Monday, August 3, 2009

Week 31 - Productive and Fun

It’s a good thing last week was so dull because this past week was a whirlwind, especially at the beginning. It was closing meeting week so I had to be at work early both Monday and Tuesday. Just having to alter my morning routine proved to be completely disruptive to my days. I didn’t get up any earlier, which probably made it worse. I just skipped breakfast and brought something to work to eat after I’d prepped for the early meetings. When you add that to working through lunch most days, it was a hectic week. But did I let that disrupt my social calendar? Not at all.

Monday night I knitted at the library, Tuesday night was water aerobics then book club (good thing I’d made my pie on Sunday night) and Wednesday was the movies with Nancy. We went to “Moon” at the Ross, which was good – I do so love a good sci fi flick. After a coffee and sharing more about her Europe trip, Nancy left and I headed across campus to where I’d parked. Now, of course, that took me right past my cats, who were out on the lawns enjoying the empty campus. So I called them so I could take an inventory since cats I rarely see in the morning come out at twilight. As usual, a few I hadn’t seen in a long time showed up but there was also a new face in the bushes.

I found a full grown, skin and bones cat that was not feral. I coaxed her out from under the bushes and she let me pet her, which meant she was either dumped or someone’s cat who got lost. Call me cynical but I vote for dumped. But she’d clearly been outside for awhile because she was super thin and her fur was ratty. I called Belinda, who lives in town and does TNR for Husker Cats, and she came out with a can of food and a cage. It took 30 minutes but we got her into the carrier and Belinda took her home so she could drop her at All Feline the next morning to be spayed and checked out. I agreed to pick her up Friday and foster her until we could find her a home.

Having just had 3 LONG days, Thursday was wonderful. I did the last of the meeting prep and began the big spreadsheet, which takes the better part of a day to add formulas and format. After 3.5 hours, I was toasty fried and left for water aerobics and a long awaited night at home. I watched more Mad Men and went to bed early, leaving getting the spare bedroom ready until Friday morning.

I finished the big spreadsheet before lunch on Friday and then headed to Cracker Barrel for fish with Layton. When I got back I started to get organized from having ignored all my regular work all week . At 3:00 I called it a week and left early to go get the cat. I had hoped she’d come out of the carrier and be normal but no such luck. She headed straight under the bed and I’ve only had glimpses of her ever since. But she’s eating and using the box so I’m calling it good. I go in there every few hours and talk to her but she’s still hiding. Hopefully she’ll come out soon.

Saturday was another busy day, although mostly for fun. I had a Friends of the Library meeting at 9:30, which went long of course, and I had to leave before it ended to man the library table at the county fair. I’d only been to the fair once in the 12 years I’ve lived here but didn’t have time to see anything because I had to leave by 1:00 to meet Andrea and Nancy for our Plattsmouth outing. We were meeting Melissa, Nancy’s new beekeeper friend who had been to my house this spring.


It took an hour to drive to Plattsmouth and we rendezvoused at The Chocolate Moose – a cafe I’d heard raves about. They were within an hour of closing for the week so didn’t have much of their menu but I had a tuna sandwich that had minimal (maybe no) mayo and capers and came with homemade sweet potato chips (what’s not to love?) and a side of cucumber moose, which I’d hesitated to order but it was amazing! It had tiny julienned cukes in a froth of sour cream and mayo that was flavored just slightly with dill and set with gelatin (I asked how she made it but she doesn’t share the recipe.) For dessert I had orange vanilla crème brulee, which was devine.

The restaurant was delicious enough to warrant driving back to Plattsmouth but the main street was another reason. Every shop was in full swing, unlike most small towns that have as many empty store fronts as not, and there was lots to do. We hit a couple of antique shops and decided to forego the used book store because Melissa had to be at the quilt store by 4:00. And what a quilt store! It was huge, had lots of people to help and was having an anniversary sale with fat quarters <$1. I bought 8 coordinating fat quarters (more fabric for the pile I’ll probably never use) and a Christmas scrap pack. Melissa’s family called so we parted ways. We had just enough time to stop at String of Purls, one of the yarn shops in Omaha.

We arrived at 5:20 and the store was dark. But they were supposed to be open until 5:30 so we tried the door and it was open. It had been so slow that the woman was trying to close early but she let us in. I immediately had to look up my neck warmer pattern, which I’d forgotten to bring or reference, on Ravely, which she let me do in her back room. Then I started looking for yarn, which is sorted by color rather than weight. I ended up with a Nora green acrylic blend for my neck warmer and a single skein of sock yarn that Andrea found for me for <$5 and in my colors. I’m done buying sock yarn now. Really! After we dropped Nancy at her car, Andrea and I headed to the fair to check out all the ribbons on her quilts and knitting. I also looked at the scrapbooks, which I didn’t know you could enter, and decided on the spot that I’ll be entering some of mine next year. I then went home to sit on my butt, watch TV and eat popcorn for dinner. What a fun, but full, day!

After my normal Sunday morning routine of reading the paper and then talking to Carolyn, I headed downstairs to start slogging through my craft room, spurred on by the idea of donating anything I don’t want to the Friends of the Hillstead Gallery’s fiber and craft garage sale. I made it through 4 totes and my entire craft closet before calling it a day. There are piles everywhere and the closet is still empty but I have plenty to donate and felt good about my progress. I spent the evening interspersing the chores I should have done rather than the basement with watching TV. It was a good week – full at home and work and productive and fun too. Yay!

1 comment:

  1. Oh! Have you named the cat? Has she come out yet? I am a cat person, you know.
    It sounds like you had a rough week but a lovely weekend. Good for you. So did the donating reduce your inventory much. I really should do this but I am a craft hoarder.
    Blessings,
    Mary

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