it's been twelve days since our last post

like, a record, for a while!

In Reverse Chrono:
 Today
Kids were back at school, dan was back at work and I gave myself one additional day to Not Be at work or with the kids.  Yesterday I had the 'puttering around the house' anxiety but today I was productive in a healthy and calm way.  Yesterday I had lotsa caffeine and my adhd med, but today I didn't have the adhd med and was productive anyway.  I might just keep it this way, idk.

ANYWAY my point being. here's the things about today:

• Major Estate accomplishment:   filed the motion of insolvency!!! and notified my bro! It was a little complicated but got it done.
• took car for repair & got a rental!  The plates are from ohio and from really nearby our hometown (Ohio plates have counties on them. There are 88 counties. So, seeing Geauga on there was exciting.)
• took a newly found key to the storage unit of my mom's. tried it, and called the management when it failed, and set up a 'please replace my lock' plan that doesn't require me to Make An Appointment
• Figured out how to log in to the kids' savings accounts via the Old Bank and deposited xmas checks to their accounts (accidentally posted ty to megs & vice versa but it's the same amount, so hopefully bank doesn't care)
• threw out old hair products
• I finished ordering the kids' photo prints to send to their grandparents (i thought i already did it, but i did not, but now it's done and they're PRINTED)  It took a really long time though so i am no longer into the idea of going to CVS to pick em up.  Next time I have to go, I will pick up my 4 prints and also drop off my mom's old rx'es.
• made a stack of cds and notebooks that dan could throw away
• got dan to sign off on the FAFSA
• asked our trash company about an additional can or something for Gradual junk removal
• went to walmart while waiting for my cvs prints (they didn't text me, but they were probably done anyway) and got a box of Hair Color (i was growing out my roots, but now I don't think I like the ombre effect because the top is ashy and the bottom is brassy. It looked lame in pictures. I want to unify it. So, medium brown).  And color-protect conditioner. And a new mouse because I gave meg mine. And a new phone cord and a mountain dew.   And color-coding sticker dots.   
• Honestly. getting hair done is so expensive and time consuming and also far to go to I think I am FINE with doing a box of a nice tide-me-over color. I should get a trim, but meh. 
• For a person who is Decluttering, this was a good walmart run.  (Ok i also got a document envelope and zipping pouch but not too bad.)

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I have lots of vague 2025 thoughts.  That might be coming soon and there are Nice Things happening in my head.

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Highlights of Xmas, NYE, and trip to Ohio

• the drives were 'fine' - we took 2 cars, ty was my buddy one way and meg was my buddy the other way.  8.5 hours without stops but we left around 10 and got in around 7.
• Exciting meals: Amber roll sushi (big boys; they had yellow things like gourd, avo, pickled veg of some kind, maybe carrot, drizzled with a  creamy wasabi sauce.  Also went to Cafe Panda  - a new place at the old mall - it's adorable and has all the asian foods I've heard about like onigiri and korean corn dog and viet coffee and special shaved ice. And it was all green bamboo and pink cherry blossoms. I had Viet Coffee, which was delicious.  Unfortunately both foods sat in my stomach and just hung out there. As did burger king. ugh.
• Also highway fast food is STUPID EXPENSIVE on the NY turnpike.  
• The cats are really, really glad we're home. Mercury has not left my lap all day if he can help it.  We had someone stopping over to check on them, but dan could see on the camera, they'd just stare at the door sometimes while we were gone.
• Kids had a great christmas.
• I commissioned an art on Christmas Eve because meg realized nobody did anything for me.  And she finished it and it's very cute (it's the 2 cats doing nose kisses)
• I got myself a Backbone controller anyway so I can play games on my phone. And the app. While the app is kind of lame, the controller is good. But my phone case is too chunky, so i splurged and got a new, compatible case, and a magnetic popsocket.  So, those are things I feel fine about splurging on.
• I finished the final book in the Jodi Taylor St Mary's series - but once i started it i was confuzzled, so I went back and read the penultimate book to catch up. So over our trip I read 2 whole ebooks. And 2 audio novellas (at least). 
• Saw my brother, his wife & kid several times! Dan's brother, his wife & kids once! My friend anka once, my friends bryan & becca & their kids & dan's old buddy Jim & his son as well.  For four days in town, that's not bad seeing all those people!
• watched wicked at home with dan. he wasn't into the idea because musicals are dumb, but afterwards I said what did you think and he said 'good visuals, great acting' and also told the movie 'good job'   which, like, I'll take it. I also did a wiki refresh of 'what is the deal with boq & nessa again' and then re-learned some spoilers that I'm looking forward to.
• ANYWAY.  The visuals of the movie (BESIDES pink & green) are also the vibes for this year.  Glittering hummingbirds and art-deco steampunk trains  etc.  I just want to watch it again to see some of those sets.

2025 thoughts

While the 1st was gray and cold, the 2nd has been windy and sunny.  Spring vibes, even though spring's still just a dream. It'll be stupid cold the next few days, so that's a reality check.

I set up a pinterest board for '25 vibes, with different sections.  One for each of the 2 "colors of the year" and what those vibes are like (mocha mousse coziness v future dusk cyberpunktiude). One for each of my word-of-the-year finalists.  I was doing the pinterest rabbit hole thing and what stood out is:

Bamboo & cherry blossom

Magical Dumpster Garden (complete with flowers and moss and fairies)

idk, there are lots of lovely **aesthetics** and my visual center is happy about the different styles. I think