We'll see how it works out

Yesterday I managed to get out and mow the front yard. I didn't quite run out of gas in the mower, when I finished- so that's an improvement. But, I didn't mow where the daffodils are still green, either. So, maybe not so great. But I took it as a win.

I hoped to get back out and start the back yard, later in the day. But no, the knees just really didn't want to. OK then.

Today I got up later, but still was able to get out again and mow. This time I got nearly all of the larger part of the back yard done. And this was deep, because I hadn't gotten it mowed last fall before I gave up for the year. The worse knee was snapping and hurting with every step towards the end, as I was shoving the mower up the hill. But I kept at it until the mower stopped on its own- and there was very little left unmowed when it sputtered to a stop.

I knew I couldn't just stay with my win today, because I had run out of fruit Thursday, and run out of vegetables yesterday. So I had to get groceries. I elected to run to the local grocery after I rolled the mower back into the garage and propped the rock against the door to keep it shut.

It was very painful, but I had a shopping cart to lean on, and I knew I would be going the short loop through. And now I have a fresh pineapple to cut up in the morning, plus a bag of oranges and a bag of Gala apples, two small containers of cherry tomatoes (one red and one golden), sweet potatoes, organic carrots, a head of red romaine lettuce, and enough dry cat food to make it to this weekend, when I will have another paycheck to get me by. And the only things not on sale of my purchases were the romaine lettuce and the carrots. This week's ad had shown bags of shelled walnuts for a really good price, but I didn't find them easily, and I hurt too much to stop and ask. Plus, not spending the money on that meant I could get a bottle of unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, since I am nearly out. So that was an acceptable substitution.

I have pared down my list so that the only thing I do still intend to do tonight is clean up the cat litter boxes, and change out the newspaper under them, which I have already put off too long. But that is IT. My laundry is already done, and I am planning to go to bed early tonight so I can feel better when I get up tomorrow. Right now, though? Wow do my knees hurt.

Almost forgot about this

Yesterday Miss Chloe defended her patio from an intruder! I heard a kitty yowl, got up from the table and went to the door, where there was a Tuxedo Cat Face-Off going on.

The intruding tuxedo cat was visibly larger than Chloe, and had shorter hair, but she was giving him attitude and making it clear in no uncertain terms that he was NOT welcome on HER turf! He didn't seem combative, but when I said "YOU don't live here!" he skittered off to the street. He stopped and looked back, and I was still watching, so he ran across the corner to the converted-to-apartments house on the corner lot. He went behind the house, so he might belong to the people who live upstairs now (it's a fairly high turnover place, not a dump per se, but old houses are old houses).

Miss Chloe came in to tell me all about it. I told her she was very brave, as I knew she was (she lived on the streets as a dumped cat for a good 6-9 months before I took her in), and she was very full of herself for the rest of the day.

As for me, I had no idea we had another tuxedo cat in the neighborhood.

And when I went to the bathroom a little later, I told Dash and Corrigan that they were slackers, lounging there in the back yard while Chloe held the borders against an intruder. They were not impressed.