The Insanity Continues

I had plans! I had so many plans for this weekend.

While doing laundry Friday, I began to feel faint. This worried me because I wasn't doing anything all that strenuous. I was just putting clothes in the washer, then the dryer, then taking them out to fold and put away.

Then Saturday, while at Walmart, I began to feel faint again. This made a bit more sense since I was walking around Walmart. But I was determined to do what I planned on doing that night. But I had fallen asleep twice by the time 9pm rolled around and even just walking to the bathroom made me winded. So, I decided to not do the thing.

Then this morning, I was going to walk right up until I stood up. My left ankle gave just enough that it hurt, but I didn't fall. I decided that it was for the best that I baby my ankle today and maybe I can walk tomorrow.

When I got off yesterday, I went to do the dishes. While unloading the dishwasher to put the dishes that are too cumbersome to wash by hand in it, I had the water warming up. After just a minute or two, I noticed that there was standing water in the side of the sink that has the garbage disposal.

Upon inspection, I noticed that the stopper was in the drain, so I pulled it out. But the water didn't go down. Thinking something might have gotten into the drain (I DO NOT use my disposal AT ALL, but sometimes it does tend to get clogged *shrug*), I turned it on. That's when I noticed that there was water in the other side of the sink, too, and the level in that side increased whenever I turned on the disposal.

I took pictures and submitted a maintenance request. Over the next couple of hours, I checked it every so often and it didn't appear to be increasing despite my running the dishwasher. Until a little after 8pm, that is.

When I got done watching Andor, I went to check it and could see the water level was almost even with the top of the sink even without turning on the light or walking all the way into the kitchen (I have a tiny apartment kitchen). When I went to get my phone, I realized that my foot was wet. I turned on the kitchen light and saw a stream of water running out from under the cabinets. I called maintenance because this was now an emergency.

The on-call maintenance guy called back and said 'Can it wait until tomorrow?' I was like, seriously? If it could wait, I wouldn't have called the emergency number!

He showed up about 20 minutes later and used a shop vac to drain the water from the sink multiple times. He then tried to snake the drain. It didn't work. After over an hour, he said he has to come back because there is more that needs to be done and it might need to be worked on outside? I'm not really sure, he has a thick Italian accent so I am only able to understand about 90% of what he says.

But he did have to go up to the apartments above mine and ask them to not use their kitchen sinks until he can fix the clog in mine.

My neighbor across from me had issues with this a few months ago. She had to have maintenance come out a couple of times a week for a month or more. You'd think that after the second or third time maintenance had to unclog her sink, the office would have sent out an email reminding people of what they can and cannot put down the garbage disposal/sink drain!

My apartment reeks from the stagnant water that is backing up into my sink. The maintenance guy said he'd be back around 9 this morning. I hope he can fix it today because I feel like this is a health code violation.

When I got up this morning, I did not want to walk but told myself that means that I really should. But for some reason I just didn't. But it's a good thing that I didn't because my left ankle has been bothering me all morning. When I go to take a step, it twinges and I'm afraid it won't hold my weight.

I put fresh batteries in my scale last night and I weighed myself last night and again this morning. I lost three pounds over night? How is that possible?

I only sat for ten minutes before taking my blood pressure this morning.

For some reason, the email with the pictures of my blood pressure (121/54), glucose (136), and the screen shot of what I weigh (344) is not sending. I've sent it to my two personal emails and my work email and it still has not arrived. I even tried a third personal email but nothing. Is anyone else having this issue with gmail? Normal emails will come in like normal but not emails with pictures.

They finally arrived.

I'm a bit worried. My electric bill hasn't arrived yet (I'm paperless so I usually have an email with my bill by this point in the month). When I looked at my account, it shows the project total is around $50. I hope the bill arrives soon and that it is less than $100.

I should really stop eating after I get off. I need to get my glucose back under 100.

A week or so ago, I noticed that it was darker than I like in my bedroom despite having the ceiling fan light and the lamp on. Thursday or Friday of last week I noticed that one of the bulbs in the ceiling fan light was out. This one bulb has been replaced once already since I moved in. Maintenance fixed it for me, they were in for something else and I asked about it because the bulb was not fully connected to the part that screws into the socket. The fact that it has gone out again tells me they did not sue a new bulb. I forgot to take it to the store with me over the weekend but I now have it with my purse to take it this weekend.

On 4/3, my boss sent me an email about my rate increase. I'm getting a 3% increase. I think she's only allowed to give us between 1% and 5%. I don't think I've ever gotten more than 3%. While I love getting a raise, I really wish it was more like several dollars instead of less than a dollar. My increase is only $.60 more an hour. I'm still making about $10 less than I should be considering I have over twenty years experience in data entry.

For some reason the pictures of my blood pressure (119/63) and glucose (134, I had some buttered bread around 6 last night) have not showed up in my inbox. I also emailed myself some videos from TikTok and they haven't showed up either.

I am tired of some things in my life so I decided enough was enough and I'm going to get into the habit of doing them.

Friday, I took the trash out as has become my habit. Then at 9pm I turned the air down (I have free electricity from 9pm until 6am) and went to start cleaning the bathroom (I have some things that need worked on and I don't like having maintenance in when my bathroom is gross).

When I first started, my stomach was a bit dicey but not too bad, so I decided to push through. But I also debated about not cleaning due to the massive heat rash I had from my huge apron belly. But I told myself those were just excuses and I could do this. So, I slapped some Gold Bond on the heat rash and got to work.

Normally, when I clean, I'll do an area of whatever room I'm cleaning (like the cabinet), then take a break. I repeat this until I either finish or fall asleep. This time, I decided I didn't want to risk falling asleep before I was done, so I pulled out an old method.

Back when I was on Tumblr, I found a blog called UnFuck Your Habitat that was all about helping people learn how to clean.

The person who runs(ran) it strongly discouraged marathon cleaning. Marathon cleaning has a different meaning for just about everyone but they defined it as cleaning a whole area without taking a break. That is the fastest way to burn yourself out and then nothing gets done.

They strongly encourage the use of what they call 20/10's or 45/15's. What this is, is cleaning for 20 or 45 minutes then taking a 10 or 15 minute break. I have used this method with varying degrees of success over the years.

I had to download the app again. You can find it in Apple's App Store and should be able to find it in the Google Play Store. Just search UFYH. It's called UnFilth Your Habitat. When I first got it, it was $.99, not sure if it still is.

I turned on some music and hit the timer for my first 20/10. I barely made it 10 minutes before I had to take a break. Cleaning for 20 minutes was causing my body to shut down and I just could not do that. Hopefully, once I get used to cleaning regularly again, I can use this method. But for now, I have to do it the only way I can.

So, I cleaned the counter, the mirror, the toilet, and the little cabinet I have next to the toilet (with breaks in between as needed). I started on the shower next. In hindsight, I should have left the shower for last. The glass has so much soap scum that it is going to take several cleanings for it to get fully clean. I had just started cleaning the floor of the shower when my power scrubber died.

But that was okay because I was done for the night. I rinsed the floor, took a break to give the floor time to become less slippery, then took a shower.

I realized sometime yesterday that I could have cleaned the tub because I don't use it so all I had to do was dust the edges and pour some water on the inside to get it clean. *face palm*

Saturday, I went to the store and then at 9pm, turned the air down and went to start cleaning. But I got dizzy on my way from the living room to the bathroom. I tried to work through it but just couldn't. I did wash the bath mats and sweep the floor. Next weekend I will finish the bathroom and get started on the living room and kitchen.

I was going to walk this morning but I'm still a bit dizzy. I'm thinking it's because I've started taking the diuretic again. Maybe I'll be okay to walk tomorrow.

When at the store this weekend, I bought some candy (I really like the Cadbury Mini Eggs) and had been having a craving for chips and salsa, so got some of that too. And that is why my glucose is so high, I think.

I hate to admit this, but I used to not always wash my hands after using the bathroom while at home. In public and after pooping, always, but when I peed? Not always.

Until Covid, that is. Once we started working from home, I would scratch my nose and notice that my finger stunk, so I started washing my hands EVERY time I used the bathroom, except when I get up during the night.

I don't wash my hands during the night because I refuse to risk waking myself up so much that I can't fall back asleep by turning on the light (learned this trick while pregnant) and I have this thing about mirrors in dark rooms (thanks to the Doctor Who episode 'The Family of Blood').

A couple of months ago I had to stop using name brand soap because I couldn't afford it on that trip to the store. But a couple of weeks ago, I could and bought name brand again. I'm thinking they changed the formula for the type I use because my hands STINK even after washing them. I bought two big refill bottles so I'm not sure what I'm going to do (I really cannot afford to just throw out these two bottles).

Hopefully, I'll get used to the scent?

It's Rex Manning Day!

If you know, you know. ;-P

It's been a rough morning. I went to bed feeling good, I was prepared to get up and walk and take an everything shower and get dressed and make my bed. But then I got up feeling like crap. This crazy weather has given me a cold. My throat hurts, my head is stuffy, and I'm coughing and sneezing.

I had ordered some meringue cookies off TikTok shop and they arrived yesterday. And of course, the delivery guy couldn't find my apartment. I got the notice they had been delivered but they weren't on my doorstep so I went looking for them. I ran into the guy in the parking lot behind my building so it's all good. But I was prepared to walk around all three buildings until I found them.

The flavors I got are vanilla (don't really taste like much), cookies & cream (there's a hint of chocolate sandwich cookie), key lime pie (very strong lime flavor), and caramel (my favorite of the four).

I had some of the cookies as late as 7 last night and that's what I blame for my glucose being over 100. As for my blood pressure, I didn't sit entirely still for several minutes before taking it and I'm currently not taking the diuretic or the one blood pressure med my doctor took me off of. Just a few more days I'll be taking the diuretic again.

I saw a TikTok recently that talked about the struggle of fantasy writers to come up with names of their characters. She said that she takes names of towns and rivers and streams and uses those.

I've always wondered why fantasy writers don't just use a baby name site and look for unique names. That's what I do, not that I write fantasy. When I need a name for a new character, I go to a baby name site and look for names that mean a specific thing, but only if a name doesn't come to me while I'm plotting the story.

How do you come up with names for your characters?

I forgot to mention something that happened last week.

Back in 2023, I had to move out of my old apartment quickly. The old apartment wanted to raise my rent ~$300. I felt this wasn't right since I had lived there since 2015 and my unit was not updated and roach invested.

Because I refused to pay for even one more month there, I had to move on 2/25. I work in accounting so we are not allowed to take off the first ten days and the last day of each month. I have lived in a total of three apartments since I left my ex and this is the first one that doesn't take section 8.

As a result, I am used to my lease running through the end of the month regardless of when I actually moved in. For example, I moved into my old apartment in the middle of March 2015 but my lease ended on the last day of February.

I expected that here but I guess it doesn't? I honestly don't remember what the dates of my lease were when I signed it last year. I did notice it this year, that's why I'm mentioning it.

Anyway, Thursday, I received a note on my door. I always get nervous when the office leaves a note on my door. This time it wasn't anything bad; it was the notice about my lease renewal. It said that my lease ends on 5/24. I fully expected it to end on 5/31.

I cannot remember when I received it last year, I'm guessing in late December because when I moved in I signed a twelve month lease. And they require a 60 day notice to vacate.

The lease options are for one month up to fifteen months. I will never understand why someone would rent an apartment for less than six months. I get that some people do it while they're having their house renovated but I would rent a furnished apartment for that so I don't have to unpack and then pack again so soon. But that's just me.

Anyway, I chose the fifteen month option because it only increased my rent $6. The new option list shows the same amount for the fifteen month lease. So naturally I chose that one. I'm just waiting for the office to approve it.