10 Things Thursday

It's been a strange week, so this will likely be a strange post ... 

but maybe that's not so out of sorts for me *gigglesnort*

~*~

1. I got a text from my ex-husband Monday night. He wanted to let me know that he had to have Gizmo (our "family" cat) put down (kidney failure).
   

   

   Gizmo

   It has been years since I've seen Gizmo, but I cried more after his text than I did when I got the phone call that my dad had died, and I feel a wee bit guilty about that.
2. Cam went to Hill Air Force Base this past weekend to visit one of his friends. I'm not going to lie, it was WONDERFUL to have the house to myself for four days. Also? I'm hoping he was inspired - I'd love for him to enlist in the military!
3. I generally don't get trends - I'm not one who usually follows the crowd -and this new Instagram trend of taking floral-backdrop selfies at the craft-store? Really? This is why I don't do trends.
4. Speaking of crafts, I've been feeling really crafty lately. I even dug out my art supplies and did some painting and drawing. I'm thinking I may have to try this Watercolor Rubber Stamp Calligraphy project soon, because ... PRETTY!!
   
   
   
       
5. I found this fabulous Printable Art Collection library at Remodelaholic that has given me tons of inspiration as well. I don't know that I would actually print them out and hang them on my walls as is, but they sure do give me ideas.
6. Lifehacker has been doing a Work From Home series this week. Although some of the articles really don't apply to me as I'm not a freelancer, overall, I've been impressed with the series - especially the Why I Work at Bars Instead of Coffee Shops piece.
7. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, having Cam living with me - and not living with Mike (who loved to cook) - I've been doing a lot more cooking lately. I'm always on the lookout for budget friendly ideas, and came across a similar service to eMeals called $5 Meal Plan. Although I've been fairly happy with the budget eMeals recipes, there are usually several that are meatless, and meatless is not an option in this house. I just signed up for the 14-day trial of $5 Meal Plan to see if maybe I can pick and choose from both plans to put together a menu for a full week that has food Cam will actually eat.
8. If you are someone who believes those people are just lazy and taking advantage of government programs (and even if you aren't), read this New York Times article Homelessness, Step by Step. Not only does it address that social service agencies are terribly difficult to navigate, it puts real faces on those people. *HINT* they look like your nextdoor neighbors. 
9. I think I'll buy this Italian villa that was featured in Call Me By Your Name (which I had to google because I had no idea that it was a movie) with my retirement savings ... or maybe just a brick from the Italian villa because that's about the size of my retirement savings.
10. This happened on my left shoulder/arm on Friday. It reads:

May I grow so tall and bright

So free and wild, so brave and vibrant

That when you see me standing

You think I am a sunflower

10 Things Thursday

Let's try this one again. It was something I hoped would be a regular

brain cleansing exercise - a place to toss those blog post ideas that

were never written, along with other nonsensical and random thoughts.

~*~

1. One of the posts in my DRAFT folder was titled "I need to get back to this place" - it was written in November of 2015. It only took me 2-1/2 years, and a major life upheaval, to start posting on a somewhat regular basis again *rolls eyes*
2. I read this lifehacker article - The Science Behind Why Breakups Suck (and What You Can Do About It) - soon after Mike and I split up. At the time it seemed like a bunch of gobbledygook, but when I read it again recently, I realized just how spot on it is ... especially the part about exaggerating the harm rejection actually causes us. Yeah ... that ...
3. Speaking of Mike, he and I actually met up at a Bishop Gorman basketball game this past week. Watching high school basketball, seeing local kids play that are top college recruits, was something we both enjoyed when we were together, and it's something I've missed. It went well. It was good to see him. And I felt some level of closure, as strange as that might sound.
4. I read a lot of lifehacker articles. I find their topics generally interesting and their information consistently good. How to Invest in Legal Weed was no exception. I'm sure there are some of you have issues with recreational marijuana. I don't, but I do see it as a huge business and investment opportunity that I'm trying to find a way into.
5. And speaking of recreational marijuana, can I just say BEST SLEEP AID EVER. Oh how I adore the edibles. Nothing says, "Good night! Sleep tight!" quite like a 10mg peach gummy. And most dispensaries here offer at least a 15% military discount. WOOHOO!!!  
6. This trend of abusing the identification of emotional support animals needs to stop. What is a valid therapeutic benefit to many people has turned into a circus show. For shits and grins I took this screening and discovered that for just $139 I could get the required documentation to not only fly with my pet, but to live in housing that prohibits pets with my pet. *second eye roll* 
7. I am currently having to give my non-ESA cats a daily dose of Miralax. Apparently pet constipation is a real thing. Thank goodness Mike's sister is a vet tech and was able to give me dosing instructions. Believe it or not, they don't list cat dosages of the Miralax informational label.
8. My first Home Chef delivery is scheduled for today. I've become somewhat of a meal delivery kit abuser. I order the introductory box at a discounted rate and then cancel the service. Unfortunately I'm running out of meal delivery kit providers.
9. I also purchased a subscription to emeals this week. I signed up for their Budget-Friendly Family Plan. Due to the "default" on a promissory note owed to be, I need to cut down my expenses by about $500/month. Groceries are my second biggest expense. We'll see how this goes.
10. I GOT NEW COOKWARE!!!