OMG cats. I can’t really say anything of substance…well, this isn’t the first time I’ve had a cat. My first cat was black and logical. I read that black cats have a different personality (um, GOOD, IMO) and I should have stuck with them because they are easy. On Reddit, half of the people said the color of the domestic shorthair has nothing to do with personality. Ignore these people.

​I’m not getting into details in this entry because I haven’t recovered. And why relive the terror today? Chest pains on back-to-back days?! I get stressed while grocery shopping, but I don’t get chest pains from it. I will tell all one day… while respecting the cats’ privacy. I can’t even call them my cats yet. Call me cold or traumatized.

​I will mention what happened last night while watching my one indoor security camera. Btw, those $10-$15 indoor security cameras might seem too cheap, but I’ve had mine for maybe 3 years, and it’s still working. And I’ve never paid for the cloud, but have had two free trials. I had one free trial when I 1st got the camera, of course, and they offered me a second one this past week, so I’m using it for the cats. But if using it for animals or anything but security, there’s no reason to pay for the cloud. Although the cloud isn’t expensive for most people, it’s just not something they use, so why pay for it?

I used to use it when I left my dog for errands, too. I was so embarrassed the few times he seemed to bark the whole time. I live in a standalone house, but I’m sure one or two neighbors (especially if they were outside) could probably hear me. Not loud, but still…I hate bothering people with noise.

Anyway, I only use it for security when I’m gone overnight, and I still don’t think the cloud is needed if the camera is checked every 12 to 24 hours. See something? Download the short clip(s). And maybe call law enforcement?  But if you are like me and don’t think anyone is going to break in and stop checking any alerts on day 2, then everything disappears without a cloud subscription. So, if serious about security, getting the cloud is fine.

​Oh, this is about me and how the cats are stressing me out more than a dog ever has. So, last night on the camera, the 4-year-old female hit her 3-year-old “brother” on the head. I thought, “uh, oh,” what if there’s a cat fight? I’m supposed to break it up. But I was kinda frozen and in my bedroom watching the camera on my phone like a brave cat lady. Luckily, it was only one hit. That’s far from what is considered a cat fight in terms of cats really fighting.

​I put brother in quotes because they have been together for a while. Supposedly. The four-year-old’s real brother was adopted, I assume. They don’t like breaking up siblings ever, so I’m wondering if he got sick or something. Anyway, their owner adopted them from the shelter and then had to go into assisted living, so she dropped them back off at the shelter.

It’s so sad people can’t take their pets with them. What if they can take care of them? Three cats (or two – unsure) would be a lot for one room in assisted living, but they won’t let you bring one. No fish is probably the rule, too. I saw many pets dropped off at local shelters for this reason while I was looking at pets up for adoption.

​So one cat is four. The other is three. The four-year-old is still unsure about the house, and that’s part of the stress, but why get into all that? It’s Sunday, it’s kinda calm, and I want to scrapbook for 15 minutes IF there is no part-time contract work available. There was nothing surprising yesterday. So I’m going after I do a quick “weekly” section. But who am I kidding? I still have more cat stuff to do, organize the bedroom, plus do a grocery delivery order. Sigh. But I really want to relax.

Update: can’t watch the cats now. The 3-year-old knocked it down at about 8 AM. Smart cats. So I have no idea what’s going on, and I’m fine with that.

What I Did This Week

Music of the Week

Books of the Week

I finished two books this week:

^{Who to Believe by Edwin Hill  (Fiction). My rating: ★★★★ (4 stars) Good book. Hated some of the plot choices, but that doesn’t always make a bad story; it left me intrigued. A book about a group of neighbors and a whodunit. Used to love these kinds of books, but I’ve read too many bad ones recently. And it’s better when they are acquaintances or strangers. Not friends. Enjoyed the social dynamics despite some of them being far-fetched.} 

^{Finders Keepers by Natalie Barelli (Fiction). My rating: ★★★★ (really 3.75 stars). This book was really long and not a page-turner. But unlike most books I’ve read recently, I liked the ending of this book, so it goes from average and too long to a little above average, but I still wouldn’t highly recommend it. This is another dual-timeline book, and maybe I’ve been reading too many because I’m beginning to dislike them, even though I used to like them. Or maybe the main character was too young – 13 in the past timeline. I don’t want to read about a 13-year-old in love with anyone, but especially with an older character (yes, over 18), whom I hated. From my notes: “hate X, hate him. no redeeming qualities.” Also, I really liked the present-day story, and the past timeline almost ruined the book.}

Movies of the Week

I watched two movies over the last two weeks. I watch a lot of documentaries and don’t include them in my movie list anymore, even though they are movies. But one was so good I have to include it.

• Mama’s Boy 2022 (HBO Max) – I either read the book or watched this documentary when it first came out. So good. I rarely cry when watching movies, but I sobbed for the last 50%. Okay, not crying with noise, but tears running down my face. Anyway, it’s about the director of Milk, Dustin Lance Black, his life, gay rights, and, of course, his mom. I can’t recommend this enough. Btw, I saw Milk in the theater. Yes, I used to leave my house to go to movies. Haven’t done that since…I don’t know. Maybe 2017 or 2018?
• Flowers in the Attic 2014 (Netflix with commercials…lol). I don’t know why this movie is back out. I read the book by VC Andrews as a teenager. I read all her books back then. Anyway, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this movie. It was okay. I was bored. It’s hard to say much about the movie when I think of it as a book, and I was mostly just listening to it. Not watching.

Quote of the Week