New Mouse for My 40-Month Old Chromebook

My Thinkpad Chromebook is now 40-months old. It still works like I just got it yesterday. I use it mainly to blog, edit videos and do adulting things (i.e. accounting). I used to do groceries on it too, but we've been doing it in person the past year. It was a good decision for me to invest in a Chromebook since I don't do fancy dev stuff anyway. 

The most tedious thing I do on my Chromebook is edit videos. Editing sewing and cooking videos don't require effects. It's pretty straightforward and I just use WeVideo. Most of my files are uploaded through my phone. I still use a camera sometimes and I just transfer files like how I used to do on a Mac or Windows OS laptop. Easy peasy. 

The mouse I got when I bought my Chromebook conked out on me. I only changed the battery once in the past 3+ years. It worked really well on my Chromebook. I may have forgotten to turn it off and didn't use my laptop for 2 weeks. That's probably why it died on me. Sweetie lent me two of his devices, but it didn't work well on my Chromebook. 

I found an upgraded version of my old mouse. It's a Logitech M330. It's pretty pricey at PhP995, but it works well on my Chromebook. The only complaint I have is it doesn't have a clicking noise! It's a silent mouse! This GenX grew up with noisy clicking and noisy keyboards, so this is certainly weird, haha. I hope I don't forget to turn it off before I keep my Chromebook so it lasts me a couple of years. 

As for my Chromebook, I have no plans (and no budget!) to change it. I hope Google will keep it updated forever! (BTW, my older Chromebooks also still work!). 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Happy 1st Meredith

Meredith first visited us a year ago. She looked like she was someone's pet since she didn't look like any of the regular feral cats that visit us. She wasn't really friendly and didn't come back until the end of December.

By the time she came back, she was visibly pregnant and looking for food. The tabbies were also very territorial and chased her away. By January she came back, left two fetuses in the garage and left. Few days later she came back looking very sick. None of our neighbors responded to us when we asked if anyone lost a cat.

She wasn't eating solid food, so we gave her some broth. She perked up, became affectionate and never left. We figured out she was abandoned by the neighbor who moved out. And that's how she became part of our pawmily.

We brought her to the vet and she's been spayed. She's now a chonky cat, sometimes sweet, oftentimes maldita. She's the princess among the tabbies. She gets extra scratches since she has the softest fur among everyone. Just be sure to pull your hand out immediately since she might nip you. 

We love you Meredith! Happy first year with us! ❤️

#BeKind #StaySafe

Another Hour I Can't Remember

Twelve years ago, I had a TEE (transesophageal echocardiogram). It's where a doctor slips down a camera through your throat. Yup, it's nasty and after the first time I never wanted to do it again.

My doctor ordered for me to do it. It's been eleven years since I had OHS, so my heart is due to be checked. I re-scheduled twice since I've been unstable and I was so anxious about the procedure. I bravely went for it today and just prayed.

The last thing I remember was the bitter taste of the throat numbing spray. I also saw the anesthesiologist injecting something in the IV. An hour later I woke up to a medtech doing a 2D echogram on me. I realized I didn't even see the doctor who did the TEE. I'm so glad I was sedated and didn't have to endure what I did 12 years ago. I'm just hoping my throat doesn't react badly. The doctor have me meds, so that you should help.

Resting for the next few days. The procedure is pretty invasive and my body needs to recover. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Our Muradito Experience

I had Muradito Home on my list of places to visit. They carry an array of useful items. I was curious because they have themed ceramic dinnerware. I also wanted to see whether their items are affordable.

It took a year before we went. I didn't really have anything to buy. My neighbor though makes really good ramen and we realized we didn't have bowls for ramen. That became my excuse, haha.

We went to their Alabang branch. We decided to go in the evening since warehouses tend to be hot. The first thing we saw was a cute cat grooming at the entrance. Beside it was a huge table with Christmas plates, mugs and other dinnerware. I think about half of the items were Christmas items.

The area was big and I was overwhelmed with the variety. Good thing they only had a few ramen bowls. We were able to choose quickly. 

As much as I wanted to buy Christmas themed stuff, the practical side of me won. I just wanted a quirky serving bowl that I could use all year round. So I just got something that would be useful and perfect for serving home cooked dishes. 

One thing we also decided to get were platitos. We only have three and they also don't match. We got three more that also don't match, haha. Each small plate only cost about PhP50. Not bad huh. 

The prices were affordable, even the cutesy serving bowls and plates. The options can be overwhelming, so it's useful to have a list of what you need before going. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made a Pokemon "Pikachu" Quilt

I was really curious whether Pinterest grids of characters would work as a quilt. Since I had a lot of yellow fabric, I decided to make a Pikachu quilt. I originally intended to make it as a throw pillow case, but it was too cute. I decided to turn it into a wall hanging since we don't have anything on our walls. 

I started the project last August. I was busy with other things. I worked on it on and off and piecing together 400 1"x 1" squares wasn't easy. I had to take breaks in-between to rest. The hardest part was hand quilting across the project. I'm happy I now have a Pokemon wall decor-a homemade one!

Here's how I made it!

Will I do it again? Maybe. I definitely want to have a Yoda one and if I have more energy maybe I'll complete the Pokemon starters. 

Yet Another Day with My Cats + Pulmo Rehab

I managed to sleep well last night. I was able to pinpoint where the forearm pain stemmed from. It's likely a pinched nerve somewhere in my neck. I haven't been able to see my doctor since she's out, so I looked for a home solution. I found one last night taught by a chiropractor and I had instant relief! The pain is still there, but at least I was able to sleep without taking a pain reliever (Dr. Koo always cautioned not to get addicted to pain relievers!). 

Anyway, I was able to attend my pulmo rehab session today. My therapist congratulated me for making it for four straight weeks! That's a rare occurrence since sometimes I wake up with a headache or I'm not able to sleep well. I learned my lesson and make sure I'm well rested the day before my session. No extraordinary activities! 

I fell asleep after eating lunch. The exercises were the same, but I used heavier dumb bells for some of the exercises. That probably required a lot more effort. I immediately went to the pocket garden when I woke up. Anakin, Bailey and Grogu soon appeared and asked for belly rubs. Meredith followed and also asked for scratches. They've been so sweet lately and I can't imagine not having them around.

Kaley and Grey have been missing for 2 to 3 months now. We have no idea where they've gone. We can only hope that they found someone to care for them. It's not the first time we lost feral cats. We also never saw Cheyenne and Sandra again. Maybe they also found their fur-ever homes. 

I also realized Christmas is less than a month away now! We honestly haven't done anything yet. Maybe we'll put up our trees this weekend :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Afternoon Companions

Every afternoon my cats accompany me while I water the plants. They greet me and ask for belly rubs. When I get busy with the plants they wrestle or run around. Sometimes I get surprised when they do zoomies and brush against my leg as they pass by.

This afternoon, Meredith sat beside me after I finish watering the tea tree plant. I sat on the top step beside her and just hung out. The weather has changed and it's pleasant to stay outdoors towards sunset. I'm glad the old Meredith is back. She became aloof for awhile and even moved out. She came back when she realized no one else is going to feed her. I guess she now understands that they are one huge cat family and we love all of them just the same.

I went out again late evening to check on the cats. They were all napping, but soon woke up when they heard me. Anakin was missing. We heard him running on the garage roof and wanted help to get down. Last time that happened he jumped ten feet to the ground. Good thing he wasn't injured. This time his paw daddy held a box for him to go down. He still fell, but managed to land properly. 

His body was stuck in a plastic bag. We suspect it came from the construction site beside us. We immediately removed it and checked if he was okay. The handle of the plastic was pretty tight. Good thing I checked on the cats and saw what happened.

I love our cat family, all 8 of them and I'm grateful Papa God sent them our way.

#BeKind #StaySafe