be useful (never had an overnight guest but it's nice to have).  I generally put guests there.  But the couches I have work and don't look bad (a little clawed up) match my theme for the front room which is navy and turquoise with orange accents.  And I have better things to spend my money on for the house.  

For one, that light fixture over the kitchen table!  Awful!  Dated!  Half the outlets don't work.  I want to get this one instead: 

Light Fixture

And I have a wonderful handyman who can install it.  I have a bonus coming next year about $200.  I will probably get an electric mower with it.  If I have money left I may get myself a smoker too.  I have been wanting a smoker.  Something small enough I can bring in the house when there's a hurricane coming but big enough to smoke some chicken, links, and burgers.   We'll see.  

I have to get the mower though.  

Amazon is doing a huge cyber Monday thing almost everything on my wishlist is up.  I don't get paid on Monday (laugh) so they will just have to stay there.  I don't know what my budget looks like yet, I need to get the gas and electric bill.  

Everyone I've talked to who has the bill averaging says they feel ripped off by it so I don't want to do that.  It shouldn't be too bad it only really got cold about a week ago and I've had the thermostat about 15 degrees colder than Ron liked.  He would be screaming.  

But he's dead and I work at Walmart.  

Cleo looks so sweet on the couch.  

I find it interesting, I got the Chana Dal which is a dried split chickpeas.  When I get canned chickpeas they are firm and intact in the can.  These have completely fallen apart.  I have a yellow soup with no distinct bean shapes.  They've been cooking about 2 hours.  I stir them every 10 minutes or so.  

One trick I've done with basmati rice is to soak it in the water before I actually cook it.  I'm doing that now, I will put it on to cook around 7 (half an hour).  

I got a can of fava beans in cumin sauce at the import store today, I plan to try it tonight.  If it's a headache trigger I'm off tomorrow and it won't matter.  That's how I have to operate.  I like to try new foods but I am allergic to a lot (I can't go anywhere in the Asian market they have crab everywhere) and others can be headache triggers.  And I have to work for a living and I ride the bus to work.  

There is not much that's worse than riding the bus to work, with a migraine.  So I can see tonight even though I don't really "feel" like it, it's going to be a week before I can try anything new again.  I like cumin and it's not a headache trigger so I'm not worried about that; the fava bean is a question mark.  I grew fava beans years ago.  They were very pretty, ornamental almost, but I didn't eat them.  

I would like to see if I like them and they are OK for me.  If they are I can add them to my diet.  

I said that to the lady at the import market after I paid today "Thank you for improving my cuisine!"  They (her husband works with her) laughed.  



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